by Erin Long | Dec 19, 2019 | Uncategorized
Have you ever gone through your house and tried to spot everything that a curious baby might get into? If you’re looking at dust safety in your shop, start thinking about dust like a baby who just figured out how to open the kitchen drawers and pull things off the coffee table.
Like your adorable little force of destruction, dust in your shop can get into things you didn’t even think of. A dust hazard analysis is the first step in creating a shop safe from combustible dust hazards. Once you’ve identified possible problems, you can start fixing them.
Dust-Proofing Your Shop for Safety
Before the end of 2020, NFPA standards will require all dust-producing businesses to have a dust hazard analysis. A dust hazard analysis means going through the facility and identifying anywhere that dust could present a danger in the shop.
It’s important to identify whether your dust is combustible, but even noncombustible dust presents a safety issue in the shop. Finding every possible dust safety risk seems impossible. Of course, if you’ve ever tried to baby-proof a house with a curious little monster exploring everything, you know there’s always something you didn’t think of.
Shop dust safety requires ongoing work and awareness. If you’re baby-proofing, you may think you’ve gotten everything out of reach or locked away. Ten minutes later, you’ll be confiscating a bottle of laundry detergent that seems to have appeared out of nowhere.
Shop dust pulls the same kind of tricks. After you and your staff have put in hours of work cleaning up accumulated dust, or you’ve made a big investment in a dust collection system, dust will show up in places you didn’t expect.
The Ongoing Process of Shop Dust Safety
As soon as you think your home is baby-proof, you’ll turn around and realize you have a toddler who can now reach all kinds of new, exciting things. Your shop might experience some growth and changes, too. New processes or new machines can create new shop dust hazards.
To protect your newly mobile little darling, you’ll start finding hazards you hadn’t recognized before. After all, your crawling baby couldn’t yank houseplants off the coffee table. Every time something changes in your shop, new dust hazards could appear.
That doesn’t mean you’re being irresponsible. It just means that you need to reassess the problems and keep them under control. Just like a parent, you’ll have to keep adapting to change. Growing pains happen to children and to businesses.
Steps for a Dust Hazard Analysis
Lots of parenting magazines can guide you through baby-proofing the house. You have many resources available to help you conduct a dust hazard analysis. To start, here are a few important places to start looking for possible shop dust problems:
- Machines or processes that are producing dust in the facility
- Places where dust accumulates (in corners, under things, on overhead lights or beams)
- Possible ignition sources (sparks, heaters, hot surfaces)
- Shop activities that might spread dust or make it airborne (blowing with compressed air)
- Activities that need to be assessed for possible hazards (hot work that could ignite dust)
- Places where staff education is needed (housekeeping, situational awareness)
Shop dust safety should start with engineering controls if possible, as recommended by OSHA and the NFPA. A well-designed dust collection system will remove airborne dust before it can escape and accumulate around the shop. Source capture hoods can be put over machines that produce problem dust.
Parents probably wish we made a CMAXX that could clean up after a toddler. Unfortunately, no piece of equipment we’ve ever seen can keep up with that kind of disaster. There’s not much that can manage a two-year-old who tries to flush dinosaur toys down the toilet and throws pudding at the cat.
At least we can help you with your shop dust safety.
Look around our website and explore our CMAXX, Shadow, and BRF dust collectors. Feel free to call, and one of our equipment specialists will help you determine how to address your shop dust control. Check out this OSHA link for more information about dust hazard analysis.
As for the baby-proofing, we can only wish you luck.
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by Erin Long | Dec 12, 2019 | Uncategorized
The cartridge-type dust collector has become a popular option for industrial dust and fume control. How does this type of collector work, and why would you want to use one?
In many industries, people recognize the term “baghouse” as a general type of dust collector. If you are looking for information about how a baghouse works, please see our baghouses blog post. Sometimes, we find that when people refer to baghouses, they may use the term for all industrial dust collectors. A cartridge collector offers advantages you may want to consider.
What is a Cartridge Type Dust Collector?
An industrial cartridge-type dust collector uses pleated filters. Usually round but sometimes oval or other shapes, these capture dust or fumes on their outside surface. Many have a metal mesh called expanded metal, which may be on the inside, outside, or both. Some do not have expanded metal, and instead, use fabric bands to keep their shape.
