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Overview
For a major plastic injection moulding company, an age old dust problem with no apparent solution provided Active Energy Solutions Ltd with a unique opportunity to develop a practical solution with minimal disruption to the company's round-the-clock production process. In the world of plastic injection moulding, manufacturers continually strive to speed-up production while at the same time trying to minimise equipment down-time and re-working costs.
During our initial site visit it was noted that the entire machine area was lightly covered with very fine dust. This dust was finding its way into moving machinery parts and the finished product, and also represented a slip hazard when it settled on the floor. The dust was identified as talc dust used to stop pre assembled components from sticking to each other and was unavoidable in the process. The resulting contamination had to be cleaned on a daily basis and applied to 5 machines, resulting in costly downtime.
The solution was to install a flexible collection arm above the main source of dust agitation, a vibrating bowl feeder. All equipment had to be suitable for a food production area and be easy to clean. The flexible hood could be moved into its optimum position (which was different for each machine) so that suitable dust capture could be achieved. All captured dust was transported back to a central collection vessel with its own filter and then the discharged air was returned to a less sensitive area within the building to ensure minimal heat loss. The collection bin was suitable for holding up to 20kg of collected material.
The primary air mover was the superb Nederman 5.5kW Centrifugal Fan and this was controlled by a variable-speed drive so that the fan speed would closely match the extraction requirements. When work was stopped at any of the stations then an automatic damper would close off extraction to the associated machine, allowing the fan speed to reduce accordingly to save energy and prolong overal filter life.
Plastic Injection Moulding (Fugitive Talc Dust Collection)
The amount of dust being cleaned up prior to installation of the new extraction system had never been quantified, but as it was now transported back to a central system then dust levels could easily be recorded and monitored. The company was also able to see immediate health benefits as this dust was previously being swept up, inhaled or passed into the product during processing. The other obvious benefit was the reduced machinery down-time as there was no longer a requirement to clean up any dust.
Active Energy Solutions Ltd provided a comprehensive CAD design service for this application, including all necessary ductwork routing which helped minimise interference with existing and future services within the work area. This service extended to supply and installation of all necessary equipment, with LEV COSHH testing/inspection and support documentation being produced after installation. Our people have a comprehensive knowledge of the Nederman range of equipment, making them well placed to specify products tailor made to customer requirements.
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