by Erin Long | Jul 23, 2019 | Abrasive Blasting
Paul Arnold is the Vice President of Operations for a company in Western Pennsylvania. The company manufactures heavy duty outdoor furniture for parks, malls, and campuses. Their products have a strong reputation for durability, value, and unique design. A major part of the company’s process is a continuous weld seam that prevents corrosion. The powder coating process creates the product’s durability and weatherproofing. Heavy duty sandblasting prepares the products for electrostatic primer. Powder coating follows, and both layers cure in an oven.
Problem:
Working two shifts a day, sandblasting workers create large amounts of dust in the blasting area. Justin, the shop manager, reported that “in any blasting environment, things get dirty and dusty in a huge way. Sometimes, our workers can stay in the booth for no more than twenty minutes at a time due to the heat and dust generated.” This heavy duty sandblasting application strained their current dust collector beyond its limits.
Solution:
Paul and his team looked for a replacement for their current collector. They owned a dust collector with horizontal filters, and Paul noted a basic issue that plagues these collectors. “Our basic issue was the horizontal positioning of the filters within our old collector. The filters were literally on top of one another. That means the top one would stay relatively clean, but it would dump material onto the filters below it. Therefore, this led to very premature filter failure throughout the system.”
In his research, Paul discovered Imperial Systems and our vertical cartridge dust collectors. Further, he discovered that one of his high school classmates, Jeremiah Wann, was the president of the company.
“I kept hearing good things about the CMAXX,” Pail said. “Jeremiah made me extremely comfortable from the start. Imperial was willing and able to do whatever it took to meet our requirements. A purchase this large involves significant financial risk, obviously, but Jeremiah made me 100% confident that Imperial would stand behind its product.”
The company installed its CMAXX dust collector with DeltaMAXX cartridge filters in 2012. As a result, the air quality in the blasting area immediately improved. Moreover, the problems they had experienced with the horizontal filters disappeared.
Feedback on Heavy Duty Sandblasting Dust Clean-up:
“The CMAXX dust collector has amazing suction power… it draws air from everywhere,” Paul says. “Its construction makes sure contaminants don’t get back into the airstream and blown back at our workers. Plus, because there aren’t any bolt holes, water can’t get in and damage the filters.”
When speaking about his team’s experience with Imperial Systems, Paul says, “Consistency is the first descriptor that comes to mind. There’s the consistent and exceptional performance of the CMAXX collector and DeltaMAXX filters. Then there’s the outstanding customer and technical support we receive from Imperial.”
Paul explains the value of quality dust collection for his heavy duty sandblasting process and his overall product success: “We can fabricate the nicest park bench in the world, but if the finish is no good, then our final product is no good. The key to a perfect finish is proper substrate pre-treatment, leading to a superior powder topcoat. A first-class blast system is essential to this pre-treatment. So dust and fume collection are critical to keeping our blasting system operating at optimal levels.”
Paul and his company continue to return to Imperial Systems for their replacement filters and to keep their machines running efficiently. They report that they are still very satisfied with the aftermarket team’s prompt and attentive service.
Contact us to learn more about this case study or how to solve your own problem with abrasive or shot blasting dust collection.
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by Erin Long | Jul 23, 2019 | Case Studies
Problem: Welding School Filters Overpriced and Replaced Often
On a tight program budget, Johnny needed to keep the cost of his welding school filters down while running his weld fume collector efficiently. He is the welding program coordinator at a college in Texas. His welding program struggled with overpriced replacement filters for their collector.
The filters in Johnny’s current weld fume collector started to go bad after two years of light to moderate use. The expanded metal screen on the filters also appeared to be rusting and falling apart. He contacted the manufacturer of the collector used at his welding school. They informed him that his two replacement filters would cost him more than $2,200.
For a welding school on a tight budget, that’s a high price to pay. With the filters only holding up for two years at that kind of price, Johnny decided to shop around.
