This is the first Podcast for the third season of the Dusty Jobs Podcast. In this Episode Donovan talks with Diane Cave, an expert in the field of dust collection. They discuss explosive dust and how to keep an eye out for safety with your collector. They also talk about the importance of vessel strength and the overall future of dust collection. To learn more about Element 6, the company Diane Cave works for visit: https://www.elmt6.com
[Intro]: Welcome to the Dusty Jobs podcast from Imperial Systems industry knowledge to make your job easier and safer.
Donovan: Hello and welcome to the Dusty Jobs Podcast. This is our first episode of our third season and we’re excited that you guys are still with us. Today joining us is Diane Cave from Element 6. How are you doing Diane?
Diane: I’m good thanks and you?
Donovan: We’re doing great. It’s a little cold down here in Pennsylvania with the snow. You’re from up in Canada correct?
Diane: Correct.I’m in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada, where it’s probably colder today. Here it’s pretty chilly. It’s like minus 12 celsius.
Donovan: Yeah, we’re not quite there so. Well thanks for joining us, we appreciate it. So, not a lot of people might know you from our podcast but you have done a lot of work and have been in the Dust Industry for quite some time. Is that correct?
Diane: Yeah, this year I have the big milestone of 20 years. I don’t know if that officially makes me old or not, but yeah 20 years in the Dust World. I don’t really know where the time’s gone.
Donovan: Right, it definitely makes you a veteran in the dust world for 20 years. I’ll tell you that much.
Diane: So, yeah for sure.
Donovan: How did you get started in this whole thing 20 years ago?
Diane: So,20 years ago, I was a recent graduate at a university. And I was working at the customer service desk at Canadian Tire which would be like Lowe’s or Home Depot. A guy came in and he wanted to know if this is a very random story but it all plays in, he wanted to know if a spark plug matched the picture that he had drawn on this diagrammatic so that he could fix his truck, his bronco. I was like I don’t know man, like take it out of the package. He didn’t want to. He threw the package at me and I caught it with my left hand. In Canada, you, I don’t actually have mine today because I burnt my hand, wear an iron ring on the pinky of your working hand. I’m left-handed and so I caught it with my left hand. He was like, oh, you’re an engineer. Then I made fun of him and I was like, oh, aren’t you smart and he hired me.
Diane: I worked for him for 15 years. Then it was just kind of a decision and what he did was combustible dust, dust collection, industrial ventilation. So then it was just kind of a decision after I’d been there that you know kind of under his wing for however long. I wanted to prove to myself if I could, you know, make it on my own two feet as opposed to always being under. So, then about three and a half years ago I guess it would be I left and went to Element 6 to kind of start a dust adventure here.
Donovan: Yeah.
Diane: So, I’ve been here since. Yeah.
Donovan: So that’s a very different path to get into dust collection. But I’m not sure I’ve ever talked to anybody who had a real straightforward one honestly. So it’s a unique industry where people come from all different ways and shapes to get involved in it. So now you’re at Element 6 though, right?
Diane: Yep.
Donovan: So tell us more about Element 6. What is it? What do you do there? What’s the company? Tell us more about what’s going on there.
Diane: So, in general Element 6 is a much larger company than just the entity group that I work with and the overall company. So, we have an office just outside Toronto, Ontario, and Georgetown, one up near Ottawa, one in London, Ontario, and then here in Halifax. I think we’re starting one soon in the states somewhere.
As a whole, we’re kind of a multi-faceted engineering company that focuses somewhat more on the chemical industry. We have a particular workflow that starts with 3D design and 3D scanning. So we’ll start with 3D scanning and then develop it all from moving forward in the 3D world using all sorts of 3D packages. We do all sorts of mechanical, computational fluid dynamics, piping layouts, designs, pressure vessels stuff, and then electrical and civil so kind of anything and all. We do like big plant designs right down to smaller projects. Then the group that I work with, here in Halifax, we just focus on dust.
Donovan: Right.
Diane: We do kind of, I always say to everyone that, so if it involves dust then we do it. So starting with dust collection system assessments or DHA’s right through to you know like installation commissioning, troubleshooting, design packages, finite element analysis for vessel strength to make sure that a lot of places don’t do is determining the P Red of a pre-existing vessel.
Donovan: Right.
Diane: Yeah, hood design, which I just did my personal plug, just did a webinar on. Yeah and I like training so kind of anything and all stuff right across the board dealing with dust.
Donovan: Gotcha. Now do you guys focus a lot more on new projects or do you focus a lot more on existing spaces? Which one would you say is more of?
Diane: It just kind of depends on what the client needs. Lately, it’s been a whole lot of DHA stuff, everyone, trying to catch up with that DHA deadline, because we’ve already exceeded it. Then helping the end-user the client figure out kind of where to move on next and how to implement the things that need to be in to be safe. But some new projects as well. Lately, I’ve been living my life in breweries. It seems like I’m doing a lot of work in breweries.
Donovan: Yeah.
Diane: Has its pluses and its minuses. A lot of beer but then there’s a lot of beer. But I would say predominantly it’s more existing systems or replacement of, determining if an existing system is viable to go through a process change or something like that and then upgrading it. So that would be what it is.
Donovan: So, Yeah. So when I’m okay. So, if I was a customer and I’m coming to you and I have an existing dust collector already. What are the things that I’m looking for or what you would be looking for to say this is acceptable now for this combustible dust application or it’s not? Well, how do you guys actually go through and look at that evaluation? What would that look like step by step?
Diane: I guess the first thing would be to determine if they’ve got an adequate collection. Because a lot of times, clients just want dust collectors worn out and we’d like to just replace it with whatever is already there.
Donovan: Right.
Diane: It’s notorious in the dust collection world that everything is undersized because it’s the people who are selling it to be the cheapest. But in the long run under-sizing, just causes costs more money in the end. So the first thing is always to assess whether or not they’ve got adequate flow and collection for what they need not for what like what is currently installed. Then from there, they’re going on and then sizing to make sure that the ducting is sized correctly. Then make sure the dust collector is adequate for the application. Then look at the fan to see whether the fan can do what they actually need. Because more often than not the fan is grossly undersized in terms of static pressure requirements.
Donovan: So a lot of what you’re seeing first is possibly an undersized collector with an undersized fan and then people are saying why do we have problems and you guys let them know it’s because they have an undersized collector and undersized fan.
Diane: Yeah like there’s a lot of forgiveness in with a system if you’re if your fan is oversized. I’m not saying go out and oversize your fan but if your fan is bigger than what you actually need there’s a whole lot of forgiveness there because you’re pumping way more air through. So you’re not going to be having problems with stuff collecting in your ducting you’ll probably get way better suction at your hood so even if your hoods are designed poorly your oversized fan will kind of makeup for it.
Donovan: Right.
Diane: Then even if you don’t clean your dust collector, you have substandard, is that a play way to say it, some standard maintenance on your dust collector, and your static pressure gets high in your dust collector well your oversized fan is going to take care of it.
Donovan: So still overcome that challenge.
Diane: Yeah well to a certain extent so if your fan is oversized then there’s a whole lot more forgiveness in there but more often than not you know it’s the bare minimum. So then the second you come into one little hiccup or one problem in the system, so your bags don’t get changed or your cartridges don’t get changed as often as they should then that’s just enough of a static pressure bump to then cause your fan to the technical term “crap out”.
Donovan: So I like what you’re saying here. So if you’re looking at an old system and you’re having issues it could be you have a smaller too small of a system too small of a fan and at that point, the thing that you guys might recommend is to go into a larger system or get a larger fan on that on that system. So those are so if somebody out there is listening right now and they’re thinking man these are some of the issues I’m seeing dust settling in my duct, my filters are you know everything’s just underperforming it could be those two aspects. Right?
Diane: Yes, yeah more often than not it’s, I’m using that term more often than not a lot today, but I mean the fan is a good place to start looking if you have problems. Because it’s the fan’s a workhorse of the whole system right. So if your fan’s not sucking then your system probably sucks.
Donovan: Yeah, I do or it doesn’t suck. Right, that’s the problem.
Diane: Right, yeah so.
Donovan: Yeah so that’s one size of collector size of the fan so that’s one of the things you look for. So you said ductwork layout is possibly another culprit that you guys look at. Is that correct?
Diane: Yeah so a lot of people really like to run, really small ducting really far. And what that does is it drives a static pressure up. So a lot of times, not everyone a lot of people really like to just kind of oh we put this new piece of equipment in we need dust collection well we’ll just slap in a line slap in a line slap in a line.
