Industrial facility management and maintenance comes with several responsibilities. One of the many responsibilities in industrial facilities is the safety of employees. Since industrial facilities are challenged with combustible dust deposition, the necessity of an industrial vacuum system is undeniable. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), combustible dust is a potential source of health hazards and may also cause an explosion. According to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, several industrial accidents and explosions are associated with combustible dust deposition. Therefore, the use of an industrial vacuum system is essential. However, due to variations in industrial circumstances, choosing the right industrial vacuum system becomes challenging. Have you faced the same problems? This post will guide you through how to choose right industrial vacuum system.
Consideration Factors for Choosing the Right Industrial Vacuum System
Purchasing a vacuum cleaner is one thing but choosing the right industrial vacuum system is a whole another challenge. Since industrial vacuum cleaners are utilized in industries like chemical, pharmaceutical, mechanical production, etc for several applications, the application requirements of the vacuum system differ in each industry. Along with the industrial applications, the specifications of the industrial vacuum system differ, too. Let us discuss how to find an industrial vacuum system, suitable for a specific application.
- Application-specific Requirements: It is important to identify the application-specific requirements to select industrial vacuum system. Many industries suffer explosive accidents due to industrial combustible dust. Therefore, in such industries, explosion-proof vacuum cleaning systems must be selected. In many manufacturing facilities, chemicals, pharmaceutical mixtures, and burred metal particles settle as dust residues. If such residual dust is temperature-sensitive, the vacuum system should not generate frictional heat, or operational heat in order to prevent explosions. Also, the material of vacuum cleaners must be chemical retardant and immune to corrosion.
- Class I: Explosive gases and vapors
- Class II: Combustible dust and coal
- Class III: Easily ignitable fibers
- Division I: Consistently growing amount of combustible dust
- Division II: Rare amount of combustible dust
For the selection of explosion-proof industrial vacuum systems, all the certified vacuum cleaners are defined in classes and divisions. Let us discuss the classes and divisions to make the selection of an industrial vacuum system more convenient and simplified.
The following classes refer to the type of combustible dust being vacuumed.
The following divisions refer to the amount of combustible dust residue in the industrial environment.
- Type of Filtration Required: Filters are fundamental components of vacuum systems. There are two types of filters, which are approved by OSHA.
- High-Efficiency Particular Air Filter (HEPA): HEPA filters are 99.97% efficient for microscopic dust removal of particle size 0.3 micrometers. These filters are chosen to remove chemical dust, metallic burr, etc, and helps prevent respiratory health hazards in workers.
- Ultra-Low Penetration Air Filter (ULPA): ULPA filters are a superior type of vacuum air filter. These are suitable for microscopic dust removal of particle sizes 0.12 micrometers. These are used for applications where critical cleaning and clean room vacuuming is required. The efficiency of these filters is 99.99%. These filters function as slow suction filters for effective results.
Therefore, a vacuum system with suitable filtration must be chosen.
- Suitable Input and Output Conditions: In the selection of industrial vacuum systems, one must consider power consumption as an input and vacuum airflow or particle suction rate as an output. One must select the vacuum system that offers a higher number of vacuumed dust particles for a lower amount of power consumed. For the input condition, the motor horsepower (HP) is to be considered whereas for output the particle suction rate is to be considered. Higher output for lower input defines the high-efficiency of a vacuum system.
Considering all the above-mentioned factors, an efficient selection of an industrial vacuum system can be done. However, based on the requirement, brand new refurbished industrial vacuum systems can be sourced. It is essential to ensure the quality of the vacuum system, no matter if new or refurbished. Therefore, one must buy it from a trusted supplier like JM Industrial. The company has been supplying used and surplus industrial vacuum cleaners and used dust collectors for several years.