Cartridge filters are made from a blend of polyester and cellulose. Manufacturers apply coatings to this material. Nanofiber coating increases filtration efficiency. Spunbond material offers improved durability under some harsh conditions. Less common materials include PTFE (nonstick) coating and hydrophobic/oleophobic (water and oil resistant).
Because of the pleated material, these filters provide much more surface area for filtration. With baghouse filters, you need a lot of bags to equal the surface area of a pleated filter. This makes a cartridge type dust collector ideal as a smaller, less bulky system.
What Happens Inside a Cartridge Collector?
Like most industrial dust collection systems, a cartridge collector uses a fan to move air and dust into the collector, where the filters are. We call this space the DIRTY AIR PLENUM. Air moves through the filters, while dust and particles stay on the outside. The CLEAN AIR PLENUM is the other side of the dust collector after the air has gone through the filters. The sheet of metal where clean air goes through, where the filters are sealed with gaskets, is called the TUBE SHEET.
In some cartridge-type dust collectors, the cartridge filters go in horizontally, lying on their sides. A metal yoke supports them, and gaskets seal them against the doors, between filters, and against the tube sheet. The tube sheet is vertical in the rear part of the collector.
In a vertical cartridge-type dust collector like the CMAXX, the tube sheet is above the filters. One gasket seals the filter to the tube sheet. With no gaskets between filters and no yokes to bend, vertical cartridge collectors maintain a better seal.
How Does a Cartridge Dust Collector Clean Filters?
Vertical and horizontal cartridge collector systems use the same method for cleaning cartridge filters. Pulses of compressed air travel through the filters in the opposite direction that the dirty air goes. These pulses blow dust and particles off the filters so it can fall into the collection container.
Compressed air pulse cleaning keeps cartridge filters working efficiently. Depending on the application, companies can expect several months to a year or more of filter life. Eventually, the filters have accumulated so much dust that they don’t let air flow through them anymore.
This slowed-down airflow is measured as differential pressure. This measures the change in pressure across the filters when the pulse cleaning operates. When the differential pressure gets too high, the filters have reached the end of their functional life.
Some systems operate the pulse cleaning on a timer. This may lead to filters being pulsed when they don’t need it. Since the compressed air blasts cause wear and tear on a filter over time, many systems try to minimize the number of pulses. Some systems only initiate pulse cleaning when the differential pressure reaches a certain point. As a result, filters are only pulsed clean when they need it.
What is a Cartridge Collector Used For?
Cartridge dust collection systems work for many applications. Because the filters can handle very small particles, cartridge filters work very well for applications like welding, laser, and plasma cutting fumes. They also excel in industries like grain and feed dust, fine wood dust, fiberglass, and shot blasting.
Companies increasingly choose cartridge collectors instead of baghouses when they need a smaller, more compact dust collector. In addition, maintenance on a cartridge-type dust collector is much easier. Instead of climbing inside the dirty baghouse and changing hundreds of bags, maintenance workers can pull cartridge filters out without ever getting inside the collector.
With proper venting and NFPA standard safety features, a cartridge-type dust collector can be located inside a building if necessary. Even a small baghouse will not usually fit indoors. For extreme or difficult applications, a cartridge collector can be fitted with special features to improve performance.
Cartridge Collector vs. Baghouse
If someone tells you they have THE answer to this question, don’t listen to them. Neither type of dust collector works for every application.
Cartridge collectors have the advantage of smaller size, increased filter surface area, and easy maintenance. They handle most applications, especially small particles, very efficiently.
Baghouses have an advantage in their ability to tolerate harsher applications. Sticky or abrasive materials, or dust contaminated with oil or moisture, may work better with a baghouse. Bags can also handle extreme high-temperature applications.
Best solution? Talk to a dust collection professional. Preferably, find a manufacturer that sells both types of dust collectors, so they won’t feel pressured into selling you one or the other. Ask about their experience with your application.
Cartridge dust and fume collectors continue to grow in popularity because of the benefits they offer. However, the baghouse continues to have its fans and its uses. Weigh your options before deciding.
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by Erin Long | Dec 2, 2019 | Uncategorized
You may need replacement dust collector filters for your Imperial Systems dust collector or even a competitor. Now we’re making it easier than ever to get a quote. Do you have a dust collector from Donaldson Torit, Camfil Farr, Robovent, Lincoln Electric, or others? We’ve certainly made it easier to get the best replacement cartridge dust collector filters.