Donovan: Right. Yeah sure.
Diane: I’m sure you’ve seen it where you end up them with like the octopus of ducting all over the place.
Donovan: Oh, yes.
Diane: There always seems to be one line or somebody decides to use it as a vacuum system. Oh, let’s just put this inch and a half hose on here, and then we can use it for housekeeping. You’ll look at it and you’re like well that’s what’s causing the static pressure drive in the whole system. So if you just take and lop off that kind of one gangly limb that’s hanging out all over the place then a lot of times it can change the whole flow of the system. Then all of a sudden everything…
Donovan: Comes back to life.
Diane: Yeah I was gonna say perks up but yeah comes back to life and then your flow can take off. So then if you kind of look at what the ducting layout is and what’s going on then you can a lot of times work with what’s there. So it’s not always I’m not a big pro always a proponent of oh rip it out start again.
Donovan: Right.
Diane: Because not everyone has the, well, first of all, you want to try and not throw as much stuff in the landfill as possible but there isn’t always the time, capital, or even ability to rip it all out. So it’s you know okay well if we change this or change that and we get rid of this ducting or hey if we just even improve these hoods or get rid of your as I always like to call them the elephant trunks, which are just like rounds of duct if you get rid of the elephant trunks and put hoods on there that might even be enough to reduce your static pressure to then get your fan to bring it back to life as you said.
Donovan: Yeah. Okay, so we’re looking at a system we have a couple of things that you’ve mentioned that you guys use to kind of troubleshoot or evaluate. What would be the thing when you get to a point you’re like I’m sorry this is it, yeah you have to change your system out? What would be a couple of those things that no matter what the old one has to go and we have to get a new one? What would cause that?
Diane: I would say, and you mean like the whole like because it’s kind of different for different things. So like if you’re looking at the hoods and you’re like all right these hoods have to be ripped out because you just look at them and you’re like and they’re doing nothing they’re in the wrong spot. They’re held together with tape. You know binding tape has many uses and apparently one of them is to hold ducting together. With ducting, I would say that the to like go with the rip out and tear apart or rip out and do again would be that if it’s really just slapped together like if you look at it and you’re like okay this like it’s undergone a lot of morphing over the years right and has all kinds of new branches and lines and nobody there’s never been any thought or care taken to it and you just kind of stand there and you’re like it just has to go. It’s just…
Donovan: Right. So there might have been an initial design but that has gone out the window years ago and many things have been placed and put into there that shouldn’t be there.
Diane: Yeah.
Donovan: They were never initially considered.
Diane: yeah or if you’re dealing with sometimes if you’re dealing with really combustible dust and you’ve got spiral ducting or really heavy loading or abrasive dust and it’s all spiraling you’re like you know it’s in your best interest and you’ve got a poor design then it’s in your best interest to just replace it and then put in some smooth-walled single seam ducting.
Donovan: Right yeah because that could you know that spiral duct could potentially be a spark hazard. Right?
Diane: Exactly. Yeah or even have an increase of static pressure because it all comes down to static pressure. But yeah, it could be an increase for spark hazard, and then it’s known that spiral ducting doesn’t quite handle internal pressure as well so if you do have some sort of deflagration event you want to make sure that it doesn’t unwind your spiral ducting.
Donovan: Right. So now we went from the hoods to the duct to the collector so what would be something on the collector that you’re just like listen this is one you’re gonna have to just abandon and get a new one.
Diane: If you can poke your finger through the side of it that’s usually the start. Or if patchwork has been done where it’s like oh we just tarred this whatever here that’s usually another sign so like the physical appearance of it if it’s past gone then you’ll have to replace it. If it’s a combustible dust application and there’s and you’re not certain of the vessel strength so you do the vessel analysis on it and you do a finite element analysis and it’s just going to have to put way more reinforcing on it in order like it’s going to cost more to do the reinforcing and to actually buy a new one then that’s usually you know the time to put in a new one. or
Donovan: If you’re going to be building a new collector around the old collector it’s probably time to get a new one. Right?
Diane: Exactly when you’re like well we got to put on a thousand pounds of angle on this sucker…
Donovan: Right.
Diane: Then you know it’s probably not worthwhile. or if the like if the requirements of the air that are needed drive the air to cloth ratio to a really high level where it drives your static pressure up or if it’s a baghouse and then you have some a very high interstitial velocity or whatnot where you’re not certain if the dust collector will actually function for what the application is you know what I mean where the dust won’t fall out then it’s usually time to at that point to get a new one.
Donovan: To get a new one, yeah. So when you get to a collector and you determine that it is combustible dust that you’re dealing with and now the collector initially wasn’t set up for combustible dust. How do you determine you’ve talked a couple of times about determining the vessel strength to see if it actually can handle that? Then what are the steps you do to do that and how would you actually go about maybe trying to retrofit that collector because I know that’s a little bit of a tricky area to do that?
Diane: Yeah, so the first thing is in terms of determining a vessel strength. Basically, we’ll take a scan of the vessel like a with our like a 3D scanners and then also because the scan is good for overall bigger measurements. But we’re looking for the kind of precise stuff, size of bolts and bolt holes, and whatnot. You can likely get it with, people will argue that you can get it with a scanner but I’m a little bit old school in certain things and then I know that we’ve got the information.
So you go through and then make sure you get all the information, as in like the size of angles and where they are on the unit and then we create a 3D model and do a pressure analysis on it. Then from there determine what’s going to go…
Donovan: Right.
Diane: And what it’s going to hold so we like to work to two-thirds yield but it’s not always the case on some older vessels. You don’t always get the option to then reinforce it to two-thirds yield. So sometimes it’s to two-thirds ultimate and then it’s just creating a package so creating a design package that says okay well this is where you’ve got to put your reinforcing and this is what you have to do. There have been cases where we’ve gotten so far and just been like you can’t like the pressures that you want to get to we just it’s to the point of being ridiculous. It looks kind of like I don’t know…
Donovan: Like a Mad Max version of a dust collector.
Diane: Yeah I was going to say like the Shredder Technodrome or something like that from the Turtles. Yeah like it’s just it’s this is just unbelievably ridiculous and you’re like oh this is stupid. So then you just kind of have to approach the client and be like okay so this is what you know this is what it’s going to look like ish you really want to proceed down this route and if they do then okay then we’ll go that way. Or you end up being like okay well we’ll do it to two-thirds ultimate and then knowing that the dust collector will be not usable but you know we’ll be able to make the changes needed for you know it’ll be safe until you…
Donovan: You’re saying two-thirds ultimate is that correct.
Diane: Yeah so two-thirds yield strength versus two-thirds ultimate strength of the material. So the difference between it is that at two-thirds yield you basically if you have a deflagration event and that’s two-thirds of like the material strength based on whatever your p red will be on right on
venting or you’re I always get the letters wrong tsp for suppression basically your p red for suppression. So two-thirds ultimate you won’t have deformation in your vessel so you can have an event a deflagration that will happen but the dust collector would basically be like all right change the filter media carry on right yeah but with two-thirds ultimate, you’ll have deformation but not rupture so your square dust collector might go from square to roundish.
Donovan: Right gotcha so those are pretty important things to know as well.
Diane: Yeah and you’d be surprised there are all kinds of things that you run into when you’re at sites that people don’t know or end users don’t know because they’re making whatever it is. So whether they make granola bars or tires or brew beer or whatever it is that they do that’s what they do they’re not aficionados in the world of dust collection and explosion protection.
Donovan: Right, they don’t have 20 years experience.
Diane: Yeah, so then that’s why they bring in trusted consultants to handle all that right but I would say that one of the biggest things that I see gets missed in terms of explosion protection is vessel strength. So often you’ll be like, oh can I see the venting calculations for this and then so you get the venting calculations and they’ll say that you know it’s the P Red is I don’t know I’m gonna pick a number six-bar and then you’re like, oh let’s look at the vessel strength and the vessel strength is you know 2.9. You’re like oh sorry your P Red I got the [inaudible] six-bar but six psi and then your vessel strength your P Red will come out to be like 2.9 psi and you’re like whoa so this it’s the vessel is going to blow long before…
Donovan: Yeah it’s not going to be able to contain the explosion or be directed in a safe way.
