Dr. Harvey’s Plant Expansion Includes Installation of a Modern Dust Collection System with Explosion Protection
February 2, 2023
A leader in providing premium quality health foods for companion animals for 30 years, Dr. Harvey’s recently moved to a larger facility that enables them to fulfill customer orders. Mixing, blending and packaging the organic ingredients used in the company’s products generated large amounts of dust that present health, liability and maintenance concerns, including the risk of potential fires and explosions, unsafe air for breathing, and a workplace covered in dust that required an excessive amount of cleaning after every shift.
The Opportunity
Dr. Harvey’s contacted Clean Air Company to design and install a dust collection system to capture dust released during manufacturing operations. Specialized hoods were needed to control the plumes of dust created by the dumping of ingredients at the mixing and blending stations and to safeguard the employees from dust particles in the air while at the packaging lines. A dust hazard analysis determined that the dust particles had the potential to be explosive, which required the dust collection system to include fire and explosion protection.
Our Solution
Clean Air Company devised an industrial ventilation system to trap dust particles produced at the mixing and blending locations and on the packaging lines. The resulting system transports 15,000 CFM of air through a 50-horsepower high-pressure blower and is engineered with an air-to-cloth ratio appropriate for the grain loading rate during production. Furthermore, a self-cleaning filter system was integrated to monitor the filter and initiate a cleaning process when needed. All collected dust is sent to a collection hopper for periodic maintenance.
To combat the danger of potential explosions, Clean Air Company installed explosion relief panels on the dust collector and isolation gates on the duct inlets and outlets to protect against any deflagration events. A secondary safety after-filter was set up in the return air duct to ensure that sub-micron particles would not re-enter the plant.
Satisfied Client
Dr. Harvey’s is happy with the results of the project. The dust collection system eliminated the need to clean the plant after each shift, saving a lot of time and overhead expenses. It also improves employee safety and liability surrounding the inhalation of hazardous air. Dr. Harvey’s employee morale has improved and the number of employee sick days has decreased. The energy expense reduction Dr. Harvey’s has seen as a result of the dust collection system returning conditioned air to the building was an additional bonus.
Clean Air Company’s History of Success
For over 45 years, Clean Air Company has been crafting and installing dust collection systems tailored to meet our clients’ specific needs. Our ventilation systems help keep facilities clean, extend the life of manufacturing equipment, minimize downtime, improve product quality, decrease energy usage, and abide by the OSHA threshold values to guarantee the safety of our client’s employees. Our facility in Woodbridge, NJ serves companies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, New York and New York City, including Manhattan, Long Island, Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. We offer an array of vehicle exhaust extraction and dust collection systems for various industries, including pharmaceutical companies, chemical manufacturing plants, cosmetics companies, auto garages, warehousing, military installations, utility companies, heavy equipment and rental services, fire and EMS departments, engineering firms, vocational schools and more.
Custom Dust Collection Systems
Clean Air Company offers service and maintenance contracts tailored to each facility’s needs to extend the life of its dust collection system and ensure it runs smoothly. Our maintenance agreements feature an annual 52-point checkup that keeps the vehicle exhaust extraction system running smoothly and prevents costly and disruptive shutdowns. We have access to a large selection of top brands, enabling us to provide and install replacement parts for an existing vehicle exhaust ventilation or dust collection system.