SUCTION FILTRATION, DEDUSTING AND DECONTAMINATION SYSTEM

PRODUCTION OF COMPONENTS AND PLANTS FOR CENTRALISED INDUSTRIAL EXTRACTION AND FILTRATION OF FUMES, GASES, ODOURS AND DUST.

What are industrial extraction plants?

Industrial extraction plants are systems designed to extract fumes, gases and dust produced during manufacturing and tooling processes in various types of industries, channel them into a filtering apparatus and, finally, expel clean air, as established by the legislation in force for atmospheric emissions. Indeed, air filtration also involves dedusting, which is the abatement of suspended gases, odours, fumes and dust, which can be toxic.
Hence, centralised extraction plants designed for industrial use have several parts:

• one or more suction or capture points, where fumes, gases, odours and dust are suctioned;
• a central suction body, to which the extracted air laden with fumes and dust is conveyed along fixed pipes;
• a filtration system that withholds the captured components;
• a collection point for filtered substances, to make their disposal easier;
• and a point of emission, the chimney, where the flow of air is released into the atmosphere.

Where are industrial extraction and dedusting plants installed?

Centralised extraction plants for dust and fumes are necessary for all industries where normal production processes generate fumes, gases, odours and dust, which must not be released into the atmosphere.
Depending on the particular nature of these pollutants, it might be necessary in some cases to adhere to the anti-explosion standard ATEX 2014/34/EU, if the dust or gases are potentially explosive. In addition, the specific type of filter to be used in the centralised suction plant will depend on the type of processes performed and, therefore, on the type of polluting smoke, gases, odours and dust that must be abated by the plant. The dimensions and structure of the production environment play a crucial role in designing the dedusting and abatement plant. In fact, these plants are always custom built.
Due to production characteristics, companies in many sectors are required by law to install industrial extraction plants. Some examples are listed below:

• woodworking, marble and metalworking industries, to extract fumes, dust and oils - both whole and emulsified - deriving from operations such as:
  • welding, deburring, grinding, polishing, laser cutting, plasma cutting, cleaning and buffing, sandblasting, tumbling, and sanding;
• the iron and steel making sector, for melting and holding furnaces, in moulding plants and welding stations, to remove toxic gases and fumes
• the chemical and plastics industries, to extract dust, fumes and vapours/odours of solvents;
• the food and agricultural sector, to extract oils, fumes and dust produced by:
  • flours, sugars, aromas and various ingredients;
• the pharmaceutical industry, for dedusting processes to remove fumes, dust and odours during processing of ingredients and active substances.

The advantages of extraction plants for fumes and dust

There are many reasons for installing a centralised industrial extraction plant in your company. One of the most important is certainly compliance with laws regulating the emission of pollutants and environmental protection, which in recent years have become very important. However, in addition to regulatory compliance, there are excellent reasons to install extraction plants for dust and fumes in different industries. We can group them into three benefit sectors.

• Health-related benefits
  Fumes, gases, odours, dust and all pollutants that develop generally in work environments can be breathed by workers and, therefore, might cause serious illnesses or conditions. The abatement of fine dust is a procedure that protects the health and lives of workers.
• Organisational benefits
  If these substances are not abated and regularly collected with a specific system, the fumes and dust will spread throughout the available space inside the work environment, generating risks for machinery and making it necessary to perform continuous, expensive cleaning operations that steal time from the production processes. Centralised dust extraction allows the company to eliminate dust without having to continuously clean the work environments.
• Economic benefits
  In many production areas, the dust suspended in the air comes from recoverable materials and would normally be wasted. Using a centralised extraction plant allows companies to recover the dust from raw materials and to restore it to the production cycle, with noteworthy savings! An example of this is found in companies that perform polymerisation processes.

Maintenance of industrial extraction and dedusting plants

The maintenance of centralised extraction plants, and also of mobile filter units, is often underestimated. However, its importance is fundamental for the dedusting and abatement process used to remove pollutants from the air in industrial environments.
On the one hand, regular maintenance of industrial extraction plants is mandatory, regulated by precise laws, and entrusting this process to specialised companies is the best way to avoid breaking the law and having to pay administrative or penal sanctions. In addition to this, there are other, perhaps more important, reasons to ensure regular, professional maintenance of your dedusting plant.

Indeed, regular checks of the plant involve inspections of all components. This makes it possible to detect breakdowns and malfunctions immediately, and also to guarantee quick repairs - or preventive replacements - of all parts and components of the centralised extraction plant that are subjected to normal wear and tear during constant use. These simple operations guarantee full efficiency of the ventilation and dedusting system, ultimately extending the overall life of the fumes and dust extraction plant. The continuous remote monitoring system, EmissioniOK!, is optional for all our plants, but it guarantees a better life cycle of all new and existing plants, and falls under the category of Industry 4.0.