Diane: Yeah and it’s and that’s one of the biggest things that gets missed. Then people will just put vents on a dust collector without even thinking about oh well it’s got to be good and it’s like oh this is basically you know aluminum foil stretched over a frame it’s like it’s not going to hold any pressure. A big one is bucket elevators so bucket elevators are supposed to be designed to a strength of like half a bar and most of them are lucky if they do one psi.
Donovan: Right, yeah so they’re just yeah so people are there’s a and this is all I would say recently more education on this a lot more people are coming to this understanding and unfortunately it’s probably been through a lot of the events that have happened but I think that’s what’s happened in the past and it’s helped get people closer to a safer work environment. The goal is to get there every day closer and closer to better safer so that you know people can go home to their loved ones at night because their dust collector didn’t blow up and I know that’s what you guys are doing and that’s what we’re trying to do here so so that’s a little bit of the past. What do you guys do? What do you think’s gonna be like in the future as you guys are doing more of these DHAs and do you know what’s going on out there? What’s your finger on the pulse of where you think the industry’s going and what people are doing?
Diane: What I hope anyway is so in as you know in this world of dust collection there are very few people that do it and do it well. Therefore it puts a demand well I assume you know so and therefore puts a demand on a lot of people and I hope that the industry is moving so that there are more knowledgeable people that understand things like that they don’t just like sign off on stuff because it’s like oh whatever this will never happen yeah sure fine. That’s where I hope the industry is going. It seems to be that there are more and more people that are taking an interest in things like if we’re dealing with combustible dust in terms of explosion protection and whatnot there are more people aware and educated in that field. I think it’s because like you said there’s been so many there’s been more incidents and instead of people wanting and the push to be in a safe work environment as opposed to being like oh whatever it doesn’t matter it’s fine right it blew up today so it’s not gonna you know we got another 20 years before it’s going to happen again you know lots of lots of statistics. So I think, that though I hope anyway in terms of combustible dust I hope that that’s the way that the industry is moving because of education and awareness because of things like this were to bring the information to people. Or like what Chris Cloney is doing right. It does safety science so making people aware of what the hazards are because I think a lot of it in terms of dust collection a lot of it dusk so when I say dust collection I also include like combustible dust in that umbrella. I think a lot of it is just education and so the way I see it going is that people want to do the right thing now as opposed to just wanting to check the box and wanting it to be whatever that you know we just need a solution yeah whatever this will get us by for now people are…
Donovan: Right
Diane: We want to do the right thing.
Donovan: Yeah, yeah I see that too. I see a lot more people not just concerned about getting it done to check a box but they are concerned with their workers and the health of you know the people around them and the health and the environment.
Diane: Yeah.
Donovan: I think we’ve seen a lot of that change over the last 20 years. Probably in the time you’ve been in this industry there’ve been a lot of people changing in that regard. It’s good. I don’t think hopefully we don’t go backward at all in our industry. We continue to make things safer and cleaner for everybody who’s involved, especially people who are out welding or the people who are out working in those workshops that we want to help them have a better life.
Diane: Oh, for sure but I don’t see how it can go backward.
Donovan: Right.
Diane: Because going backward would be, I don’t know, getting rid of dust collectors and then we just have to do a dollar thing. Yeah, it would be and I don’t think the people working in those environments would let it happen in this day and age.
Donovan: I think you’re right I hope that you did. So we’re both saying we’re hoping for a brighter future with a safer work environment I think that’s what we’re seeing.
Diane: I think yeah. I think that’s where we’re going. I think a lot of things are pushing the trend that way because people don’t want their companies to be in the headlines. You know company XYZ had an incident where whatever. They don’t want to be the imperial sugars for lack of a better way to say it I mean that’s a bad way to analyze it but that’s what it is they don’t want to be that one in the headline that you know
Donovan: We had negative things first
Diane: Yeah we had so many mortalities and however many you know injuries on-site because of because we…
Donovan: something that’s preventable, something that’s very preventable.
Diane: Because we didn’t have inlet isolation or because you know our explosion vents were appointed at the company daycare which I’ve seen more than once.
Donovan: Yeah, so well Hey Diane, we’re so glad that you guys are out there helping people solve this and figure it out, and do what you do. If someone’s interested in getting a hold of your company or learning more about you guys or they’ve heard something here they’re like man she could really help me out. What would be the best way for them to get a hold of you?
Diane: You can google me. It’ll probably pop up there are not too many Diane Caves out there. I’m on LinkedIn. You can email me at dkave@elmt6.com. You can give me a, yeah if you are on our company website which oddly enough I don’t know off the top of my head. We’ll put a link to your website in the notes for the podcast so if anybody’s listening or on Youtube watching this they can just look at it there so we’ll do that for you don’t worry about it. Perfect, because I was like I’m not sure if it’s Element 6 Solutions or if it’s shortened down. I probably should have remembered that beforehand but it’s not a big deal. I’m sure if someone Element 6 Dust Collection they’ll figure out explosive dust it’ll come up if you googled it. Put in Element 6 Dust Collection you’ll probably find me, yeah we’ll find you guys.
Donovan: Hey, I just want to say thanks so much for coming on. We really appreciate it. Hopefully, we get to talk to you again sometime because I feel like we just scratched the surface of the knowledge you have. If you’re interested in learning more about us here at Imperial Systems and Dusty Jobs you can follow us on Youtube Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or learn more about us on our website. So thanks for listening to everyone out there and stay healthy, stay safe. Thanks so much.
Diane: Thanks for having me.
[Outro]: Thanks for listening to the Dusty Jobs podcast. Breathe better work safer.
Over the last few years, there have been significant shifts in the manufacturing industry. There has been a steady increase in the need for skilled workers and high demand for productivity. Due to these changes, some companies have been exploring options using cutting-edge and modern technology to help to adapt to today’s business model and industry needs with the use of cobots.
What is a ‘Cobot’?
Collaborative robots, also known as ‘Cobots’, are robots that collaborate and operate in conjunction with humans that help create automated solutions within a shared space. The first cobot was invented in 1996 by J. Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin. Over the years, cobots have been adapted and created by several companies to help change the way that humans can use robot power to help their businesses and productions.
Cobot vs. Robot
Historically, classical industrial robots have been too large and dangerous to work around humans. Cobots are changing that. They allow for human-robot collaboration, working in close proximity with no barriers or fences. Many industries are quickly adopting cobots, including the manufacturing realm. By 2026, their use is expected to grow by almost 42%.
How Do Cobots Work?
The exact shape and size of a cobot will depend on the task that it is programmed to complete and the manufacturer that creates it. However, some cobots are created with features like mechanical arms that can complete tasks in a wide range from welding to painting to drilling. Some cobots may have two arms to increase their productivity and the range of tasks that they are able to complete.
The possibilities are becoming endless for the use of these collaborative robots within multiple industries. They are quickly allowing businesses to adapt their working models to be better suited for the industry’s needs and demands.
Cobot Coworking Benefits
There are many benefits to adding a cobot to your workspace. Cobots are able to fulfill tasks that would have otherwise been dangerous or monotonous for a human to complete. Due to its small, lightweight design, it can carry out tasks where there may be a difficulty for a human because it can be placed in areas where there is little space and can remain stationary for an extended period of time. This can help automate processes within a business and minimize any errors.
Cobots can also provide a solution to labor shortages and increase productivity. Since the beginning of the global pandemic of Covid-19, many industries have struggled to fill open positions and find workers with the skills and knowledge to adapt to the growing needs of product demands and production. With cobots, businesses have been able to not replace workers, but instead, place the robots alongside their workers to help strengthen the production operation and create flexibility in human workload. Cobots take over the mundane and tedious workload while others are able to complete more complicated tasks.
Cobots are easy to install, safer than industrial robots, and allow for flexibility in the workplace as they are adaptable to perform multiple tasks within one operation. Adding a cobot to your workspace can ultimately lead to a more efficient and better performance within your business.
Dust Collection Is Essential for Cobots and Humans
Having a clean, collaborative environment for humans and robots is vital. Dusty air is a hazard to the health of both your workers and your robotic equipment. Not only does it pose a health risk, but unwanted dust and debris from your facility can also cause costly repairs, damage to your machinery, and interrupt operational productivity.
By adding more equipment to your operation with cobots, dust collection is essential for this application. You can extend the life of your cobot by ensuring that they are a part of a safe and dust-free environment alongside their human counterparts.
