3 Minutes

Case Study- Plastics Recycler

 

 

After Filter Bags on Plastic PulverizerCardinal Air Design was approached by a Northeast Ohio plastic recycler to address issues with their pulverizing process.

Their existing system uses positive pressure bags located inside the facility to filter air from their pulverizers cyclone exhaust.  This created a number of issues inside the facility.

 

Problems

  1. Noise: Due to the fans exhausting inside.
  2. Heat: Pulverizers generate a lot of heat. The average exhaust temperature was above 130 degrees.
  3. Excess dust: A lot of very undesirable FINE PARTICULATE was getting through the positive pressure bag units. This dust would eventually migrate throughout the entire facility, getting into machinery, bearings, and their employees breathing area.  This creates premature equipment wear and worker fatigue.
  4. Downtime: Most recyclers run 24/7 and downtime is undesirable. The employees would have to stop once a shift (per machine) to clean out the bags.  This was a messy job, resulting in a loss of approximately one hour per shift per machine.
  5. Low pulverizer efficiency: Because their units were running hotter, they had to limit the amount of material introduced into the pulverizer, or risk having their screens plug and force an unwanted shutdown.

One of the challenges we faced was how to install the system with minimum or no downtime. As a recycler that runs operations 24/7, shutting operations down for the install would not have worked.

 

CM024 Dust Collector

Solution

The plastic recycler reached out to the manufacturer (MAAG Reduction Engineering) of the pulverizers for assistance.  MAAG recommended upgrading the existing after-filter bags to a centralized dust collector.

Cardinal Air design worked closely with the MAAG and the recycler. After carefully reviewing the process, we recommended an Imperial Systems cartridge-style dust collector.  The dust collector was specified and installed by Cardinal Air Design as a turn-key system.  Placing the new collector outside eliminated the noise, heat, and excessive dust in the facility.  The employees no longer have to labor with the very messy job of cleaning and emptying bag filters.  They never shut the system off, and the company is realizing higher production levels from their pulverizers.

When we installed the unit, we started by running the main trunk lines to the collector once it was set.  We were able to start up the system and make sure it was running properly. After that, we simply made the final tie-ins to the pulverizers one at a time to minimize downtime.  Once done we checked airflows one last time and made any needed adjustments.

This was an extremely satisfying installation that contributed to the betterment of the company and its employees in some very meaningful ways.

 

If you have dust issues, we can help!

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