I Already Buy Cartridge Dust Collector Filters From an Online Vendor
Lots of people do this. You go to the website, put in your filter part number, hit “add to cart”, and check out. Filters on the way, no time wasted. So what’s the advantage in using our filter order form? Well, there are a few things the “add to cart and check out” system can miss that could hurt your system’s performance.
Firstly, cartridge dust collector filters come in many different materials. Manufacturers such as Donaldson, Camfil Farr, Plymovent, and MAC offer a variety of materials for special applications. If you’ve been using a special filter media for your application, but you order a different one, you might not know it till your dust collector runs into major issues.
On one competitor’s click-to-order website, a search for a part number will often turn up the cheapest model that fits your dust collector. Unless you’re using 80/20 (an inferior and inefficient but cheap media) already, you’ll have to go through the menu and choose what media you DO need.
Consequently, if you buy filters with the wrong media you could see filter failure. Moreover, they might even damage to your dust collection system. So, reconsider the online click-and-check-out method. You’ll probably find out that the cost of fixing the damage and replacing the filters you just bought isn’t worth the convenience.
Above all, get the assistance of a real person on the other end of the phone (or email). You should get the right filters that are as good as, or maybe better than, the ones you’re using now. Also, if something does go wrong and the mistake is on us, we’ll work hard to make it right.
I Shop Around for the Best Deal on Filters
Budgets are tight. It certainly makes sense to see what kind of pricing you can get from different vendors. However, keep in mind that not all cartridge filter vendors operate the same way or sell the same product. Price always matters, but it’s not everything.
After all, if you’re looking for a used car, you have lots of options. Jim-Bob’s Car Barn probably has a few models at a price you really like. A reputable dealership down the road has similar cars on offer, but their prices are a bit higher.
You’ll pay less money at Jim-Bob’s Car Barn. So, how is the dealership even in business with higher prices? The dealership may add value by offering a six-month guarantee against unexpected problems. On the other hand, Jim-Bob’s Car Barn probably won’t guarantee the tires don’t fall off on your way home.
If you purchase DeltaMAXX filters from Imperial Systems, you get our cartridge filter guarantee. That is, our filters will perform as well as, or better than, the filters you’re currently buying. Try our filters and if they don’t work as well in your dust collector, we’ll make sure it gets fixed. But if you get your filters from Jim-Bob’s Filter Barn and Beer Distributor, don’t expect to get a lot of help if something goes wrong.
I’m Happy With the Cartridge Dust Collector Filters I Buy Right Now
Fair enough. That’s why we offer our DeltaMAXX cartridge filter guarantee. If we’re going to ask you to try something different, we need to make sure you’re happy with the results. Therefore, we’ll make every step of the process work for you.
We know you can buy your cartridge dust collector filters from lots of places. Because of that, it’s our job to make buying with us the best experience possible. People resist trying new things when they’re comfortable with what they have.
So, how do we convince you to step out of your comfort zone and try buying filters from us? It starts with your first contact. For example, you can reach out to us using the form on our website. You can also call and speak to one of our aftermarket staff. From the first contact, you’ll have a dedicated aftermarket staff member who handles all your filter business. Furthermore, they’ll get to know you and your company. Their experience with dust collector filters lets them help you get what you need.
If you have problems, we’ll resolve them. We’ll also find the answers to your questions. If your current cartridge filter vendor can’t do that for you, maybe it’s worth taking the risk and trying something new.
So How Do I Test Out Some Imperial Systems Filters?
Check out the filter form below, or you can give us a call. We have an aftermarket team here to make sure you’re happy with your experience. We can provide quotes on pricing. If you’re having any problems, we can help you troubleshoot them. We’re dust collection filter experts, so give us a chance to prove it to you.
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by Erin Long | Nov 7, 2019 | Uncategorized
By now, you probably already know that some components of welding fumes can cause cancer. Research has identified hexavalent chromium and nickel as two dangerous culprits. Both increase lung cancer risk. Usually, both present a hazard only for people welding stainless steel.
The industry has talked about the cancer risks of hexavalent chromium exposure for years. Most companies recognize the need for weld fume control in any type of welding. However, companies that work with stainless steel put special precautions in place for the cancer hazard of hexavalent chromium.