A dust collector may be essential to keep your cobots running efficiently and to keep their human counterparts healthy. Cobots may work on a fume exhaust hood or downdraft table to help collect the debris and keep it contained. The Shadow Compact Fume Extractor and Air-Port Fume Exhaust Hood were designed to work together seamlessly for applications such as these. The Shadow’s compact design allows it to fit in small spaces next to cobots or robots, and the Air-Port stands on two legs designed to straddle a cobot or robot cage.
Conclusion
A decade ago, people feared that robots would replace them in the workforce. In recent years, cobots are being welcomed to the working space because of the growing benefits that they offer to a working operation for both employees and employers.
The cobot robots are providing concrete, affordable options for businesses to automate their processes, increase their productivity, and create safe, shared environments that allow their business to adapt to industry needs. Collaborative robots in manufacturing are here to stay.
Imperial Systems Inc has acquired a new facility formerly occupied by Reznor, a company that produced heating and cooling equipment. The former Reznor manufacturing building will be used for Imperial Systems’ rapidly growing division, Imperial Filtration. The facility will be completely renovated within a few months and is expected to bring an additional 50 new jobs to Mercer County in 2022.
We are very excited about the acquisition and renovation of the former Reznor heater factory. This will bring new life to Mercer County and offer the people of Mercer and the surrounding areas an opportunity to work for a world class company with the best wages and benefits. We have a passion for taking old factories and repurposing them into modern facilities. Four years ago, we purchased and refurbished the 95,000 sq ft Chevron building on 62 between Mercer and Sharon. That building is probably the most well-known manufacturing building in the area. With the purchase of the Reznor and Chevron factory, we have revived two of the most iconic buildings in Mercer County. With the two factories we are planning to be operating with over 200 employees over the next 4 years. We are building this new division based on the same high morals and values that we have built the world-renowned Imperial Systems brand. All of the products that we build are designed to improve the health, safety and quality of people’s lives in factories around the world.
President and CEO Jeremiah Wann
The Imperial Filtration division will focus on manufacturing cartridge filters for industrial dust collection equipment. Imperial Filtration takes their superior technology already used in the CMAXX’s DeltaMAXX filters and makes it available in filters for almost all industrial air filtration equipment. During the renovation of this space, Imperial Filtration will also house a new state of the art ASHRAE Standard 199 test lab and rig. This equipment will allow Imperial to further push the bar as the most innovative company in the Dust collection and air filtration market.
The former Reznor factory owned by Nortek once employed 300 employees, but they closed this facility in 2019. The building is 90,000 sq ft and sits on 14 acres of land. The building has 14 loading docks and is located within minutes of major highways. This location allows quick shipments to most locations across North America.
A few organizations provided a lot of support to make this happen:
Gary Dovey, the Vice President of Penn Northwest Development Corp, says he is “Thankful to work with such local businesses and members. In fact, Imperial Systems is a homegrown local business with Jeremiah as a visionary leader who continues to grow this business and hire talented individuals. Further, Jeremiah and Imperial Systems exemplifies the American Dream by Starting It, Making It, and Growing It In Mercer County, PA”.
Lucy Wann, Realtor, Coldwell Banker “Jeremiah and Imperial Systems, Inc. are defining the American spirit and innovation in bringing this facility to life by rehabilitation and adding many new jobs! It is my pleasure to be part of the team closing on this 90,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Mercer Borough, Mercer, PA. This is fabulous news for 2021 and Mercer County! Congratulations on rehabbing the Chevron Building and now the Reznor Building! This is something to celebrate with your passion and state of the art Dust & Fume Collectors making our community strong and prosperous”!
Diane M. McNaughton, the Chief of Staff for the Office of State Senator Michele Brooks “It’s a pleasure to see Imperial Systems and other businesses in Mercer County grow and succeed!” Senator Michele Brooks said, “I congratulate Imperial Systems, Jeremiah Wann and his employees on helping to create a healthy and safe work environment in properties across the nation and the globe, while creating many local manufacturing jobs, and a more vibrant Mercer County. I thank him for his innovative approach to indoor air quality, which will produce an additional 50 jobs in the next two years and 100 in the next four years. Thank you, also, to Mercer Borough for their partnership with completing the access bridge to this property.”
Tim Bonner, State Representative for the 8th District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, is pleased to join in the announcement of the sale of the Reznor plant to Imperial Systems, Inc., a company owned by Jeremiah Wann of Mercer County. Representative Bonner stated, “It is exciting news to learn that Imperial Systems, Inc. is expanding its operations in the Mercer area through its purchase of the Reznor facility. Imperial Systems already operates out of the former Chevron facility manufacturing industrial air filters and this expansion will allow it to become an international supplier and to increase its employment rolls to 200 workers over the next four years. Fantastic news for Jeremiah Wann and the Mercer County community.”
In this new episode of the Dusty Jobs Podcast, Donovan talks to Corbett Hefner from Formation Ag. Formation Ag specializes in making equipment for processing hemp. They talk about the budding industry of hemp and everything hemp can be used for. They also talk about the importance of being nimble and being able to adapt for new ways to process hemp. To learn more about harvesting and processing hemp visit Formation Ag at their website: https://formation-ag.com/
ANNOUNCER: Welcome to the Dusty Jobs Podcast from Imperial Systems. Industry knowledge to make your job easier and safer.
DONOVAN: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Dusty Jobs Podcast. We’re glad to have you guys with us today. Today, we have a really interesting guest: Corbett Hefner of Formation Ag. How are you doing today, Corbett?
CORBETT: Excellent. How are you guys?
DONOVAN: Doing good, doing good. So, Corbett’s going to be here talking to us about the hemp industry, right?
CORBETT: Correct.
DONOVAN: Now you guys are based out of Colorado, is that right?
CORBETT: Right. Monte Vista, Colorado, up in the mountains.
DONOVAN: There you go, there you go. So, Corbett how did you get started in this whole interesting world of agricultural products? And where did you get started and how did you end up here?
CORBETT: Well, I’ve been in agriculture my entire life. My family was in the fertilizer, and we had some farming, little bit of farming on the side, and I’ve always farmed. My degree was in Plant pathology so, I’ve always had an interest in agriculture in one shape or another, but I was in the flexible packaging industry, plastic mesh and fresh produce bags for 25 some odd years. It was in Texas and Wisconsin, for the bulk of it, Wisconsin.
And we decided to move back to our home area to be by our family in in 2016, 2015, I don’t remember now, but anyway, about that time I started with Power Zone Equipment/Power Zone agriculture in mid 2016 as Engineering Manager/Hemp Person because Power Zone Equipment made petroleum fluid moving products, you know, large industrial pumps, the watering for mine saltwater kind of things, huge pumps.
And in 2015, when oil went kind of south, they were looking for other things to keep their staff busy and one of the salesmen said, “Hey, you know this hemp thing is just starting to take off where we live in Monte Vista’s, in the San Luis valley of Colorado, which is a very large agricultural area. I think there’s 150,000 – no, it’s more than that 150-170,000 square acres of, might be square miles, of farm ground here it’s all irrigated farm ground. This is a very large potato area, second or third largest potato area in the country. And hemp, because of its water consumption, is a really good rotation crop to go into. Potatoes, Coors barley is grown here a lot of other vegetables like spinach, or lettuce, some carrots, etc., quinoa, a little canola. Hemp fits into the rotation strategy because of it’s very easy on water. It does not need a lot of water. It’ll do whatever you want to eat it, but it doesn’t need it. And that’s a major issue in our area.
So, in 2016, they hired me on as that managing position and I was supposed to do a little double duty. There for a while was about 80% engineering and 20% hemp and that made it about 6 weeks when CBD and the hemp industry just exploded.
DONOVAN: Yeah.
CORBETT: We had out of the engineering manager thing and then started the just only focused on hemp equipment
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: We built the cortication first because we thought that was a bottleneck in the industry because we fully, and from since the onset of the industry, thought the grain fiber herd aspect of the hemp business is where the bigger uses are. And definitely from and acreage standpoint and a viability for helping farmers be a little more autonomous that this was the approach.
We got into CBD harvesting because we found there just wasn’t a very good CBD harvesting solution, so we built the clean-cut harvesters for whole plant, horticultural style farming. We have the clean strip machine for bud type harvesting when you’re on narrow spacing for growing CBD, it also works for hemp grain. We’ve got the…
DONOVAN: Corbett, I’m going to have to pause here because you’re telling me so much information, I’m not catching it all. Hold on. So, this so the first thing you guys developed was what because I’d love to know. So, the first thing you guys built was the cord machine.
