Choosing the right dust collection solution requires careful evaluation of the specific application.

Choosing the right dust collection solution requires careful evaluation of the specific application.

OSHA attributes a good amount of illnesses and deaths to exposure to silica dust, having been proven to carcinogenic and a cause of untreatable silicosis, which creates a distinct lesion in the lungs. OSHA also hasn’t updated its laws regarding silica exposure since 1971. As such, OSHA plans to do something about it.

A recent survey of dust collector users, performed by Aerodyne in 2015, found that the majority of all dust collectors in use are over seven years old, with 45% of all units being over 10 years old.. This finding begs the question: why use these purchases for so long? A few reasons spring to mind.

A facility that specializes in grinding down particulate to custom sizes was experiencing a lag in its process. The process uses 5,000 ACFM to pneumatically convey granular plastic powder from the production area to the packaging area. The system needs to move 5,000 lbs of dust per hour. To do this, the company utilizes a series of baghouse collectors.

Plant operators were finding that too much time and money was being spent on maintenance and replacement parts. Due to the nature of the operation, the filters on the baghouses were becoming clogged too quickly. Production time was getting reduced which was contributing to a loss in profit and money was being spent on replacement parts. Bottom line: the company was losing money. Searching for a solution to the problem, the company reached out to Aerodyne.

Aerodyne sees many cases and problems like this company was facing. Over time baghouses removal efficiencies and the recovery levels of the product decrease as the filters wear or become clogged. The maintenance needed is frequent and time consuming, and often times baghouses can’t be used in application due to the nature of the particulate.

Material handling valves come in all shapes, sizes, varieties, and there are hundreds of available options for each style. From rotary valves and knife gate valves to double dump valves and trickle valves the choices are nearly endless. With such a vast selection available, choosing the right material handling valve for a given application can be a difficult task and choosing the wrong valve can be costly. While there may be more than one possible solution to a material handling need, there is often a best solution to be found if the proper considerations are given. Here are the top 5 questions any plant manager or plant engineer should ask when choosing a material handling valve.

1) What is the Nature of the Material Being Handled?
What’s up with your dust? Probably the most important consideration for any material handling application is of course the material itself. The characteristics of the material being handled will determine what type of valve should be selected. Extremely fine material typically requires a valve with tight tolerances and seals to avoid material from dusting out to the atmosphere. Coarse or chunky materials often require a valve with larger clearances to avoid plugging or jamming of the valve mechanism. A common problem some rotary valves experience is large chunks of material becoming jammed between the rotor vanes and valve housing. While some design innovations exist to prevent this type of problem from occurring, sometimes the best solution is selecting a different type of valve more suited to the material being handled. Double-dump or double flap gate valves are designed to allow large, chunky and abrasive materials to pass through with minimal chance of blockage. Pairing the proper valve type to the material being handled is crucial for a successful installation.

A company in the oil drilling industry is looking to find a dust collector that will withstand artic conditions. The standard bag house is not able to withstand these conditions due to the fact that cold conditions compressed air and bag houses have limited tolerances, making the conventional bag houses an inefficient way of dust collecting for this company. In hopes of finding a solution to its problem the company turned to Aerodyne. 

Aerodyne suggest the company use the SplitStream dust collector to replace the baghouse. The SplitStream Dust Collector achieves high-efficiency by forcing dirty gases into a powerful centrifugal motion. There are no moving parts to bind up in the arctic temperatures and the centrifugal action throws dust particulate out of the gas stream. A secondary air stream carries the dust particulate to the hopper, keeping dust away from the collector walls and reducing sticking and abrasion. As a result, the SplitStream virtually eliminates maintenance problems common to other types of cyclones. The prevention of particulate contact with external walls is a major factor in the unit’s ability to achieve high efficiency ratings. Since the SpiltStream does not use bags or filter cartridges, the collected product is easily returned to the process for reuse or sent out for disposal. 

A prominent coffee bean roaster is planning on building a new roasting facility in New Jersey. The head engineer contacted Aerodyne about trying to find equipment that could separate the coffee beans as they are pneumatically conveyed from one portion of the facility to the other. The engineer specified that the problem the facility was facing was space.

An engineering company is working with a peanut supplier on how to control the pneumatic peanut shell waste. The peanut company is currently using six cyclones in various sizes to dispose of the waste. The company, however, by not having any airlock valves under the cyclone, are carrying through some dust into a clean outlet. The company, looking to fix this problem, turned to Aerodyne.