Water Filtration Snuffs Out Hazards

Many industrial applications are better served by a customized dust collection system, rather than an off-the-shelf model.The potentially explosive dust resulting from metal finishing operations is a major concern among fabricators today, not only due to safety hazards but because recent changes in NFPA regulations have toughened compliance.

The grinding and sanding of metal workpieces produces fine metallic dust that – even after filtration – can be exposed to sparks and result in smoldering, catching fire, or even a dust explosion in circumstances when ordinary dry dust collection methods are used. The situation becomes even more hazardous when the dust from certain metals is mixed in a dry collection system. Mixing aluminum and steel dust, for example, is an accident waiting to happen.

Combustible metals that are common in manufacturing and machining operations include aluminum, lithium, magnesium, niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, and even cold rolled steel.

By switching to wet collectors, many companies are upgrading their protection against dust fires while improving air quality for workers at the same time. Some wet collection systems may also be customized to improve ergonomics for workers by positioning workpieces at more comfortable levels, or facilitating access of hoisting equipment that eliminates the need of workers to lift heavy items. Such improvements may also lead to improved production flow.

Another advantage of many wet dust collection units is that they filter explosive dust directly into water, eliminating another potential hazard site at the duct. These devices comply with federal regulations (NFPA and OSHA) without interfering with manufacturing processes.

"We switched most of our dry dust collectors to wet ones," says Terry Graham, equipment engineering specialist at Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, TX. "Because we work with a variety of materials, including metals like steel, titanium, magnesium, and aluminum, the wet collectors will improve our protection against any smoldering material or fire."

Graham says his plant has two major machining centers, one has six stations and the other has eight. Most of them have now been outfitted with downdraft wet collectors from Filter 1, a company that specializes in off-the-shelf and custom dust collection systems.

"Although the NFPA does not specify the installation of a wet collector, there is a higher risk of fire with a dry filter," says Mike Sweezy, from Filter 1. "The old school approach would be to replace the cartridges and put a fire suppression device on the dry collector if it catches on fire. But why take the risk when a wet collector can eliminate the problem altogether? Plus, if the equipment can be customized to fit the operation, then the ergonomics and productivity at the workstation can be improved at the same time."

Wet Collector Protection
A Hydrotron wet downdraft table with two 5ft x 3ft downdraft tables, a 10hp blower rated at 5,000cfm, spark resistant blower construction with TEFC motor out of airstream – used for collecting magnesium dust – and an optional 10% vent fan (500cfm) that runs at all times and is primarily for venting hydrogen gas.In order to ensure compliance and cut excessive upkeep requirements, Midwest Products and Engineering (MPE), a Milwaukee, WI-based designer and fabricator of enclosures, carts, and consoles used by the aerospace, medical and electronics industries, decided to take a new look at its dust collection system requirements.

The main dust concern at MPE was handling the fine dust during the metal finishing (grinding and sanding) of regular cold rolled steel. Due to the more hazardous situation of combining dust from aluminum grinding with that from steel, the aluminum metal finishing area is located in a completely separate part of the shop.

"The steel that we are grinding turns into a form much like steel wool lint," explains Teresa Stortz, process improvement engineer, MPE. "The hazard occurs when that lint is hit by grinder sparks, providing the opportunity to smolder and ignite. Of course, that is a situation that we absolutely must prevent. In addition, we want to remove as much of the very small dust particulate from the air as is possible and these units seem more than capable of helping us on both fronts."

To ensure that MPE acquired an optimum dust collection filtration system, Stortz's team talked to Filter 1.

"We wanted to replace existing dust collection systems because of shop-wide air quality," Stortz explains. "But we did not have any preconceived notions or specifications about what kind of system we should get. So, I was surprised and reassured when the president of this company, who is a filtration engineer, visited our company to see our application first-hand."

This visit, which included the chief applications specialist as well, impressed Stortz. She says no other dust collection system manufacturer gave her requirements that much attention.

To add to her appreciation, the supplier loaned MPE wet collectors of the design that the engineers felt would likely suffice for the application.

"That has helped us tremendously, no other supplier offered to give us trial equipment," Stortz says. "The downdraft table designs they suggested worked very well. The operators loved them."

MPE decided to go with the seven Hydrotron wet downdraft tables. This system purifies air through a combination of centrifugal force and violent mixing of water and contaminated air. As the air stream passes the fixed baffles, particulate is separated by a heavy, turbulent curtain of water created by high velocity air. The centrifugal force caused by the rapid changes in airflow direction forces the dust particles to penetrate the water droplets and become entrapped. Contaminated water is then removed from the airstream by special mist filters. Dust, as sludge, settles to the collector bottom, and the water is reused.

Comfort, Productivity
When working with a variety of materials, including metals like steel, titanium, magnesium, and aluminum, wet collectors improves a company’s protection against any smoldering material or fire.Many industrial applications are better served by a customized dust collection system, rather than an off-the-shelf model. Popular custom design elements include making systems fit into tight spaces, or integrating special features such as a crane slot, adjustable up-and-down tables, multiple hoppers, and wet spark traps. A choice of fan designs may also be important to optimizing performance and providing high-energy efficiency to applications with high-pressure requirements.

"The downdraft table equipment we use is fairly large, 4ft deep and 8ft wide," Stortz says. "Filter 1 customized it by lowering the surface into the tank, to just 2ft 2" off the ground, so that we are able to put large parts on it. We also had them raise the blowers upward in the back of the system. This is important to the operators because it will keep their breathing space cleaner. It will also keep them much cooler, since it gets quite warm in the area."

Stortz adds that the new dust collection system also gives them the ability to build in equipment that increases the safety of handling the products MPE operators and technicians are working on.

"The parts can get fairly large, weighing more than 100 lb. We have designed the equipment and area so that each operator would have lift assist equipment available at his or her workstation. This will improve worker safety as well as increase productivity."

Such improvements have been seen in a variety of plants where the wet collectors have been customized.

"I believe these new [Hydrotron] wet collectors improve the working environment for employees who occupy these machine stations," Graham adds. "There have been ergonomic improvements with the wet new collection systems. The units are configured so that the work surfaces are more in the worker's power zone. Where there are stations that work on heavy parts, the filters have slots so that the crane can move a part inside the booth and load the part on the table. The improved ergonomics benefit seems to speed up production and also help employee morale as well as making it less likely that workers will be off due to an injury."

Mixed Dust Applications
David Creaser at Elite Manufacturing Technologies Inc., Bloomingdale, IL, a leading sheet metal fabricator, says his company recently installed a 30ft long wet control booth to facilitate the safe collection of metal dust from the company's grinding operation.

"We work in a variety of metals, including steel, galvanized stainless, and aluminum, for example," Creaser says. "We decided on the wet type of collection booth for our grinding operation primarily because of the hazards that can come from the dust from dissimilar metals, particularly aluminum and stainless steel."

Creaser explains that in the process of researching the most effective form of dust collector, he realized that the only type that would enable us to work with a variety of metals without having a separate booth for each type of material was a wet booth.

"The Hydrotron booth we chose enables us to set up the work tables and equipment used for the grinding operation," Creaser says. "It provides us with a cleaner work environment because it is arresting all this particulate matter in the air and then blows back over the workstations, which also provides a cooling effect."

Filter 1 Clean Air Consultants
Garland, TX
filter-1.com

Elite Manufacturing Technologies Inc.,
Bloomingdale, IL
emt333.com

Midwest Products and Engineering
Milwaukee, WI
mpe-inc.com