FEATURE ATEX EQUIPMENT
ATEX AIR MOVEMENT IN FOOD PROCESSING
Sweet manufacturing can be a dangerous business. The powdered coatings on sweets, such as flour and starch, are highly combustible. Axair Fans recently worked with a lozenge manufacturer to find an air movement solution to prevent explosions, resulting in a sweet outcome
T
he food processing industry is big business. With new processes, new packaging and
more competition there is added pressure on operations teams to implement the most cost effective components at every step in the production line, whilst maintaining high hygiene and safety standards. Like many industries, the food processing
industry involves a huge array of processes that handle various raw materials. Among many other ingredients, powdered foods such as flour and starch are combustible. Therefore, industrial fans used in food processing, where these types of ingredients are present, need to be ATEX compliant. This ensures that the fan is able to handle the combustible material and reduce the risk of explosions. Axair were recently tasked with finding an air
movement solution for a major producer of throat and cough sweets. The customer, with a site based in the centre of a rural town, employs more than 200 people and was established over 200 years ago.
THE PROBLEM A review of the company’s manufacturing processes revealed that the method of producing throat lozenges, using a powdered starch mold process, has the potential to cause an explosion. Starch powder, like many food based powders
used in the food processing industry, has the potential to be explosive. The conductive and combustible nature of the powders or grains used in the process means that there is a risk of a catastrophic explosion, as even a small explosion could cause more powder to become airborne and in turn ignite. Following a full site survey undertaken by a
risk assessor, Axair were invited to visit the site and make recommendations for fans to be used in the drying and preparation rooms of the customer’s products. One of Axair’s product sales engineers specifically trained in ATEX fan specification made the visit. During the site visit, it became apparent that the existing fans installed in six different drying
10 WINTER 2018 | INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE
rooms were not ATEX certified and not working to maximum efficiency. Banks of 10 or 12 fans were pulling air through a false ceiling that recirculated dry warm air through the room. It was noted that the fans used were installed to run in a reverse airflow and therefore not working efficiently in the system.
THE SOLUTION Axair’s solution was the HJBMX single phase ATEX fan suitable for handling dust from supplier, Casals. When installed in the correct orientation and running in an efficient airflow direction, the new fan not only offered compliance to the risk assessor’s ATEX recommendation but also supplied increased airflow at lower running costs. Furthermore, the risk of paint contamination was removed as the fan supplied was produced in stainless steel. Axair have since supplied in excess of 70 fans
to this site and received positive feedback on their performance. Contact Axair on 01782 349 430 or
email
sales@axair-fans.co.uk for more information or to specify an ATEX fan suitable for your application.
Axair Fans
www.axair-fans.co.uk
/ INDUSTRIALCOMPLIANCE
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