by Imperial Systems | May 25, 2016 | Uncategorized
Ever wonder how much facilities like yours might be paying when they don’t have proper dust control?
When a facility doesn’t have proper dust control equipment installed, or when they fail to protect their workers from welding fumes or combustible dust, fines from OSHA may be in your future. Since March of 2016, numerous fines OSHA have been handed out for respiratory hazard violations:
- A cement company in Ohio is looking at a $92,000 fine for violations that include silica dust exposure
- A company’s abrasive blasting process without proper air filtration resulted in a $121,000 fine for exposing workers to airborne lead
- Fines for a power equipment manufacturer may total $77,000 for violations including failure to evaluate dust hazards
- A pallet manufacturer is facing $152,000 in fines for safety hazards including combustible dust build-up
- Exposing workers to lead and cadmium dust at seven times the permissible limit will cost a Pennsylvania foundry $42,000
- A minerals company that failed to provide proper air quality and dust control exposed workers to lead and arsenic, which may cost them $106,000
Is your dust collection system ensuring you don’t face these kinds of fines? Imperial Systems can help! Our custom-designed dust control systems will help keep your facility and your employees safe. Call one of our knowledgeable team members today to learn more! 800-918-3013.
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by Imperial Systems | May 18, 2016 | Uncategorized
Cheap replacement filters can come at a cost. A Pennsylvania company specializing in polishing and plating tools, molds, and dies found out how much difference the right filter can make.
On a tight budget, they searched for a filter that could handle not only their metal dust but also the oily residue that was pulled into the system with it. They purchased the least expensive filter they could find. The real cost of that decision? The company ended up changing their filters three or more times a year, costing them money not just for the filters, but for the down time and maintenance required to change them so frequently.
They needed a better solution. An Imperial Systems aftermarket professional was able to work with them to determine that a DeltaMAXXTM nanofiber filter might give them the improved durability and filter life that they needed. After they installed these new filters, the company was more than satisfied.
“Our cost in filters and down time are at their lowest,” a company representative stated. “Now we have filters in our dust collectors that last four times longer.”
Cheap replacement filters that are of poor quality only costs you more in the long run. Imperial Systems is proud to help numerous companies just like this one find the right replacement filter to meet their needs! Whether it’s our DeltaMAXXTM nanofiber fire retardant media, spunbond media with PTFE coating for the most extreme demands of pulse-cleaning efficiency, or any other special needs you might have, we can help. Our aftermarket service specialists will talk to you about your process, your current system, and any issues you might be having. Their job is to find the answers you need quickly to ensure your returning business.
No matter what type of dust collector system you have installed, the Imperial Systems Aftermarket team will find the best filter replacement solution. Call today to find out more at 800-918-3013!
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by Imperial Systems | May 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
Weld fumes and metal dust exposure limits aren’t usually something a manufacturer thinks about when in production. Do you know what the limits are? While most people probably don’t have time to memorize the numbers, here’s a quick test:
Which metal in the following list is the most dangerous as far as exposure time?
- Chromium
- Nickel
- Aluminum
- Zinc
- Manganese
How well did you think you did?
All of these metals can be found in welding and metal working dust and fumes. Aluminum irritates the respiratory system. Nickel not only irritates the respiratory system, but also the eyes and skin. Manganese is an irritant, but can also cause central nervous system problems and damage the nerve cells.
If you guessed Chromium, you were correct! This metal has the lowest exposure tolerances in dust and fumes. Hexavalent chromium is known to increase the risk of cancer even with limited exposure. It also causes immediate damage to eyes, lungs, and skin. Even worse, hexavalent chromium is found in chrome alloys, including stainless steel. Welding or cutting these alloys without proper fume and dust collection equipment puts your workers at risk of exposure.
Even if hexavalent chromium isn’t among your weld fumes worries, manganese and other metals commonly found in welding materials are still a hazard. Some alloys contain dangerous metals like beryllium, cobalt, or cadmium. More information on the hazards of metal dust and weld fumes can be found here: OSHA FACTS
Find out HERE how a dust collection system designed by Imperial Systems can protect your workers from all of these harmful metals. Protect your business from citations and fines by calling 800-918-3013!
