Efficient and quiet extraction of steel grinding dust

(Nov. 2019/OM) - Since January 2017, KS Gleitlager GmbH from St. Leon-Rot has been using a new dry extraction system for the fettling and inspection sections of its steel/aluminum production. The aim was to replace the old wet separators with a high-performance, operator- and maintenance-friendly new system.

A problem familiar to many industrial companies: Halls in which clouds of smoke and steam hang for lack of extraction. Overstrained filter systems that regularly fail in the face of fine dusts or changing emission compositions. But whether dry, moist, oily or sticky - airborne substances must be reliably extracted and filtered.

In the steel/aluminum production facility of KS Gleitlager GmbH, all belts pass through two fettling and inspection lines. There, the steel side of the materials is given its final polish and the quality of the belts is checked. However, the grinding process generates steel grinding dust that has to be extracted.

Previously, two extraction systems with wet separators performed this task. However, due to their age, the two units required a lot of maintenance, the availability of spare parts was critical, and compliance with current and future air and noise limits could no longer be guaranteed. When the two fettling and inspection lines were moved to the west side of the production hall in March 2016, the opportunity was taken and the decision was made to replace the wet separators with a modern dry extraction system.

The replacement of the extraction technology was managed by project manager Holger Herok. "Our goal was to install a powerful, operator- and maintenance-friendly new system," he explains. After a thorough review of various concepts and offers, the project team decided on a dry extraction system from Keller Lufttechnik. The new system has a significantly higher extraction capacity than the old wet separators, as well as numerous safety features and energy-efficient fan technology.

"It is optimally designed for current and future air limits," says Herok. A special exhaust silencer and fan encapsulation have also reduced operating noise to less than 70 decibels. This means that the dry exhaust is 15 to 20 decibels quieter than the old wet separators. Unlike its predecessors, the new system is located outdoors, which means it does not occupy any production space. "Since the dry extraction system works without water, the maintenance and cleaning effort is considerably lower," Herok reports. The dry extraction system has been running in series production since January 2017 and the project manager's conclusion is positive: "The replacement was worthwhile, we are very satisfied with the performance of the new extraction system."

Keller Lufttechnik GmbH + Co. KG
www.keller-lufttechnik.de