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FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY


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EffEctivEly controlling production dust


M


aintaining proper dust control plays an important role in supporting safe and


productive working environments and helping facilities meet dust emission standards and regulatory requirements. Alongside helping to mitigate the risks associated with combustible dust, effective dust control also helps to prevent contamination from airborne particles during production. This supports consistent product quality and can help control production downtime caused by contamination issues. When designing and building


machinery, design engineers should therefore take into consideration how a new or upgraded machine may impact the dust control performance of the entire production process.


considerations The accepted industry norm is often to focus on filter efficiency for effective dust control, while two other key factors – exposure and emissions – are commonly overlooked. Failing to take these two elements into consideration alongside efficiency can mean that dust control performance is not being fully optimised. Exposure to nuisance dust in and around


manufacturing processes creates discomfort and annoyance. Fugitive dust is where particles become airborne from elements of an industrial process that are not enclosed or controlled appropriately. This includes any location in a facility where dust escapes freely into the air, rather than being captured by a dust collection system. Exposure considerations include the properties of the materials being produced or used in a facility, as well as the locations where exposure to those materials occurs. A qualified industrial hygienist can


thoroughly audit a facility to evaluate overall air quality and determine average or peak concentrations of airborne contaminants. They will review various job functions, assess working conditions and take detailed air samples to provide recommendations for how to address air quality and contaminants effectively. Machinery builders should consider hooding as


an effective means of reducing exposure to dust, which should be designed effectively and properly located near the source of dust generation. An audit can identify the facility’s dust sources to verify if ventilation hooding currently in use is appropriate. This is often when new dust generation points and the need to add controls, such as additional hood locations, are identified.


dust collection Once exposure areas have been addressed, the


8


Feature


When building


machinery, design engineers need to


think about the impact of dust control on


the entire production


process, as Nicolas Van der veken, product


manager at Donaldson, explains


goals in both a cost and energy efficient way. Whenever changes are made to a facility or


process, it is also important to remember that any resulting modifications to the dust collection system can throw the system out of balance in terms of air volume throughout the system. An industrial ventilation designer can advise on necessary modifications so that the remodelled system performs as designed. Effective dust management can help


next step is to review appropriate dust collection technology. A dust collector should deliver consistent and predictable performance that effectively removes contaminants, while maintaining a consistent air volume at a predictable energy cost. When assessing the appropriate dust collector,


is also important to carefully analyse the type of filter and the filter efficiency. A filter in a regenerative dust collector is often pulse-cleaned under heavy loads. It must handle new dust entering the collector, in addition to all the dust accumulated on the filter over time. Evaluating a dust collector in terms of what it achieves at its stable set point, and using exposure and emissions testing, will give a better indication of the ventilation system’s performance. Outlet emissions are what ultimately passes


through the dust collector. It is therefore important to know the quality of the filtered air being emitted back into the building or exhausting outside. This requires systematic testing to monitor air quality. For some facilities, industry-relevant regulations mandate continuous emissions monitoring. Other local and international standards may also apply, dictating the need for a variety of test methods to determine emissions or exposure limits. Once ventilation needs and emissions limits


are understood, a qualified and experienced industrial ventilation designer can help propose a suitable dust collection system design. They will identify what the dust load demands may produce in terms of energy and cleaning consumption, and how to achieve emissions


1 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 1971-2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026 www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk


prevent airborne particle contamination during manufacturing, support product quality consistency, and reduce production interruptions from contamination problems. Dust filtration can also help protect equipment, as well as contribute towards prolonging machinery life and overall system performance. Additionally, extended filter longevity can


minimise operational downtime, while reduced air consumption can support lower long-term operational and energy costs. When upgrading or building new machinery, taking into consideration dust collection in terms of exposure, efficiency and emissions will support the optimisation of dust control performance throughout the production process.


Donaldson www.donaldson.com


Nicolas Van der veken


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