Related blog post: Welding Fumes and Cancer: The New Research Will Surprise You
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by Imperial Systems | May 10, 2016 | Uncategorized
Your dust collection filters may look fine. Sure, you’ve been using the same ones for a while. Maybe you take them out and clean them. But would you be able to tell if they were damaged or worn out?
There may be damage to your dust collection filters that you can’t see. These pictures show the results of a real test conducted on filters inside a working dust collector. Fluorescent powder is added to the dirty air entering the collector. The collector filters this powder just like any other airborne dust. The powder goes everywhere your dust normally goes:
What the test really shows, though, is whether the powder is going where it shouldn’t be going: through holes or leaks in your cartridges and into the clean air system. An ultraviolet light will make the powder glow and will reveal leaks you didn’t know were there:
Leaks compromise your dust collector’s efficiency and allow contamination of your clean air. Everywhere you see the test powder inside these filters, a leak has allowed it to get through the filter when it shouldn’t. This colored powder goes through the same holes your dust is going through, back into the clean air stream.
Dust collection filters can develop holes and leaks over time as a result of attempts to manually clean them. You may not be able to see the leaks, but as this test shows, they may still be there. Replacing filters regularly is a way to keep your system running more efficiently and keep your air cleaner. While keeping old or worn-out filters in service may seem like a money-saving measure, you won’t save money in the long run if you’re using damaged, leaking filters. Contact Imperial Systems today at 800-918-3013 to find out more about testing, DeltaMAXXTM replacement filters, and dust collector repair and maintenance services!
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by Imperial Systems | May 5, 2016 | Common Industrial Dust Collection System Problems
Within the metalworking industry, the demands for diverse material coatings are on the rise, and the development of application processes that address environmental concerns is an ever-growing field. Thermal spraying provides an attractive coating technique because it offers a wide selection of materials that have a reduced environmental impact as compared to conventional methods. Imperial Systems meets today’s top market needs by offering solutions that address problems from plasma, flame wire, flame powder, warm spraying, and cold spraying. We commit to helping you better prepare and protect your facility as your processes evolve and expand.
There are advantages to thermal spray coating techniques because they tackle the many problems of wear, corrosion and thermal degradation by engineering surfaces with customized coatings. Thermal spraying offers greater thickness capacity than traditional surface modification processes with minimal hazardous waste and no size restriction for parts.
High velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying is a thermal spray system based on the combustion of gases or a liquid fuel. The resulting high velocity propels the coating particles at near supersonic speeds before impact onto the surface, which generates high coating quality. One of the key benefits of this system’s high velocity is the extremely high coating density and low oxide content.
Cold spraying is an emerging form of High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) technology intended as a greener alternative that will satisfy increasingly rigorous environmental and health safety regulations. A number of materials have already proven to be suitable for cold spray including decorative, biomedical, automotive, industrial, and space exploration materials. The cold spraying process has huge potential of growth with more applications in new areas developing constantly.
Cold spraying need not be a dangerous process if the equipment is treated with care, and if correct spraying practices are followed. Ideally, equipment should operate automatically in enclosures specially engineered to extract fumes, reduce noise levels, and prevent direct contact with the spraying head. In addition, OSHA recommends that every metalworking facility be fitted with the appropriate dust and fume extraction system to reduce the risks associated with such processes, such as exposure to air pollutants and combustion susceptibility.
The Imperial Systems CMAXXTM Dust Collector System is specially designed with PD technology that allows for maximum Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in your facility. Some of its features and benefits include:
- Increased cleaning power and energy efficiency with high-performance manifold mounted pulse valves.
- 10% More filter media than other same-sized vertical cartridge collectors.
- Vertical cartridge design for a longer filter life.
- 100% Total pulse distribution.
- Best in class internal velocities.
- 15 Year manufacturer warranty
At Imperial Systems, we know the hazards that metalworkers face each day, and we continue to reach above and beyond the safety standards set by OSHA and the NFPA. If you’re looking for equipment that offers real solutions, delivers the cleanest air and provides you with the greatest cost savings, then contact Imperial Systems today at 800-918-3013. We’ll match your facility with dust collectors and filters that will improve your facility’s readiness for cold spraying, and any other new metalworking technology developments that may come along!
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