No one questions that hexavalent chromium can cause lung cancer. But what if your risk of cancer increased from exposure to any welding fumes, even from mild steel? Alarming research suggests that we need to take another look at the cancer risks of general welding.
Cancer Research
Agencies like OSHA and the EPA have recognized hexavalent chromium as a carcinogen for many years. Stainless steel welding, therefore, stands out as a cancer hazard. Fumes from mild steel contain mainly iron. Iron causes a lung disease called siderosis, and weld fumes contain many other metals. However, mild steel welding fumes haven’t been considered as a serious cancer risk.
Recent research indicates that mild steel welding fumes do increase the risk of lung cancer. A new study shows that mice exposed to stainless steel welding fumes developed cancer, as expected. We also know that stainless steel fumes contain cancer-causing materials.
However, mice exposed to only fumes from mild steel also developed lung cancer.
They developed cancer almost as often as the mice exposed to the fumes from stainless steel. Scientists didn’t expect these results. After all, nickel and hexavalent chromium are known carcinogens. No single part of mild steel fumes has been identified as a cancer risk.
What Does This Mean for Welders?
Firstly, these results come from testing on animals. In animal tests, the tests usually expose the animals to much higher levels than a human would usually experience. Secondly, the components of mild steel fumes that might cause cancer haven’t been identified yet.
The results of the study suggest that more research is needed. However, research on mild steel weld fumes is challenging. There are many varieties of mild steel and likewise, many different types of welding.
Even though researchers aren’t ready to sound the alarm for welders based on this study, it reinforces what common sense already tells us. Breathing in metal fumes is harmful to your body. A good industrial fume control system will help remove these contaminants.
How to Protect Yourself from Welding Fumes
While studies like this one raise alarms about lung cancer, we already know about lots of other reasons to avoid breathing welding fumes. For example, doctors can treat, but not cure, siderosis from iron fume exposure. Many other welding fume component cause harm to the lungs and other parts of the body.
Fortunately, industrial welding fume control protects you from all these risks. A properly designed fume collection system will remove fumes from work areas.
Although this study just suggests that mild steel welding fumes might increase cancer risks, you can control the risks by controlling metal fume exposure.
For assistance with your dust and fume collection system, please contact us. As experts in welding fume control, we design our products for health and safety in the workplace.
Patti C. Zeidler-Erdely, Lauryn M. Falcone & James M. Antonini (2019) Influence of welding fume metal composition on lung toxicity and tumor formation in experimental animal models, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 16:6, 372-377 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15459624.2019.1587172)
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by Erin Long | Oct 29, 2019 | Uncategorized
You’ve made the investment in a new Imperial Systems dust collection system. Now our technicians have arrived to help supervise the startup. While they’re there, is it time to invest in dust collector maintenance training?
Our experienced startup technicians know our products. They know how to maintain them to avoid problems. In addition, they know where to start troubleshooting if something goes wrong. Having this preventative maintenance training can save money on repairs or a service visit later.
While a dust collector maintenance manual guides you through the basics of system upkeep, many of us learn better with hands-on training for maintenance rather than by reading a manual. Our startup technicians certainly give you that hands-on experience with your system from the first day.
Why Get Training
You’ve made a major investment in your dust collection system. If you’ve purchased a CMAXX, you can expect many years of reliable service from it. However, no system runs forever without maintenance. Dust collector training teaches you how to keep your dust collection system working as it should.
Without proper maintenance, a dust collection system can run into many problems. For instance, some of these problems might shut down the system completely, causing downtime for your processes that rely on it. Further, other problems affect the system’s performance or increase the risk of a fire.
Preventative maintenance training is the best way to prevent expensive downtime and performance issues. A one-time training teaches you what to look for and how to address common dust collector problems. Many of our service calls address problems due to improper maintenance.
How Does Our Dust Collector Maintenance Training Work?
When you purchase a CMAXX, Imperial Systems startup technicians will usually perform or assist with installation. While that person is onsite, you may choose to have them provide training for your staff. With their help, you can develop a dust collector maintenance checklist. As a result, this will allow staff to feel confident performing preventative maintenance and keep the system running.
