An automated cleaning process that continuously protects against combustible dust buildup

8/20/2019 An automated cleaning process that continuously protects against combustible dust buildup

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xplosions from combustible dust

have plagued the milling and grain

industry throughout its history. In

just grain handling alone, OSHA,

the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration, reports that over the

last 35 years there have been over 500

explosions across the US, which have

killed more than 180 people and injured

more than 675. Clearly, the numbers tell the story that something else needs

to be done. But what can solve the problem in the smartest, most

practical way?

Or more importantly, what could prevent the problem from

happening in the rst place?

SonicAire® fans were engineered to accomplish just that. They

are the only proactive solution to eliminate overhead fugitive dust

problems.

It is a system that has changed how we control combustible

dust. These fans can robotically prevent fugitive dust from

accumulating in overhead areas. And they provide a vertical

cleaning radius from 0-140°, with a full 360° rotation.

Their introduction to the milling and grain industry has given

managers a new alternative to consider. Allow me to demonstrate

how they work and you can decide for yourself.

A proactive solution for sustainable cleaning in high

places

Our engineers have designed a full line of these fan systems

to address the specic issues of different types of dust

characteristics.

SonicAire 2 Series Controlled Clean. Powerful Performance.

This fan is a powerhouse with a 2HP (1.5kW) motor that

delivers twice the cleaning area of the original SonicAire fan, so

installations costs are cut in half. The SonicAire 2.0 is designedto combat problems with heavier fugitive dust generated in a

wide variety of industries, but especially the milling and grain

industry.

It boasts a host of new engineering designs that allow for the

ultimate in safety, convenience and automation of cleaning

overhead structures. Innovation highlights include:

• iDrive - A new drive disc that allows operators to easily plan

exactly where cleaning coverage is desired. Determining

oscillation angles and reach of airow has never been easier

• Unied electrical enclosure - All electrical components are

housed in one place. This increases frame strength and is easier

to service if necessary. Meets NEMA 12 gasketed enclosure

requirements

• Sickle fan blade – A new conguration for high efciency.

Sound levels are below 81dBA at 20 feet (3.65m)• Self-lubricating and sealed bearings – Designed for reduced

maintenance costs

• Sleek, extended fan shroud - Increases fan cleaning distance

Other options are available in the 2 Series. They include:

• SonicAire 2c: The ‘c’ stands for ‘compact.’ The fan motor

still has the power and control, but the fan size allows it to be

located in the spaces that are too small for other fans.

• SonicAire 2hw: The ‘hw’ stands for ‘heat and water.’ This is

a water-tight fan (NEMA 6) that can work in extreme heat as

high as 180°

Engineered safety

The core of every SonicAire fan is its BarrierAire™ technology,

our unique engineering platform. As its name implies, this

innovative technology uses dynamic air patterns to create a

barrier, or set up a block for fugitive dust buildup.

Here’s how it works.

High velocity and high mass airow from a robotic clean fan

create an overhead barrier. This barrier essentially controls dust

like an air curtain, preventing accumulation of fugitive dust on

steel structures, pipes, ducts, walls and process equipment.

It does this automatically and accurately. Anything in the

overhead areas can be shielded in this way so that no dust can

ever accumulate. Managers can pinpoint the areas that need to be

cleaned so that no dust is allowed to build up in overhead places.The outcome is remarkable: you can now automatically

maintain OSHA compliance throughout your plant – at all times.

Users no longer have to pay for expensive cleaning services.

They also don’t have to shut down production to allow cleaning

services to work. Even more important is that they also don’t

An evolution or revolution in controlling dust in overhead areas helps eliminate the risks of fugitivedust for milling and grain facilities

An automated cleaning process

that continuously protects against

combustible dust buildupby Brad Carr, President of IES, USA

34 | October 2015 - Milling and Grain

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have to put personnel at risk using scissor lifts to reach the

overhead areas.

However, there is a one-time deep clean of fugitive dust, and

once that dust is removed, no new dust is allowed to accumulate

again. Only with BarrierAire technology can you automatically

maintain OSHA compliance throughout the plant at all times.

Your employees have never been safer from the risks of

combustible dust.

Now that you know what the systems do, let me explain why

we designed it in the rst place.

Managed approach vs engineered approach

Basically, SonicAire fan systems represent a shift in

engineering philosophy.

