Important environmental news during July included an announcement from China: it will cease to be the world’s rubbish dump, and even by the end of this year several waste products will be banned as imports, including waste plastics, metal and other materials. This ‘rubbish’ news is good news for New Zealand’s recycling companies who are investing heavily in new processing methods to help limit the 3.7 million tonnes of waste going to landfill each year.
“Recycling is a growing business, the one thing the world doesn’t seem short of is waste,” comments Geoff Ebdon from NZ Duct + Flex. “We have in the last year installed dust solutions for two major recycling companies and have been able to offer ideal products that not only deal with the dust that comes from recycling processes, but have been able to also include world leading energy consumption features – an important issue if you’re looking for capex support from national or local government.
Denmark based JKF provide a series of DustStorm filters in their range starting with a DS-7 model (which uses seven cartridge filters), up to a DS-44 containing 44 cartridges and capable of filtering up to 50,000m3 of dust and air depending upon dust type. These units are fitted with JKF’s unique PowerPulse® compressed air cleaning system.
Most dust filters pulse continually cleaning the dust filter all day long, whether they need to or not. This is very wasteful.
PowerPulse® senses the differential pressure, as the dust build up, only initiating a cleaning cycle if it detects the filter cartridges actually need cleaning. This saves large amounts of compressed air, between 50 and 75 percent is common.
Not only does PowerPulse® only clean when required, it also controls the ‘force’ of the cleaning pulse by monitoring the filter performance and adjusts automatically the pressure of the compressed air (from between 2 and 5 bar). This saves even more compressed air and greatly reduces wear and tear on the filter cartridges – a big saving in replacement costs.
PowerPulse® cleans five cartridges in a filter of say 44 in total. It then adjusts the cleaning force as a result of measuring the air flow in the filters. This unique system has been shown to save over 90 percent of compressed air compared with other cleaning systems.
“The key goal behind any recycling operation is to maximise resource recovery, so if you can save the worlds resources even further while you operate, why wouldn’t you choose such a product?” comments Geoff Ebdon.
There are other features incorporated in the latest installation NZ Duct+Flex have completed in Christchurch:
JKF’s ‘Big Bag’ Solution
Instead of having to raise the filter on a stand in order to place a bulk bag or bin underneath, the Big Bag Solution lifts the dust from the base of the filter and drops it into a cubic metre bag for easy disposal.
Pressure Sensor to control fan speed
The extraction fan for the system is also controlled by a variable speed drive coupled with pressure sensor in the duct. As the number of extraction outlets opened goes up, the fan increases speed and suction, and slows again as these outlets are closed. The filter needs no intervention: it will adjust to suit the dust load by automatically sensing its dust build-up, giving a continual readout of pressure.
Spark Ex Detection
If a hot or burning item enters the ducting system, Spark Ex detects the heat source and sprays it with water before it can reach the filter unit, sounding an alarm as it does so. It can also be programmed to switch off the main extraction fan ie shut the whole system down for further protection.
The benefit of a JKF filtration system is that the complete installation is controlled by one manufacturer and all the components are designed to operate together. NZ Duct+Flex are the distributor for this leading Danish company who already have hundreds or thousands of similar installations all over Europe and in other world markets. These Danish dust solutions are already well tested to perform.
For more information contact www.nzduct.co.nz or call 0508 69 38 28 for a Sales Manager to discuss your dust and fume issues with you.
