We’ve been looking at the way that a clean plant or factory is also a more sustainable facility. Here are another five steps to ensure that you’re on the clean, green path.
Let’s keep in mind why it’s important. The Health and Safety Executive lists the diseases that dust can produce, and they include lung cancer, asthma, silicosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Check filter efficiencies
If you’re relying on a certain level of filtration, such as a filter that claims to remove 99 per cent of contaminants, check the claims have been certified by an independent body. That way, you can be sure that the claims are evidence-based and not simply advertising hype.
Check that pulse cleaning is working properly
Pulse cleaning is the use of very short bursts of high-energy compressed air to clean filters – literally blowing the dust off the surface of the filter. However, if you’re also using a programmable controller to run the cleaning, you may have problems because its open/shut valve might operate too slowly to allow for proper pulse cleaning.
Look at your return on investment for filter spending
To make sustainable decisions on cartridge filters and other consumables for a dust collection system, it’s important to look at four aspects of the cost: the energy use, the maintenance cost, the consumables themselves like those at dustspares.co.uk, and the disposal cost. Take all of these into account before deciding which is the most sustainable filter investment for the plant or factory.
To reduce collector energy use, use electrical controls
Mechanical fan dampers don’t reduce the amount of energy a collector uses. However, a ductwork blast gate damper uses very little energy. One alternative would be to use a variable frequency drive. This is electrically controlled and can decrease energy use over longer periods.
A fan motor can help save energy
Electric motors aren’t that efficient and tend to waste significant amounts of energy. However, there are some premium efficiency fans that have been developed to deliver better energy performance. Controlling the speed of fans can make them operate more effectively so they save energy.
These tips should help you to make some sustainable decisions about dust extraction that will produce a cleaner and more sustainable factory environment.
