Leading Brick Manufacturer Dust Extraction System

Case Study

Project info

Sectors: Dust Control
Industry: Industries

Project Overview

A leading company in the brick production industry approached the integratedAIR team to design an LEV (Local Exhaust Ventilation) system to remove potentially harmful dust from the surface of the bricks on both the Automatic Setting Machine (ASM) and the De-Hacker, prior to final palletising, wrapping and distribution of the finished product.

Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust

Brick production areas can be particularly hazardous environments to work in due to the presence of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) dust produced when processing raw materials such as clay.

RCS dust is not visible to the naked eye, and both long or short-term exposure can have devastating impacts; not only is it a known human carcinogen, it can also cause Silicosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and a range of other respiratory health issues with intensive, prolonged, or regular exposure.

Automatic Setting Machine & De-Hacker

Our client has a typical brick manufacturing facility where raw clay is loaded into the Clay Preparation Area to be milled and screened ready for the next process.

After forming, moulding and extrusion, a surface finish and colour coating is added before the bricks are cut into the desired shape ready for further processing. The bricks are ready for the kiln where they are dried, fired and finally cooled.

It is during this process that a layer of dust particles settles on the surface of the bricks containing the potentially harmful RCS dust. As the bricks leave the kiln, they pass through a series of mechanical handling equipment where the layer of dust can be disturbed and become airborne, creating potentially harmful exposure to the workforce in production areas.

Extraction from the source

The company identified two main areas of concern and invited the integratedAIR Team to design an extraction system to remove this potentially harmful dust from these areas. Specially designed hoods were manufactured and installed in strategic places to collect this dust from the source of generation at both the Automatic Setting Machine and De-Hacker.

Modern processing and manufacturing

In both LEV systems, BlueClean® VC PRO self-cleaning pulse jet cartridge filter units were selected to handle this type of process dust. These units are designed to meet the high standards required in modern processing and manufacturing industries, with high-efficiency cleaning, toolless filter cartridge change, and ease of maintenance.

A successful solution

Our team has worked closely with this client over a number of recent projects to provide multiple tailor-made dust control solutions, reinforcing our client's commitment to protect the health and safety of their workers.

Our BlueClean® VC PRO filter unit was ideally suited to this application; our team utilises decades of combined experience to design and supply filter units suitable for a range of applications.

Contact the Sales Team if you are looking for a stand-alone filter unit or a complete turnkey LEV system for any dust or fume extraction requirement.

“Both the client and the integratedAIR Team have worked exceptionally well together over a number months to achieve this successful solution. Our design engineers have created a significant improvement, enabling our client to set a high standard for other employers in this industry to continually improve their processes and actively invest in the health and wellbeing of their employees.”

Filtration Product Sales Manager, David Clarkson