Glacier has worked with many different types of customers to develop dust collection solutions, including collection systems for wood dust. Wood dust collection is more complex than many process and facility managers realize.
Since the Imperial Sugar refinery disaster occurred in 2008, numerous regulatory requirements have been enacted to prevent future fires and explosions. NFPA 664, specifically addresses the prevention of fires and explosions in wood processing and woodworking facilities.
Typically, these NFPA requirements necessitate investment in extremely expensive dust collection systems. Recently the Glacier team was able to provide a highly economical and effective solution for two customers with the need to manage wood dust.
One of these customers is a paper recycling plant and the other is a company that produces wooden railings. In both cases, facility expansion necessitated the installation of a more capable and NFPA compliant wood dust collection system. Since these facilities are located in the upper midwest, the customers anticipated an additional investment in equipment to provide heated make-up air for their facilities.
Open Cabinet Dust Collector Provides Ideal Solution
Glacier determined that for these projects, the Eurovac MASC manual shaker dust collector provided the ideal option. This unit, designed for interior installation, is an open cabinet dust collector offering a high efficiency multi-pocket filter envelope, which provides 95% efficiency at 5 microns and more.
We are finding that the most important advantage of the Eurovac MASC collector is that it does not require a highly expensive spark detection and extinguishing device, explosion vent, or blowback damper. Those safety devices required by the NFPA can increase the cost of a dust collector by three times the unit cost.
Another key advantage of this innovative collector design is that the system does not require return air ductwork because the filter allows redistribution of clean air through the four open sides. In most installations, a fan with a quiet direct drive 1750 RPM AMCA type B spark proof impeller is installed next to the collector.
Additional design features:
- Industrial grade powder coat painted steel frame with hopper to help dust collect in bin
- Inlet deflector ensures larger chips are pushed into the bin – filter catches fine particles only
- Filter features sateen interior finish to minimize ‘’caking’’ on filter surface
- Quick release lock latch on bin lid means no dust or air leakage – no flexible hose used for connection between the hopper and the lid
- Minimal maintenance required – simply rock a broom handle back and forth for a few minutes at the end of each shift
- Unit ships fully assembled for minimal installation time and more cost savings
- Compact collector footprint features floor plates to anchor into concrete floor
In addition to the savings on safety equipment, our customers were pleased to save additional money on make-up air provisions. The open filter Eurovac collector provides each facility with plenty of clean, pre-heated air for safe and comfortable operations.
Pictured below are the paper recycling installation (left) and the wood railing shop (right).
The Glacier team understands that each facility is unique, with individual needs and conditions. Our specialized knowledge and experience, along with our strategic relationships with the manufacturers of the industry’s best equipment, have allowed us to provide our customers with effective and efficient solutions. Contact us today to discuss how we can meet your needs and save you money!
