ALC - Aerodyne

The pharmaceutical industry has unique requirements that normal industrial applications do not have.  Whether it’s the strict FDA rules or the flexibility of batch production, normal industrial practices and equipment don’t always apply.  Even with continuous production becoming more popular, pharmaceutical applications are different than standard industrial applications.

The Vacu-Valve is a low cost alternative to a rotary valve.  There are no motors, pneumatics, or moving parts as it operates by using the system vacuum above to seal the sleeve.  This is typically from a cyclone, baghouse, or cartridge collector.  Since the sleeve is split, gravity will slowly pull the solids down through the sleeve until they exit the sleeve and fall into the collection hopper.  As you can see from the description, not all solids will easily pass through this.  The ideal particulate would be sand.  It’s small, spherical shape and the density allows it to easily pass through the valve.  It doesn’t bridge easily.

How does the OSHA silica rule affect me?

Space is an ever-present factor in the design of a ventilation system. Ductwork takes up space, dust collectors often must be placed outside under NFPA regulations, and said collectors often require a skid. Aerodyne’s GPC cyclone offers a viable alternative to space-hogging equipment in many applications.

Choosing the right dust collection solution requires careful evaluation of the specific application.

OSHA attributes a good amount of illnesses and deaths to exposure to silica dust, having been proven to carcinogenic and a cause of untreatable silicosis, which creates a distinct lesion in the lungs. OSHA also hasn’t updated its laws regarding silica exposure since 1971. As such, OSHA plans to do something about it.

A recent survey of dust collector users, performed by Aerodyne in 2015, found that the majority of all dust collectors in use are over seven years old, with 45% of all units being over 10 years old.. This finding begs the question: why use these purchases for so long? A few reasons spring to mind.

A facility that specializes in grinding down particulate to custom sizes was experiencing a lag in its process. The process uses 5,000 ACFM to pneumatically convey granular plastic powder from the production area to the packaging area. The system needs to move 5,000 lbs of dust per hour. To do this, the company utilizes a series of baghouse collectors.