CORBETT: The cortication equipment – separating the fiber from the herd.
DONOVAN: Gotcha, okay.
CORBETT: Right. That’s where you get your opportunity for textiles, cordage, or cellulose, or insulation.
DONOVAN: Okay.
CORBETT: Fiber herd is your animal bedding, hemp tree, you know for the two big ones that people are probably most familiar with it which is why I’m talking to you guys…
DONOVAN: Yeah, yes.
CORBETT: …because when you decorticate, you create an enormous amount of dust.
DONOVAN: Gotcha, gotcha. So you have a big dust plume when you do that process, right? So that is the first machine you guys worked on. So, what was the next thing? I heard you say it, but I’m still trying to learn about this.
CORBETT: CBD harvest.
DONOVAN: CBD Harvest.
CORBETT: So we went from the cortication, we were probably five years early on the cortication. We’ve never stopped working on the cortication.
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: Yet long line fiber, which is the goal of our equipment and very good cooling herd, we’ve never stopped working on it the whole time. But we got into CBD harvesting because we have a custom machine shop and people asked us to build it and we did. It works well.
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: We’ve developed, basically now, we have four different harvesters.
DONOVAN: Okay.
CORBETT: Four, two that are more focused on CBD. One for grain/CBD and now we’ve got a dual head one that we’re building in conjunction with Bish Enterprises that mount on any combine that allows farms to basically dual crop grain and fiber and do the harvest at one pass without having a dedicated very expensive monster of a machine. We can implement this machine on pretty much any piece of equipment, take it off of that combine, and let it go back to any other harvest crop that it wants to do without modifying the machine.
DONOVAN: So, it’s just a new combine head that’ll go into any combine, but it’s good for harvesting. Now is that just for the fibers or is it harvesting the CBDs? Or will it do both?
CORBETT: Grain. It’s more geared towards grain which is your…
DONOVAN: Gotcha.
CORBETT: …hemp parts and cold press oil seeds, etc., but underneath that grain head is the fiber head, so we’ve got this patent on this thing because it’s unique. The only approach in dual head harvesting at the moment are European and they’re not autonomous. You can’t take this head off and you can’t take the existing head off a machinery and put them back to use in other crops easily.
This one is literally an attachment for a combine, then we can collect the chaff out of the back with our grasshopper collection cards and we’ve got 20 some odd different types of machines that we’ve either adapted or engineered from scratch for the hemp industry. Whether it’s harvesting, processing, or decortication of the fiber and herd grain cleaning equipment for CBD, we can separate the flower from the stock without destroying the trichomes and we’ve got a lot of different machines. We’ve had engineer and innovate from scratch to help support the industry.
DONOVAN: Wow, that it sounds like you guys…
CORBETT: It’s a lot of stuff.
DONOVAN: Yeah, like you’ve kind of taken the process from the beginning, almost the whole way through here for someone. So, if someone is looking at getting into this, if there’s a farmer out there who is looking to get into this, they would, I mean, it sounds like you guys might just be able to walk him right through the whole thing.
CORBETT: Well, we started a consultant group and a processing group so we’ve got everything from phonetics all the way to off take finished good products out of fiber and herd that we can help collaborate with these farms and make it a viable crop for them.
We had places to take the crops so, we had to – we saw that as a necessity we had to get basically vertically integrated from seed to sale, if you will, to make the industry move forward. It just wasn’t moving at the rate that we thought it should because we want to make a lot of machinery for people because our overall goal here is to help support these farms. They needed another crop that they can get some revenue off and get a little more control over their debt and hemp was a perfect crop to do that with.
DONOVAN: Yeah, yeah, and like you said it’s definitely been a growing industry and it’s taken off. So, what would you say are some of the biggest challenges that you guys have seen that you’ve innovated to overcome? I mean, we talk about dust, we do a lot with dust here and yeah I know with you guys, you guys also help manage that process on your plant so that it’s a safe environment for the farmers and for the workers, but what are some other things that might be a challenge that you guys have just innovated and overcome?
CORBETT: Definitely having off take for these different crops. Because of this, there’s so many uses for this plant finished use, finished good uses for it. It’s kind of hard to put your finger on something to say, “This is what I’m going to go after”. So, trying to build equipment that is easily adaptable and flexible to help the customers put out the most flexible finished good they can was definitely a challenge because different genetics, different farming locations, different farming conditions, agronomy wise, you know, latitude, longitude, fertility, moisture, all can affect how the hemp grows and definitely can affect how you process the hemp stock. I’m talking stocks for dust collection. It definitely affects that so to engineer these machines to be flexible and adaptable, we’re building our systems modular. So, if you don’t need really high-end clean fiber, you don’t have purchase those machines. If you want really good controlled and milled herd down to small sizes, then we have, you know, your dust collection systems integrated with the dual vacuum hammer mills because we can grind the herd down to 20 microns, 50 microns, but the smaller you go with particle size, the harder it is to handle it. We struggle with the dust collection. I mean, it is tough. It is so small it’s tough create a draw to get everything out of the machinery.
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: Every lock can be different, every set of bales can be different so, that’s a real challenge is how do you engineer for every single eventuality. And you just camp at some point in time. We learn constantly so, we pivot constantly. The big major scenery manufacturers hate that. They want to draw something and just make it over and over again, and we haven’t had that luxury yet. We’re getting to where the main machinery design hasn’t been changing, but some of these ancillary pieces of equipment to finish it, we keep modifying changing because we learn all the time the different technique
DONOVAN: It sounds like you guys are like able to be nimble and reactive to what your customer needs are and that’s sounds like a big thing in this industry. That you know, depending on what direction someone is going to take that product you guys are able to help them come up with a solution for it if I’m hearing this right.
CORBETT: Right, we have to be flexible. That’s the biggest challenge is how do you engineer to provide a flexible platform with flexible piece of machinery to break the products down into what people are asking for. If you don’t have a home for the product, if you don’t have a sale for your goods, then it’s kind of hard to stay in business so…
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: That’s been one of our biggest challenges, really, is how do you tackle everything and do a good job at it so…
DONOVAN: Yeah, well, it sounds like you guys are working hard at it, and you keep figuring it out as it goes along here and continuing to innovate. You kind of touched on this a little bit, where do you think the future of the industry is going? What do you think is going to be the realm where…is it going to be genetics? Where you know it helps make things more universal, or more common or what do you see being in the industry? Where is it going to go?
CORBETT: I still think the fiber and herd market is probably the bigger sector of this business. Just because there’s so many uses from plastics to textiles, I mean, and everything in between. That’s the bigger acreage consumption of this crop because, you got to recognize the more acres we plan to hamper, the more acres we pull out of nutritional grain crops, you know, corn, wheat, barley, whatever it is. That’s going to help those commodity prices stabilize too and provide a little bit better of the financial future for these farms.
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: That’s probably the bigger one. I mean, everybody wants to do textiles, but that’s probably one of the harder endeavors in this this industry. We’ve successfully made fibers to do that, but we’ve lost the infrastructure in the U.S. to finish the fibers and get it into that state so we’re having to do quite a bit of work now on reinvigorating that and getting that equipment either back, or innovating because, you know, when we lost that equipment 40, 50, 60 years ago, 80 years ago, the way that machinery ran with the number of people that it took to run it, I don’t think we can duplicate today today’s market. It would be too costly. You just can’t find that amount of people anymore. Labor is becoming a very scarce resource so, to just say, “Okay, I’ll just bring all that infrastructure back”. I don’t know if that’s going to work, we just don’t have the number of people to run it
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: So, we’re going to have to do a lot of innovation in there to close this gap. Once they’ve got the fiber into a thread, then I can do a lot of different work in it. You know, from textiles, cordage, whatever the case may be, but from clean fiber to a thread. Filaments, that’s what I call him. That’s the plastic name for an individual piece, but there’s still a lot to be learned there and that’s what we’re working on right now, or I am personally. I still do a lot of the development and R&D for the company.
DONOVAN: Well, that’s great. I didn’t even know that the hemp product could be used as a plastic supplement. Is that what it would be used in, in that realm, to help eliminate the plastic? It would be more of a hemp plastic?
