Atex extraction system for dust from brass processing operations

For an important company located in the province of Reggio Emilia, GGE srl designed and manufactured an extraction and dedusting system for air polluted by brass dust from grinding and polishing processes. The plant is Atex Ex II 3D certified for Zone 22 and it’s realised in compliance with Industry 4.0 standards, including a software for remote management of efficiency parameters.

The dusty air is sucked in by 6 hoods and a 1 meter long suction wall, thanks to the vacuum generated by a DT model centrifugal fan with an air flow rate of 9,000 m³/h.
Around the inlet points a dust containment box was placed, consisting of 50 mm thick polyurethane foam panels on the perimeter and ceiling and PVC bands along the front entrance.

The extracted dusty air is then conveyed into a Power Jet dust collector, where the air passes through 12 antistatic filtering cartridges: the coarser dust falls into the collection bins below, while the finer dust settles on the filtering fabric of the cartridges. Two explosion-proof panels, primary safety devices that ensure less flame, pressure or heat propagation in the event of an explosion, are installed on board the dust collector and a flooding system too, that activates in the event of a dust collector fire.

The system is equipped with a carbon steel explosion isolation valve, designed to prevent the propagation of any explosions in the suction lines, and a Red Cyclone spark trap, which drastically reduces the possibility of sparks reaching the filter unit.

The start-up and shutdown of the extraction system is managed by a control panel with inverter, HMI panel, PLC and software for the transmission of operating data and alarms via Modbus TCP/IP protocol.