Solution:
Johnny found Imperial Systems and got pricing on the filters he needed. At the time, they were under $500 each. He figured that even if they didn’t work as well as he hoped, he was still spending half as much per filter. It was worth a try.
Johnny’s welding school bought a pair of DeltaMAXX nanofiber filters to fit his existing system, and another set to keep as spares. “We always like to have items like this in storage in case something strange happens,” he says. It’s a wise philosophy but fortunately, it hasn’t applied to the filters Johnny purchased from Imperial Systems.
Feedback:
Speaking of his first contact with Imperial Systems, Johnny notes, “They seemed very eager and customer friendly, something I did not find with the system manufacturer or others.” He has nothing but compliments for the DeltaMAXX filters as well.
“We have been using our first set of Imperial filters for at least seven years,” he says, “and they’re just now getting to the point where they need replacement.” At half the cost of their previous filters and lasting seven years instead of two, the DeltaMAXX filters are saving this welding school a lot of money on long lasting filters.
“We will definitely be replacing our stock with Imperial filters when the new budget year rolls around!” Johnny says. With the long-lasting filters they need, this welding school can spend its money on other essentials for next semester’s students.
Contact us to learn more about this case study, DeltaMAXX filters, or how we can help solve your own fume or dust collection problem.
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by Erin Long | Jul 23, 2019 | Fiberglass
Located in central Pennsylvania, Tom and his company create fiberglass reinforced plastic parts. These are for applications including aquariums, power stations, storm-proof piers, and farming equipment. This company uses a pultrusion process to produce a wide variety of products.
Problem: Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Dust
Operating 24 hours a day, the plant has machinery for CNC machining, sanding, blasting, and chop saws. The massive amount of dust produced required the company to look for a quality dust collection system. Fiberglass reinforced plastic dust accumulates quickly. It is also a fire hazard and a health risk to employees.
Tom found Imperial Systems while searching for industrial dust collectors. Impressed by the quality of our products and service, he decided to look into our systems.
Solution:
After researching industrial dust collection companies, Tom decided to purchase a CMAXX from Imperial Systems. With experience in working with fiberglass reinforced plastic applications, we helped Tom’s company select the right system.
The company purchased a CMAXX model CM-024. Imperial designed a system to capture dust from all the plant’s dust-producing machinery.
“I decided to do business with Imperial Systems. This is because I liked the craftsmanship and quality of the dust collectors that Imperial manufacture,” Tom said.
The DeltaMAXX filters and the CMAXX system ran smoothly. As a result, the company saw a drastic improvement in the amount of dust in the plant. In fact, the new system reduced the dust so much that Tom reported the work environment had greatly improved.
Feedback:
Since installing their CMAXX, the company continues to grow. With new cutting and machining equipment coming into the plant, demands on the dust collector grew. The fiberglass reinforced plastic process produces a lot of dust. Because of this, the company’s 24 hour a day operation exceeded their collector’s design.
Fortunately, the company knew where to go for a solution. A few years after installing their first CMAXX, they came back to Imperial Systems for another CM-024. With their twin dust collectors working together, the air in the plant is clean again. They completely corrected the dust accumulation problem.
“Our first CMAXX worked so well, and we were really impressed with the quality. So there was no reason to go anywhere else for our second one,” Tom said.
The company continues to be a loyal Imperial Systems customer. They are still happy with their filter life and dust control. We hope to continue working with this company as they continue to grow in their industry.
Contact us to learn more about this case study or how we can help solve your own fiberglass dust collection problem.
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by Erin Long | Jul 23, 2019 | Case Studies
This company, located near Lake Erie, specializes in hard chrome and nickel plating. They also specialize in polishing and grinding. The company operates 16 hours per day, with their dust collector pulling in blasting materials and dust.
Problem: Oily Film in Chrome and Nickel Plating
The collector also pulls in an oily film from the processes. So this was quickly ruining their dust collector filters, requiring three or more filter changes each year. Consequently, these frequent changes caused downtime for the facility and cost them money. Scott is a representative of the company. He was interested in finding a filter that would hold up longer without exceeding their budget.
