Abrasive Blasting Ventilation Design & Dust Control Solutions

Dust Control. Saves Lives

Abrasive Blasting generates large volumes of dust that can be toxic and small enough to be inhaled into lungs and thus can be hazardous to workers. Sandblasting operations are therefore undertaken in dedicated blast rooms that are placed under negative pressure by a dust collection system to remove unsafe contaminants from the air and keep the workplace safe for operators.

Airborne dust particles also contaminate our sensitive ecosystems, in particular our rivers, dams and waterways negatively impacting on water quality, reducing crops in agriculture by burying seeds, causing loss of plant tissue, reducing photosynthetic activity and increasing soil erosion, and if that isn’t enough it can also play a role in the transmission of diseases.

Health & Safety Regulations

Dust control regulations for the Abrasive Blasting Industry are becoming increasingly stringent due to the rising number of silicosis cases being reported across the globe. Silicosis is an incurable lung disease caused by exposure to harmful silica dust which is found in almost every type of natural rock, sand, clay and gravel.

The Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulation includes more specific requirements to manage the risks of hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants and plant, as well as other hazards associated with abrasive blasting activities like noise and manual tasks.

Why Grydale? Experts in Dust Control.

Our team has over 20 years experience designing dust control solutions and are able to advise on which units would be most suitable for your application and site conditions. Our onsite team can also determine the optimum set up of equipment to ensure dust and fumes are managed effectively.

Grydale has a range of fixed and mobile dust collectors which can eliminate dust at the source and protect your workers from potential deadly diseases and accidents in the workplace due to poor visibility.

Custom Design for Abrasive Blasting

In some instances blast rooms and pneumatic recovery systems are require to contain the dust and fumes and prevent them becoming airborne. Our engineering team will design a dust control solution specific to your requirements and site conditions in accordance with current workplace health and safety regulations.

AB-30000 Dust Collector for Abrasive Blasting

Abrasive Blasting generates large quantities of inhalable dust

Pneumatic Recovery System attached to Blast Room

High Efficiency Filters

High Efficiency Filter Cartridges provide filtration of both dust and diesel particulates. Baffle plates distribute air throughout the dust collector ensuring an even wear of filters. Filter access doors offer easy access to the filters, enabling efficient filter maintenance and maximising machine uptimes.

Certified Filtration Testing

Independent, NATA certified Air Flow Performance and Filtration Testing has been conducted both above and below ground as part of rigorous Performance Verification and Certification processes and shows a collection efficiency of 99.99% at 0.067 micron.

Filter Maintenance

The filters can be easily accessed through the filter access doors to allow efficient filter maintenance to maximise machine uptimes. Changing the filters at the optimum time ensures the dust collector does not draw more kW than required to maintain air flows.

Air Intake

JMS M-Series dust collectors offer flexible intake options which means they can be used for general ventilation and dust extraction at the source. Single air intakes are best suited for large dust loads whilst dual and multiple air intakes can be used to extract dust from multiple sources simultaneously. Flexible couplings allow the dust collector inlet to connect effectively to ducting on uneven surfaces.

Reverse Pulse Cleaning System

JMS M-Series dust collectors have either a plant air connection or an on-board air compressor and receiver tank which feed the pneumatic system to provide reverse pulse filter cleaning. The pneumatic system’s primary function is to clean out the filters during operation to prevent dust build up on the filters.
Pressure and frequency of pulse cleaning is adjustable and helps reduce the number of filter changes required.

Drop-Out Box

Our patented drop out box takes heavy dust particles and shotcrete fibres out of the air stream and discharges them through the augers and rotary valves before they hit the filters. This exclusive patented design extends filter life and allows the units to handle extreme dust loading.

Sizing a Dust Collector

A combination of airflow, air velocity, pressure, resistance and air-to-cloth ratios determines the appropriate size and ducting configuration. Incorrect sizing can result in high emissions, lowered productivity, reduced filter life and an unsafe working environment.

Airflow.

Generally the larger the space where extraction is required or the greater the number of pic-up points the great the airflow required. Variable Speed Drives (VSD) or Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) can be used to adjust the airflow when there are fluctuating site conditions. This can help to reduce power consumption.

Air Velocity.

For dust to travel suspended in air it must travel at or above the minimum conveying velocity for that product. There are also risks such as explosion, toxicity and abrasion associated with certain dust types to be considered.

Air-to-Cloth Ratio.

For dust collectors to capture dust from the airstream, they must have a sufficient number of filters. Maintaining an adequate air-to-cloth ration enables the dust collector to operate at peak efficiency. Dust types and the amount of dust per cubic meter are all determining factors.

Pressure and Resistance.

The fan used in the dust collector must supply enough suction to overcome duct and fixed pressure losses from the collection points through the dust collector and filters before exhausting clean air out of the system.