Article: 10 Ways A Dust Collection System Can Contribute To Your Plant’s Sustainability

A dust collector is designed to clean a factory of dust and fumes, thus making it fundamentally green.  By designing a dust collection system properly you can contribute to sustainability in many additional ways. An article appearing in Green Manufacturer magazine titled "10 Ways a dust collection system can contribute to your plant’s sustainability" written by air pollution control expert John Dauber, gives an easy overview in helping increase and maintain sustainability.

Make sure that the dust collector is compliant with the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Rule 6x regarding weld fumes and other airborne contaminants.   You can request a written guarantee from the equipment manager stating the dust collector meets the standards.  Size the collector properly for the application and area.  An undersized dust collector can result in high pressure drop, frequent filter changes, high energy usage, and a host of larger maintenance issues.

If you are being accountable for a  high standard of sustainability shouldn't you require your dust collector supplier to do the same.  You can request a sustainability report or other documentation as evidence of its green manufacturing initiatives.   The use of a VFD variable-frequency drive controls fan speed effectively and efficiently.

To read the full article and learn additional steps to consider for a truly sustainable dust collection system please visit Green Manufacturer Magazine.
You may also find more information regarding the EPA Standards here.

Employee Safety, Equipment Protection or Code Compliance: Why do manufacturers install dust collection equipment?

Just about every type of manufacturing process generates some sort of dust or fume. At what point(s) does dust-laden air become a nuisance? ...a health hazard? ...a safety hazard? ...an equipment liability? ...illegal? Are manufacturers aware of such conditions in their businesses? One would certainly hope so. What motivates a manufacturer to install dust or fume collectors?

In our experience, most companies buy dust collectors because they have to, not because they want to. Of these, the majority are trying to comply with codes to keep their operation running. The second largest group who buy industrial dust collectors are those concerned with the detrimental effect that fugitive dust has on capital equipment. Finally, there's a small percentage of manufacturers who install dust or fume collectors primarily for the sake of health and safety for their employees.

All the above are valid reasons. Is one more important than the other? To whom? What can be done to help/educate manfacturers on this issue? Please feel free to comment here and express your opinion.