Solution:
Imperial Systems recommended to Scott that he try a set of DeltaMAXX nanofiber filters. As a result, the nanofiber coating helped the filters last much longer. They performed well under the harsh conditions of the chrome and nickel plating, blasting, and grinding.
Scott reported, “Imperial Systems reached out to me and recommended their DeltaMAXX filters that have the nanofiber media. Wow, what a difference they made! Now we have filters in our dust collector that last four times longer. Also, our cost in filters and downtime are at their lowest.”
Feedback:
Scott and his company have been loyal customers of Imperial Systems for years, ordering all their filters. They are considering a new dust collection project for their chrome and nickel plating, and they will definitely use a CMAXX if the project goes forward.
“I’ve been changing filters here in our plant for over 20 years. I wish I would have known about DeltaMAXX filters years ago,” Scott said. “We have a system here that I would change at least three times a year. Since we put the Imperial Systems filters in our dust collectors, I haven’t changed them in over a year.”
The company remains happy with Imperial Systems’ service. They receive quick responses and attention from their sales representative, who understands their filter needs. After years of filters, they continue to come back to Imperial Systems. They have seen no reason to go anywhere else.
Contact us to learn more about this case study, DeltaMAXX filters, or how we can help solve your own dust collection problem.
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by Erin Long | Jul 23, 2019 | Woodworking
Problem: Dust from Non-stop Production
An international supplier of commercial printing paper and newsprint had a serious dust issue. That is to say, this paper recycling mill in West Virginia dealt with extremely heavy dust from their non-stop production schedule. It runs 24 hours each day, 365 days every year. Specifically, the belt conveyors constantly produced airborne dust. As a result, it accumulated up to seven inches deep around some of the machines.
NFPA standards for wood and paper production specify safety measures, and this facility struggled to meet them. Other than dust masks, employees had little protection from the clouds of dust. One plant manager noted, “we were capturing 400-500 pounds of dust weekly. It was a huge problem.”
Besides irritating the eyes and lungs of employees, the large amount of dust created a huge fire hazard. Due to the fact that wood dust ignites easily, its airborne state can lead to a series of deadly explosions throughout a facility. Because of the concern for the health and safety of employees, the company began seeking solutions to become safe and NFPA compliant.
Solution:
The paper recycling mill searched for a company to assist them with dust control. Among the suppliers, they chose Imperial Systems, Inc. “Imperial is a one-stop-shop and we really value that when bidding out the job,” explained a plant managed. “Imperial took care of the entire process from the drawings to the engineering, to the fabrication, and clear through installation. The communication between us and them was always thorough.”
The company purchased a reverse-air BRF baghouse. Then Imperial Systems designed and installed the entire system, including ductwork. The design of the system met all NFPA standards. The new system immediately began to reduce airborne dust. Subsequently, dust stopped accumulating around the facility.
As a result, employees reported fewer problems with inhaled dust and with dust irritating their eyes. In addition, the fire risk greatly decreased with the removal of the combustible wood dust. Further, without dust piling up and obstructing the machines, the company saw improved production and fewer issues with the equipment.
Feedback: Paper Recycling Mill is Now NFPA Compliant
The plant manager said that the entire team from Imperial Systems was knowledgeable and efficient, as well as respectful, helpful, and easy to work with. The company is pleased with the experience of working with Imperial Systems.
“The install crew was a pleasure to work with. The whole process was a pleasure, actually. Imperial was very easy to work with. There was no lack of communication. I know if I need something in the future, I can call in and somebody from Imperial will be here as soon as possible.”
The paper recycling mill is now NFPA compliant. They have minimal wood dust in the facility and the fire hazard is greatly reduced. The company reports that the dust collector continues to run without issues, and they continue to be satisfied with their choice.
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