Can Dusty Products Become Dangerous If Filled Incorrectly?
When you’re selling powder products, dust has the potential to become a costly and dangerous workplace issue. Your workers could develop health issues from repeated inhalation of it and in time it can lead to product wastage.
Owing to the EU’s ATEX (equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres) regulations, the combustive qualities of dust can constitute an explosion risk. It’s why you should be aware of ATEX regulations and zoning guidelines. This will ensure your equipment and protective systems have passed conformity assessment procedures and third party certification.
Even if you adhere to these regulations, you might find that your FIBC (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container) Big Bag filling machine releases dust. Thankfully, dust-free filling is possible with the right system in place. Here’s what you need to know.
How Do Big Bag Filling Machines Fill Bags Without Emitting Dust?
The prevention of dust emission during the bag filling process is achieved via controlled aspiration of internal feed pipe. The ‘dust vapour’ is removed from inside filling spout before the full bag is released from the bag filling station. Accelerated aspiration with variations in air flow velocity can provide different levels of suction during the bag weigh-fill-clean process.
Most FIBC filling machines can fill a wide range of products with relatively few limitations. This doesn’t mean that they might not need an adjustment to work with powder products. Machines working with powders might need additional support before, during and after filling. The more bag sizes are being filled, the more prevalent the potential dust issue becomes as each bag will have different inlet and outlet components.
As you fill each bag, you’ll need to account for any dust-filled air it displaces. This can be removed via a dust vent and collection system that vacuums the displaced air via an annular gap in the bag. Once the bag is filled via its inlet spout, the spout itself must be contained and kept under negative pressure. This will keep dust from dissipating when the filled bag is being removed and an empty one is being attached.
Designing Your Bulk Bag Filling Equipment
As you can see, it is now possible to fill big bags of powdered products without emitting dust — and at the same time, save time and money while ensuring your workplace remains safe. To do this, you might need to upgrade or replace your Big Bag filling machine.
If you need guidance in finding the right machine that will both meet your needs and eliminate dust in your environment, Webster Griffin can assist you in finding a solution. Contact our team today to get started.
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