At your request, we will schedule industrial maintenance training for your dust collector when technicians are onsite for installation. The procedures covered in the training will depend on the details of your system. The training may include:
- Monitoring differential pressure and when to change filters
- Correct filter changeout procedures
- Checking solenoid and diaphragm valves for leaks
- Making sure compressed air is pulse cleaning filters correctly
- Checking door and filter seals
- Checking the function of fire and explosion safety devices
- Troubleshooting common problems
The startup technicians provide this training to the staff responsible for the system maintenance. If you choose to have this training provided, discuss this with your Imperial Systems sales representative. The training almost always pays for itself by preventing expensive problems and repairs.
How to Sign Up for Maintenance Training
Talk to the Imperial Systems representative who works with you on your dust collector project. They can add preventative maintenance training as an option. They can also tell you about our dust collector startup service.
If you are the current owner of a CMAXX or BRF dust collector from Imperial Systems, you can schedule a ServiceMAXX visit. One of our experienced technicians will come to your facility. They can perform repairs, troubleshooting, or scheduled preventative maintenance on your dust collector.
Many of our customers schedule ServiceMAXX visits on a yearly or quarterly basis. The technician provides preventative maintenance. Contact your Imperial Systems sales representative to schedule a ServiceMAXX visit or to discuss a dust collector maintenance training program.
Related:
Blog post: 7-Step Dust Collector Maintenance Checklist
Downloadable PDF of Preventative Maintenance Checklist
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by Erin Long | Oct 24, 2019 | Uncategorized
When your facility has a problem with accumulated dust, general housekeeping can take up a lot of valuable time. An industrial central vacuum system greatly cuts down on dust cleanup time. This type of system is also more NFPA compliant and safer. Instead of brooms and shop vacs, look at a central dust collector to keep your facility clean.
Central Systems for NFPA and OSHA Compliance
OSHA’s National Dust Emphasis Program has been on the scene since 2007. Two years after implementing it, OSHA reported that poor housekeeping made up a large percentage of the violations. Other violations included accumulated dust on surfaces, visible dust clouds, and using compressed air to blow the dust off surfaces.
The most recent NFPA standards for combustible dust handling recommend dust control equipment like central industrial vacuum systems. You may not use compressed air to get rid of accumulated dust. You also may not use any types of vacuums or other industrial suction machines unless they are designed for industrial, combustible dust use.
If your facility has dust accumulation, you may need an industrial vacuum dust collector. Other signs include visible dust or smoke in the air. If you use compressed air to blow the dust off surfaces, you need a safer way to deal with this problem.
Saving Time and Money with an Industrial Central Vacuum System
Housekeeping tasks take workers away from their regular jobs. Sweeping, vacuuming, and clearing dust eats up hours of useful work time. Also, since most people don’t like housekeeping tasks, they are often neglected.
Dust can build up quickly inside a facility. In many cases, an easily controlled equipment fire ignites accumulated dust. These secondary explosions kill and injure more people than the first, smaller one. Dust built up on overhead structures can ignite and fall on people as they try to escape.
An industrial central vacuum system will remove dust from the air before it can settle. Without dust all over the floor and floating around, you’ll spend much less time on housekeeping tasks. In our shop, where we use central industrial vacuum systems, there’s no dust built up in corners or overhead. Housekeeping requires a quick sweep under some of the workstations at the end of the day.
When workers can spend more time doing their jobs and less time cleaning up dust, your business works more efficiently. A central dust and fume extraction system can work constantly to clean the air. This eliminates the need for constant sweeping and vacuuming. It also greatly decreases the risk of an accident, preventing harm to workers and damage to buildings and equipment.
Choosing and Installing a Central Vacuum System
Several factors will affect which industrial dust collection system you need. While you will certainly consider the cost, don’t make the choice based just on saving money. Some companies deliberately design an undersized system that can’t handle the necessary airflow.
An undersized central vacuum system costs less, but it cannot move enough air to keep your work area clean. Also, a low-budget system may use cheap filters that need replacing more often. Filters have a much longer life in a well-designed system.
Installing an industrial central vacuum system usually requires installing ductwork or vents that pull the air through the dust collector filters and return it to the building. Often, this is set up as a “push-pull” system where vents on one side of the building push clean air in, while on the other side they pull dirty air out.
The type of dust in your facility is another important factor. Some materials produce toxic or harmful dust that must be removed at the source. This requires a source capture system, which captures dust and fumes at the spot where they’re produced.
Call and ask one of our experienced system designers to assess your facility. They will help you decide if an industrial central vacuum system will work for you. Many factories produce a lot of dust, and they rely on this kind of system to maintain air quality.
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