CORBETT: At some point in time, when people have done, on lab scale, a little isolation work and they believe they can make a resin pellet in essence and make a truly degradable plastic out of it. At the moment, when we use the the micronized product, you know, 50 microns or less, you can actually blend it into plastic now as an additive. It’s not a true biodegradable, but it’s a source reduction technique bring that lets you be a little better. I mean, you don’t have to, it be awesome if we could have 100% biodegradable in plastic today, but I’m also pretty realistic and know that it’s going to have to be a slow roll approach. Adaptation and acceptance of those products is going to take them a little bit. Performance is everything in plastic. So, if you make a mesh for filter media spun blown filter media stuff, it’s got to perform.
DONOVAN: Right.
CORBETT: So, you know, to get people to switch from what they’re doing today that’s known and established, you can produce to a standard is one thing and putting in a substitution, that’s completely different. It takes a little while to accept that so, you’ve got to be realistic about it but it’s going to happen. I mean, there’s some sharp people out there working on that. Really excited to see what they come up with it because I used a lot of plastic, and I would love to see that happen.
DONOVAN: Yeah, I think that would just be great for everybody. Great for agriculture, great for the environment, great for everybody if we can start to find clean renewable resources that help eliminate some of these other areas that we’re struggling in a little bit right now so…
CORBETT: You bet. Paper pulp might be an easier one but it’s large scale, but I have seen 100% machine made hemp paper done in the U.S. It’s a little narrow webbed, 24 or 28 inches wide, but what the heck of a start. It’s a really beautiful style.
DONOVAN: Yeah.
CORBETT: I’m excited to see what they do in the paper industry.
DONOVAN: Right, yes instead of having to harvest a tree that takes, you know, 20 to 30 years to mature, if you could have a crop that is every year, that would be another great area that we could use it in. This is all exciting stuff. We’re glad that you guys are working on it and helping innovate, not just for you know the health and safety of the people working on, but, man you’re helpful with sounds like the health and safety of everybody in the general population to with the innovation in this this world.
CORBETT: It’s all tied together.
DONOVAN: It is.
CORBETT: You can’t have one without the other. We’ve got to keep taking those steps
DONOVAN: Yeah, yeah
CORBETT: Yeah, it takes a while.
DONOVAN: Yeah, well, nothing simple is done overnight right
CORBETT: No, never is, but we’ve lost some of our patience in the country so innovation and true paradigm shifting technology takes a little bit.
DONOVAN: It does, it does, but we’re glad to have people like you guys working on it and you know that’s kind of what we do here too at Imperial is try to continue to innovate and help people like you whenever you guys are trying to make a cleaner environment for the workers. That’s what we’re doing here and it’s glad it’s great to see other people working on innovating for the health and safety of not just those that are working, but you know the overall environment and providing resources for people to be able to do that.
Well, Corbett, I don’t know if you have anything else that you want to say or touch on about you guys, but I mean I really appreciate the time you’ve given us here. Is there anything else you want to say?
CORBETT: No, you know if they wanted, if your audience was to look at what we’ve got we could go to ourformation.com website and look at some of the machines that we’ve got, you know, LinkedIn stuff. I post different stuff that that we do in the industry and you know right, wrong, or different it’s all out there. And take a look at it and if you learn something from it, great if you got questions, let us know. We’re always happy to talk about agriculture farming and farming of hemp and equipment for that and solutions for people’s problems. That’s why we’re here is to help them solve their problems.
DONOVAN: Yep, and what was your website one more time?
CORBETT: formation-ag.com
DONOVAN: Formation-ag.com, that’s great. You guys are on LinkedIn and probably all the social media platforms, correct?
CORBETT: Everything.
DONOVAN: There you go.
CORBETT: A bunch of engineering kind of guys so we’re probably not as good at it as we should be, but we got it out there
DONOVAN: You guys aren’t working worried about as much the Instagram, as trying to actually come up with the solutions for the problems, right?
CORBETT: Yeah, I mean during harvest I didn’t put anything out there for probably 6 or 8 weeks. We got busy with, a couple of us got Coronavirus, and that really screwed up our harvest plan and season, so we didn’t do very good at it. Yeah, but we worry about other stuff before that, well then. Now we’re worried about supply chain issues.
DONOVAN: I think that’s everywhere, but if we are able to start figuring out some of these things with hemp, and then we can bring that all back to the states, and be able to produce those products here locally, that’ll help us as a country, as an economy too so…
CORBETT: Absolutely. There’s no reason we can’t do filter media for these your collector kind of machine. It’s going to take it
DONOVAN: There you go
CORBETT: Very viable solution.
DONOVAN: Yeah, yeah so, well, hey I just want to say thanks again for coming on today. We appreciate it.
If anybody out there is interested in finding out more about Imperial Systems you can find us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Spotify, you can look us up on all of those things. Corbett, once again thanks for coming.
We appreciate all the information you’ve given us; it’s just a wealth of knowledge. We’re excited to see where you guys are going. And everyone out there, thanks for listening. Stay healthy and stay safe and we’ll catch up with you next time. Thanks so much, appreciate the time.
ANNOUNCER: Thanks for listening to the Dusty Jobs podcast. Breathe better, work safer.
Differential pressure is an integral part of understanding how a dust collector is operating. System operators and maintenance technicians can use this information to create efficient maintenance plans for equipment and the proper operation of the system. This can save you from expensive repairs, dangerous working conditions, and lost production time.
What is Differential Pressure?
Differential Pressure, also known as DP, measures the difference in pressure between the clean (clean air plenum) and dirty (filter side or dirty air plenum) sides of your dust collector. It is a measurement of the resistance to airflow between the chambers of the collector. As dust builds on the filters, it creates more resistance for the air trying to pass through.
How Does Differential Pressure Relate to Dust Collection?
Differential pressure is important when it comes to dust collection because it indicates the physical changes in the filters of your dust collector. As dust builds up on the filter, it creates resistance for the air trying to pass through. The more dust and dirtier the filter, the more unequal pressure is created, which will result in a higher DP reading.
One way to think about this concept is when you are drinking from a straw. If you drink water through a regular straw, you will be able to drink the water without much effort. However, if you were to pinch the straw, it will take much more effort to drink the same amount of water as before. This is because there is much less volume flowing through the straw compared to when it is unobstructed.
This is the same thing that is happening in your dust collector. As the filter in your system becomes dirty, the differential pressure rises because the holes for airflow become smaller. As DP rises, adjustments must be made to compensate for the loss of suction. If the unit features a VFD (variable frequency drive), it will automatically adjust. If not, manual adjustments must be made with a slide gate or fan damper to adjust airflow.
Why Is It Important For Dust Collection?
Now that you understand how differential pressure relates to dust collection, let’s discuss why it is important:
The differential pressure is important for dust collection because it indicates what is happening physically to the filters of your operating system. The main use of the readings is to determine what the health of the filters are inside the unit. Differential pressure begins to rise when the filters in the unit are creating resistance. A DP staying above 5” of water gauge means that it is time for the filters to be replaced. This also means a DP around 4.5” W.G. is a good time to order replacement dust collector filters.
These readings will also help you troubleshoot and prepare a maintenance plan to ensure the safest working conditions and environment within your operations. By tracking the small performance changes within your dust collecting system, you can diagnose and respond to any issues swiftly. This will also require little to no downtime in your operation.
Do Not Neglect The Readings
The readings of differential pressure are often used to determine whether the dust collector is running at the required efficiency. There may be specific parameters for air quality permits in your area that are set by local, state, or federal agencies. The differential pressure readings may be requested to ensure compliance with the local ordinances for permits. Operations that are not within compliance are subject to heavy fines.
In one instance, a company was fined for operating one of its dust collectors with a broken pressure gauge and without accurately reporting their differential pressure readings. This specific company was fined $325,000. The fine also does not account for lost production time or repair costs. The key takeaway is to take your readings and the health of your dust collector very seriously.
How Can You Use Differential Pressure to Control Filter Cleaning?
Using the differential pressure readings to control automated filter cleaning has many benefits including: compressed air savings opportunities, lower total emissions, longer life on solenoids and diaphragms valves, and potentially longer filter life.
The CMAXX Dust and Fume Collection System offers maximum cleaning performance with 10% more filter media than competitors’ models. The CMAXX features powerful pulse cleaning technology to increase filter life and efficiency. Its heavy-duty design makes the CMAXX the most durable dust and fume collector in the industry, it offers the patented weather-resistant CrownTech roof and no external bolt holes. In addition, the modular design of the CMAXX means it can be customized for each application.
