CASE STUDY: Everyone Loves Pasta, But Food Production Comes with Risks - Air Dynamics' ACGIH Organic Dust Collector Cleared the Air and Ensured Safety!

CUSTOMER OVERVIEW

The customer is one of the world’s leading consumer goods manufacturers located in Harrisburg, PA. They are known for iconic brands such as Dove, Lipton, Ben & Jerry’s, and TRESemmé.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The customer needed to address organic dust collection and control at their food production facility to enhance safety and efficiency for their pasta production operations. Air Dynamics Industrial Systems Corporation was chosen to design a comprehensive solution and install an advanced dust collection system to address their specific challenges related to airborne organic dust.

How can making spaghetti be risky?

Besides worrying about the waistline with too much of a good thing - PASTA - making food with flour, such as pasta, can be surprisingly risky in industrial production due to the presence of combustible organic dust. When flour is processed, it can become airborne and settle on equipment, floors, and other surfaces, creating a hazardous environment. Flour dust is highly combustible, and when mixed with air in the right conditions, it can form a dust cloud that may ignite, leading to potential explosions or fires. This poses significant health risks to employees and can damage equipment and products. In industrial settings, especially in food production, managing this dust through effective collection systems is essential to maintaining both safety and product quality, ensuring the process is both efficient and compliant with safety regulations.

Key components to this solution included: Enhanced safety for employees, equipment, and the facility; Regulatory compliance to meet NFPA, OSHA, ACGIH, and other required safety standards; Operational efficiency with improved dust collection performance through system optimization; Training & support.

The Challenge

The customer's Harrisburg facility was facing significant health and safety risks due to the presence of combustible organic dust, particularly flour, generated during the pasta production process. The dust posed a threat to employee well-being and compromised product quality.

The facility’s existing high-volume, low-pressure dust collection system was inadequate, leaving dust on and around production equipment. Given the combustibility of flour, which has a KST value of 139 bar m/sec and Pmax value of 9 bar for marigold flour, the risks were further amplified. The customer needed to upgrade the dust collection system to ensure compliance with stringent safety regulations while improving overall air quality and productivity.

Key challenges included:

• Combustible dust: Flour and other organic materials were classified as hazardous, requiring careful management to prevent explosions or contamination.

• System performance: The customer's existing dust collection system, including cyclones and filter bags, required inspection and optimization.

• Regulatory compliance: The project needed to meet numerous safety standards such as NFPA, OSHA, ACGIH, and FDA guidelines.

The Solution

To address these challenges, Air Dynamics worked closely with the customer’s plant safety director and engineers to deliver a customized, turnkey dust collection system upgrade. The solution included detailed specifications, engineering designs, and installation, ensuring full compliance with industry standards and regulatory guidelines.

Key Features of the Dust Collection System

• Custom Engineering & Design: Air Dynamics designed the system using Autodesk Inventor 3D for precise planning, including scaled layouts for ductwork, hoods, and other mechanical components.

• Compliance & Safety: The system was designed to meet NFPA 654, NFPA 68, NFPA 69, OSHA ACGIH standards, and more. All materials used were free from hazardous substances like asbestos and mercury.

• Optimized Dust Collection: The upgraded system included high-efficiency fans, new filter bags, and stainless steel ductwork to support the collection of dust from multiple points across the facility, including pre-shakers, dryers, and sizers.

• Source Capture Hoods: Easy-to-remove hoods for regular sanitation, along with necessary NFPA-required safety equipment to prevent deflagrations.

• Training & Support: Air Dynamics provided comprehensive training for the company's staff, covering system operation, maintenance procedures, and troubleshooting.

Installation & Execution

Air Dynamics conducted a full inspection of the existing system, optimized airflow to all collection points, and ensured all mechanical components were performing as designed. The installation involved integrating a new industrial fan, stainless steel ducting, and improved airflow management to address airborne dust issues effectively.

Collection Points Covered

• Line 2: Pre-shaker and sizer entry/exit

• Line 3: Preliminary and final dryer cyclones, sizer

• Line 4: Prelim and final dryer cyclones, sizer

• Line 5: Final dryer discharge and cooling unit, sizer

• Line 6: Prelim and final dryer cyclones, final dryer discharge, cooling unit, sizer

• Line 7: Entry/exit of pre-shaker and sizer, dump station

The upgrade was designed with autonomy in mind, ensuring that the system could be maintained easily by the customer's team.

Results & Conclusion

Air Dynamics successfully provided a complete design scope for the entire dust collection system, including ACGIH hood design, duct transport velocities, fan sizing, electrical panel up grades, combustible dust vent design, and duct sizing. This state-of-the-art organic dust collection system greatly improved air quality, employee safety, and product integrity at the customer's food processing facility. The upgraded system effectively reduced airborne dust, minimizing health risks and meeting all required regulatory standards.

By providing a comprehensive solution that included engineering, installation, and training, Air Dynamics enabled the customer to enhance its operational efficiency and ensure a safe working environment for employees. The system now provides reliable dust collection, ensuring that the customer's pasta production meets both safety and quality standards.

Key Benefits

• Enhanced safety: Reduced health risks associated with combustible organic dust.

• Regulatory compliance: The system meets NFPA, OSHA, ACGIH, and other required safety standards.

• Operational efficiency: Improved dust collection performance through system optimization.

• Training & Support: Customer's team was equipped with the knowledge to maintain the upgraded system.

Founded in 1991, Air Dynamics Industrial Systems Corporation is a leading provider of turn-key industrial vacuum cleaning systems, portable industrial vacuums, and pollution control systems, specializing in custom solutions for industrial ventilation and dust collection needs.

This case study highlights how Air Dynamics’ expertise and tailored solutions can help major manufacturers address complex dust collection challenges while maintaining safety and compliance.

Phone: (717) 854-4050

Email: mysolution@airdynamics.net 

Website: https://airdynamics.net