Prior to their launch, the only way people could keep overhead

areas clean was through a managed approach. In fact, the NFPA

Standards refer to a managed solution, which has been the status

quo. So before technological advances were made, manual

housekeeping was the only solution.

Why has a managed approach lasted this long?

What many people found attractive about ongoing cleaning

is that there are low upfront costs. Contracts were set up forongoing payments that then became a part of annual operating

expenses.

You don’t have to put down a lot of money at one time to

continue either using cleaning services or using your employees

to manage combustible dust.

A managed approach means that personnel or third party

businesses clean the overhead structures on a continuing

basis. This has been the conventional approach to controlling

combustible dust.

In essence, the cleaning is done after the dust had already

accumulated.

But our

engineers had

issues with thatphilosophy. Our

response was, "Why can’t

we nd a way to keep the problem

from happening?” We

also had serious issues with other aspects

of a managed approach, which include:

• A risk to personnel for the overhead cleaning

• Lost production due to the necessary shutdown of the plant

• Levels of clean in a facility vary based on the proximity to the

scheduled cleaning time

If overhead cleaning is scheduled monthly on the 15th, the

combustible dust has had time to accumulate by the 14th of the

month, making it possible for the plant to be out of compliance

with OSHA regulations therefore risking the safety of the

employees. Even if a plant owner/manager

were not inclined to

procrastinate

the cleaning, the cyclical nature of the buildup

is inevitable with a managed approach.

Now, the philosophy for an

engineered approach is that

technology can be leveraged to

automate cleaning processes

and

continuously

protect against the risks of combustible dust

accumulation.

Milling and Grain - October 2015 | 35

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Two different types of engineering solutions exist.

The rst is localised ltration. With this technology, the

equipment captures the combustible dust by either vacuuming orsuctioning. This approach is often needed, but the reality is that it

can’t be used alone.

Think about it; it is impossible to collect or capture 100 percent

of fugitive dust. Localised ltration can’t capture every particle.

OSHA regulations basically represent a zero-tolerance approach

to dust accumulation, even with the new nuances on levels.

But the bottom line in compliance is still clear: Our job is to

remove the fuel (fugitive dust) that causes the explosions. We still

can’t allow for accumulation. That’s where our engineers saw an

opportunity to innovate something that shifted the paradigm and

makes people safer.

The second technology is SonicAire’s BarrierAire technology.

With this, you can now account for all the fugitive dust in a

large facility. These fans can robotically eliminate fugitive

dust not captured by a ltration system. Best of all, this can be

automated.

In fact, often there can be a synergy between the ltration and

SonicAire fan systems for enterprise-wide compliance, since they

can be effectively used together in one facility.

What’s more, with either of these engineered approaches,

there are higher, one-time costs for implementation. So capital

investments have to be made. These are one-time costs though

and the benets are ongoing.

An engineered approach also allows for automated, controlled

cleaning that doesn’t interfere with production. Depending onthe sophistication of the specic technology, it also delivers

consistently higher levels of clean for ongoing compliance to

government regulations and for employee safety.

SonicAire fans have been shown to pay for themselves in as

little as a year.

Criteria for evaluation

Mill and grain facility owners and managers should evaluate

the overall cost for any solution – be it SonicAire’s BarrierAiretechnology or anything else based on the following range of

variables:

• Initial cost

• Operating cost

• Ongoing labour cost

• Employee morale

• Disruption to normal production

• Energy usage

We believe that trying something revolutionary can seem risky.

We also believe that nothing is more important than protecting

the lives of employees.

So we’ve reduced the risk to new clients by offering a unique

“Try and Buy” program.

The premise is simple: Try a SonicAire fan for 60 days; get all

your money back if you are not 100 percent satised. With this

program available, you’ve got nothing to lose, but the dangers of

combustible dust.

By 2050 – 35 years away – we must be able to show that we

have avoided the loss of 180 lives and injuries to 675 employees.

About the Author:

Brad Carr is president of IES, manufacturer of SonicAire® fans.

SonicAire fans were highlighted as a Safety Innovation Award

at GEAPS 2015. Mr Carr has had numerous invitations to speak

on dust control and safety for a wide range of industries; mostrecently at the National Safety Council Congress and Expo.

He has also published many articles on this topic for a broad

spectrum of industries. SonicAire fans were highlighted as a

Safety Innovation Award at GEAPS 2015.

http://iesclean.com

36 | October 2015 - Milling and Grain

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An automated cleaning process that continuously protects against combustible dust buildup

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