Conclusion
Differential pressure can make or break the health of your dust collector. Without monitoring the differential pressure and health of your filters within your dust collector, your operations are subject to fines, costly maintenance, and dangerous working environments. But when you track and observe your differential pressure levels, you can quickly respond to fluctuations in your system. This will allow you to create thoughtful maintenance schedules, understand the inside health of your collector more than ever, and make more sound operational decisions within your business.
In this Episode Donovan talks to Steve Bunyard who started ReIgnite Hope in Southern California. Steve tells us about their amazing and free welding program, open to those in need, to help them make a better life for themselves. Steve talks about how the program continues to grow and continues to change lives with welding. To learn more about ReIgnite Hope and how you can help, visit there website at: https://www.reignitehope.com
ANNOUNCER: Welcome to the Dusty Jobs Podcast from Imperial Systems. Industry knowledge to make your job easier and safer.
DONOVAN: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Dusty Jobs podcast. We’re so glad you could be with us today. I’m Donovan Karki and joining me today is Steve Bunyard from ReIgnite Hope. How are you doing, Steve?
STEVE: Hey. I’m doing great. Looking forward to our time together here.
DONOVAN: Yeah. Now, you’re joining us via Zoom here. You guys are located out in California?
STEVE: Yeah, we’re in the city of Gardena. We’re about 15 miles South of Downtown Los Angeles.
DONOVAN: There you go, there you go. So, we’re a little bit on different time frame but we’ve been able to make it work to meet up.
STEVE: Yeah.
DONOVAN: So, we’re very interested. We’ve learned about ReIgnite Hope here at Imperial little while back and we are really interested in what you guys are doing, but before we get into what ReIgnite is doing, tell me a little bit about Steve. What’s Steve’s background? Where did you come from? And let us hear a little bit about yourself.
STEVE: Yeah. Thanks, Don. Well, I spent most of my adult life as a pastor at a church here in Southern California, Rolling Hills Covenant Church. A fairly large church and when I was about 10 years into that, our church was doing a lot of work up on Skid Row in Los Angeles. We have a really high homeless population here in L.A. county.
They estimate maybe 40 to 50,000 people a night are sleeping outdoors here in L.A. county. And we were up there doing food, blankets, and hygiene kits. Kind of the normal stuff you do and working with one of the homeless missions up there.
And one day, the matriarch of the Fred Jordan Mission, a famous mission up there, Willie Jordan, came up to me and said, “Pastor Steve, what can we do so that we don’t keep feeding the same people all the time?” and I say, “Gosh, Willie, I don’t know. I think they need a job. I don’t think they can get out of Skid Row without a job, but I don’t know what to tell you on that
DONOVAN: Yeah.
STEVE: Our church doesn’t do job training, but I did say, “Hey, I’ll pray about it though” So I did. I started praying about it.
And welding kept weighing on my heart. I learned to weld as a young man. So, that was the only thing I could think of that maybe we could teach people that they could actually go get a job at, but it seemed like a crazy idea to me. I kept praying and that kept weighing on me.
I thought “Alright, I’m just going to go back to Willie and say, “Hey, what about if we start teaching people how to weld?”. She’ll probably hate the idea. She’s like 80 years old, it’ll scare her to death and then I can let this go and get my life back.
And I went back to Willie, and I said, “Hey, what do you think about this idea? Teaching people?”. Well, she loved it. She said, “I’ll even give you a room inside the mission where you can start. And I thought “Oh boy, here we go
And so she did. She vetted 5 homeless men for us, gave us a room. I went and bought a couple welding machines. We jumped in and it changed their lives. The thing took off.
Everybody wanted in. I was still on staff full time as a pastor, and for the next 10 years would stay on staff as a pastor after that. But as ReIgnite Hope grew, and grew, and grew, it became harder, and harder, and harder for me to do both. And so, about a year and a half ago, I asked the church’s blessing if I could step off staff and devote my full attention to ReIgnite Hope because I just felt like neither one was getting enough energy from me, and I didn’t feel good about that.
So, that’s a year and a half ago, and so now, I’m full focus ReIgnite Hope and it is just continuing to expand and grow like crazy. That’s kind of how ReIgnite Hope got started. Our name comes from the fact that we’re coming alongside a lot of people who’ve lost hope. They don’t see a bright future. The American Dream means nothing to them.
Many cases, they’ve had kind of a hard life. Maybe been incarcerated, involved in gangs, dropped out of high school, got in trouble, and the hope is just gone. So, that’s where we come in and come alongside them, and see their lives change.
DONOVAN: Wow, man, so you really caught us up on a lot there real quick. That’s great.
So, Steve, when I’m thinking about this for you, like you said, when you first got into this, you weren’t 100% sure about it. Like, what it was going to turn out to. So, what was that journey like for you as you saw and met these people and what happened along that way? What caused you to go “You know what, this is an important thing, and we need to kind of keep growing it”? Did it grow on its own? What did it take to make it grow?
STEVE: Yeah, I’ll tell you what. It’s God that made it grow because I don’t know how to grow this, and I still don’t know how to grow it. we’re over 10 years now and ReIgnite Hope and but we saw the need, of course on Skid Row, that’s where we started. We’re not on Skid Row any longer, but the need was there.
And then when I saw with this did in their lives: the hope that it brought, the optimism about the future that this brought, the excitement in their lives, and then getting jobs. I mean, real jobs, with a real skill and good pay. And it just spread like wildfire.
We’ve never advertised the program at all. We’ve had as many as 500 people on our waiting list, wanting to get in, but it’s word of mouth. When your life gets changed, you tell everybody you know about it. You tell your friends, your mom tells all the other moms, and it just spreads, like a virus, given that we’re in COVID country right and all that.
And so, we see that all the time. We just graduated 44 students here on Friday. They’ve already told all their friends about it and their moms are telling the other moms. We get calls all the time wanting in, wanting in, wanting in.
Yeah, so that’s how it grows is just by life change. And again, when your life changes, you tell people.
DONOVAN: So, if there’s somebody out there, and they’re in your area, and they hear this podcast, and they say, “That’s something I might want to be involved with”. What makes someone qualified to be part of the program? How do you become part of the program? What’s a qualifying factor?
STEVE: Yeah, good question, Donovan. So, step one is go to our website: reignitehope.com, and just click on the apply button. There’s an application you can fill out there.
And we kind of ask ourselves three questions with each applicant. As for trying to filter through them: Does this person really need our help? Can we help them? And do they really want our help?
We want to see motivation in their life. Our program is free. We’ve never charged for the training. We just believe in that they’re going to pay us back by their hard work. They’re going to show up and really put the effort in.
We’re looking for folks that really need the help, really want to turn their life around, and really serious about it. And then we just do our best to sort through the applications and take as many as we can. Ones we can’t take we’ll put on a waiting list for the next class and try to touch as many lives as we can.
And we can’t say yes to everybody, but we try to say yes to as many people as possible and we’re continuing to grow some of our capacity here that I’ll talk about a little bit later, which is allowing us to touch more and more lives. We expect we’re going to be able to train well over 200 students in 2022, maybe up around 300.
DONOVAN: Oh, wow. So, what’s the program look like? Is it a one week program? Is it a one-year program? What does it look like if someone gets involved? What are the requirements?
STEVE: So, hey we love trade schools, so don’t take this as a negative, but a typical trade school is going to be maybe a one- or two-year program. We’re dealing with folks that they need a job now and they can’t go for a one-year or two-year training.
We do a one month, five days a week. They’ll get 120 hours of training and in one month, they’re ready for employment and then we help them find their first job. So, we got a full-time person on staff, that all they do is job placement.
We have the American Welding Society comes in here at the ends of the month and tests them. And upon passing their tests, they are then a certified welder. Real deal certification, certified welder and ready for employment.
And so, it’s just been great the way that that we’ve been able to really microwave this and prepare them for an entry level welding job. And a lot of jobs out there. Real shortage of welders, all over the country, but literally in one month, we can get them ready. Now we do also offer mobile training beyond our fixed brick and mortar here and in the mobile training…go ahead
DONOVAN: Oh, I was going to say, so it sounds like the in-house program is a very, it sounds like it’s an intense program so, if you’re going to sign up, you have to be committed.
STEVE: Yeah, you do, you do. You have to be able to give it five days a week and really apply yourself because that 120 hours is going to be intense. Just think about it, one month you go from maybe being unskilled to having a really valuable skill in your life.
DONOVAN: Right, right. That just sounds like really great. That sounds great. So that’s kind of what you guys do, who you do it for, now you started talking about maybe a little bit of some other opportunities you have here for not just at your facility, but outside of your facility.
STEVE: Yeah. So, our demographic is a little bit of everything. We certainly have some homeless in our classes. Some folks coming out of jail, out of prison, out of gangs, little bit of everything. Or just the working poor, they haven’t been in trouble maybe, but minimum wage job is all they have. It’s all they’re going to get unless they get some kind of job skill
And we’re in our third facility so, we outgrew the first one on route, on Skid Row. Los Angeles Police Department helped us get a second facility, we outgrew that one. And then we moved here to Gardena our third facility, but then we maxed out this one. We could do a little over 200 students a year here so, we came up with the thought of “Well, maybe we could instead of getting buildings everywhere because people want us to come in different cities, and even different states, could we take it mobile?”
So we decided to jump in and try that. So, we built out an 18-wheeler that we can train 24 students at a time in the 18-wheeler. We’ve been doing that now and we can travel around Southern California here.
All we need is a place to park and we can go where the need is. We can go where the folks are that need help. And so, we partner with different churches around Southern California to park in their parking lot, help them reach their community, help them bless their community.
And now we’re at a high school about 40-44 miles from here where we’re training kids that they’ve identified as vulnerable. These are kids that they know aren’t going to go to college, and if they get out of high school without a job skill, they’re probably going to get in trouble.
So, they were saying, “Please, please, please, would you guys come out here?”. So, we’re out there training them now as well, in the mobile center.
Then the demand’s so great, we’re building a second one. We’ve got a second now.
DONOVAN: Is the is the mobile center program the same as the in-house program? Do you have anything different about that?
STEVE: It is different. So, in the mobile one, we’re going to go two days a week, for 10 weeks. So, that has a little bit of an advantage in that if maybe somebody’s got maybe a part time job, or some job that they can get a couple days off and do the training, they don’t have to give up their job if they have one currently. That helps with that.
But doing the two days a week helps keep us from having the trailer there five straight days because we need to move it around and meet as many needs as we can.
So, we can go to one location on Monday and Tuesday, go to another location on Wednesday and Thursday, go to another location Friday and Saturday, that kind of a thing. And then, when the second trailer is done that’s going to give us more flexibility, but it’s two days a week for 10 weeks. Same amount of training.
DONOVAN: Yeah, but you can reach more since it’s less students in the trailer, you can actually get almost the same amount of students per week because you’re able to move to different locations.
STEVE: Yeah, it’s really been a tremendous addition to our program. And of course, now everybody hears about it so I’ve had calls from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and all over the place saying, “Hey, can the mobile come here?” Not to mention cities around us, so we’re just going to see as God continues to grow this, how many we can touch with it. And I don’t know how many trailers it’ll be, but it’s one for the moment, and two on the way.
DONOVAN: There you go. And speaking of that, it is sometimes a challenge for someone if they don’t have their own vehicle, or public transportation to get to where the training is, to be able to go to them. Boy, isn’t that just a great thing that you can do that, and head on in there and help them out where they’re at
STEVE: Yeah, this high school 44 miles from us, you know those kids aren’t going to be able to drive 44 miles to get to our building here, but we can go there and just park right in the high school parking lot. Train him right there. And those kids are so excited. The principal told us I’ve never seen these kids this excited about anything. And you can just see it on their faces.
DONOVAN: Yeah, that’s great. So, we talked a little bit about how you guys got started in this and what you’re doing, but Steve, why do you do this? Why are you taking this time to help these people? I mean, this could be a very profitable thing. Running this trailer around and charging people to do it. Why do you do it the way you do it?
STEVE: Well, we’re a Christian ministry, Donovan and it’s our faith that drives us to do this. The Bible repeatedly encourages us to remember the poor, and to be a blessing to those in need. So, when Jesus was asked out of all the rules, out of all the regulations, out of all the laws, what’s the most important one of all?
And he says it’s to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, but he says the second one is this: love your neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself. So, this is how we show our love to our neighbors, everyone. Everyone that needs our help and so that’s why we do it. That’s what drives us to do it.
And our mission is very simple here at ReIgnite Hope. We do two things: we try to lead people vocationally toward a career, and spiritually toward Christ. That’s our mission. We know they need both in their lives. Their lives aren’t really going to change if all they do is get a paycheck. And they’re still thinking the same way, living the same way, making the same choices. But with Christ in their life, everything changes.
DONOVAN: Well, that sounds great. I was just thinking more about this and there might be some people out there that are listening, and they really like what you have going on up there and they might be interested in trying to help you guys out too. So, is there a way if someone is interested, is there a way to reach out to you? What’s the best way to learn more about what you’re doing and maybe get involved?
STEVE: Yeah, so on our website again reignitehope.com, we’ve got a volunteer button there you can click on so, that’s one way. We’ve got really five ways people can help. One, is people of course can donate to us. Again, we’re nonprofit. We’ve never charged for the training.
But, we exist by the generosity of people that believe in what we’re doing and give to it. So, you can be a financial donor and every dollar helps change a life.
We’ve got four areas of volunteerism. We will literally take people who know nothing about welding, we’ll train you how to weld so you can be a welding coach. That’s part of what really makes our program I think really successful, again in a trade school environment.
And because of budget considerations for them, you might have one instructor and 30 students. We’ve got one instructor and three students so it’s really fantastic. We’ve got such a great ratio there, instructor to students that we can really come alongside them and get their skills up much quicker. So, if you want to be a welding coach, we’ll definitely jump at the chance to train you for that.
We’ve got the need for math tutors here. A lot of our kids just aren’t strong in math, and you need a little bit of math to be a welder. Fractions, decimals, angles, things like that, how to read a tape measure.
We’ve also got resume tutors that help our students get their resumes together and coach them a little bit on interview skills.
And then, we got a lunch program here where it’s mostly small groups from different churches in the area that will come and serve lunch to our students every single day. That way they don’t have to bring lunch, they don’t have to worry about if they don’t have money for lunch, or anything like that. Right here on the premises, and at the trailer, a lunch gets served every single day. So those are all areas people can help and be part of the team and join our mission. Whichever one of those five areas resonates with you, come and join our mission.
DONOVAN: Now the way they would do that is through your website?
STEVE: Yep.
DONOVAN: What’s your website address?
STEVE: Yeah, it’s reignitehope.com and if you just click on ‘Volunteer’, there’s little space to type in there and say, “Hey I’d love to do the lunch program” or “Hey, I want to learn to be a welding coach”, or whatever, just type it in.
If you say, “Hey I can’t do any of that, but I can give”. There’s a ‘Donate’ button on the website. All of that helps change lives
DONOVAN: So, you can find that at reignitehope.com?
STEVE: Reignitehope.com
DONOVAN: Great.
STEVE: And you can see on there some of our students’ stories. And you can see, get a real first-hand feel for what our program looks like, what it’s all about, and how life changing it is. We’ve got a bunch of student stories on there that you can watch on video.
And I think you’ll be really blessed to hear our own students, in their own words, tell what this meant in their lives.
DONOVAN: Well, that just sounds great, Steve. We here at Imperial really appreciate what you’re doing. We like the work you’re doing and we’re glad to be trying to help you out as we can here. And if anybody out there is listening is interested, please reach out to Steve and he’ll get you involved.
Thanks for coming on. We really appreciate it. We’re going to share a link to your website in this podcast, or on the YouTube page so people can get there that way. But just we’re looking forward to seeing how you guys grow and what you do, but I just want to say thanks again for coming on.
STEVE: Yeah.
DONOVAN: That’s it. Did you have anything else you wanted to say?
STEVE: Oh, just thanks Donovan. And again, if folks listening to this happen to be folks that pray, just keep us in your prayers. We’ve got opportunities coming up faster than we know what to do with them. We’re already in Philadelphia, The Philippines, and Brazil. Possibility we’ll be heading to Cambodia with ReIgnite Hope. Maybe Mexico with ReIgnite Hope. On top of that, we’ll probably start Dallas this year, maybe Las Vegas this year. Not to mention, having a second 18-wheeler all over Southern California.
So, we believe in prayer. We know it works. So, pray for us, if you would. We’d love to have that.
DONOVAN: Well, we appreciate that, Steve. So, everyone, thanks for listening. Thanks for coming on, Steve. If you guys are out there listening to this and you could find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere else you can listen.
So once again, thanks for listening to Dusty Jobs Podcast. Stay healthy and stay safe.
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