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From Powder and Bulk Dot Com Air Quality
At Lehigh Cement Company’s flagship plant in Union Bridge, Maryland, the automated cement laboratory is part of a recent modernization aimed at incorporating the latest technology for cement production, quality control, energy conservation, environmental protection, and worker safety. Boasting a capacity of 2.0 million metric tons of clinker per year, the new facility is the largest and most modern in North America, Serving the construction industry in North America for more than 100 years, Lehigh produces cements that are widely used by ready-mix concrete suppliers and for numerous highway, architectural, industrial and marine applications. Owned by Heidelberg Cement of Germany, Lehigh is affiliated with some of the world’s most advanced cement operations and related construction materials activities. A crucial component of the new Lehigh cement lab at Union Bridge was a new European-made central vacuum system, added to evacuate excess sample and clean equipment from various sampling locations. However, when the lab was run under actual plant conditions, the system was unable to keep up with Lehigh’s requirements for uptime. When the system was originally specified, a number of vital factors were not taken into consideration. With as many as four and five stations open simultaneously, different types of materials being tested, and the heavy dust that was a byproduct of constant operation, the vacuum system quickly became overwhelmed. As practically all velocity was lost in the system, test material settled out in the lab’s piping, stations became caked, and cross contamination occurred at various critical points. And, as the system became more and more clogged and contaminated, test results became skewed. In addition to unreliable test measurements and too frequent downtime, the lab also presented serious worker safety and maintenance issues. In an effort to solve these problems and keep the lab up and running to meet the plant’s demands, Jeff Hook, Quality Control Manager at Lehigh Cement, called on Dick Slechter of Gilro Associates, the Maryland VAC-U-MAX representative, for advice. “It was clear that this was a problematic issue,” Mr. Hook explains. “The vacuum system we were using was completely inadequate. Rather than helping us, it was actually a hindrance. With uptime the key to our cement production, the lab needed to keep up with an unrelenting pace without losing any of its precision and accuracy.” Dick Slechter visited Lehigh onsite with a VAC-U-MAX application engineer and performed a thorough audit of the lab’s dedusting system. Using one of VAC-U-MAX’s local demo trucks equipped with a 15 HP portable vacuum unit, they soon determined that the system’s pickup points were poorly designed and suggested a number of modifications that would help. And to increase air flow, they opted for a 20 HP, 700 cubic-feet-per-minute unit and found that it delivered the desired results. In order to save plant floor space and still provide for proper filtration, a heavy duty weather-resistant VAC-U-MAX 2120 receiver was installed outside, using a positive displacement pump that would be more durable under a constant load than the usual regenerative blower. Providing direct dedusting and collection of debris into a 55 gallon drum, the VAC-U-MAX system features a 36” diameter receiver with 230 square feet of filter area (providing a cloth-to-air ratio below 3:1 to minimize stress on the filters), and uses 19 long-lasting PTFE coated filters that filter down to 1 micron, and are relatively inexpensive to replace. The system provides both continuous pulse filter cleaning and off line filter cleaning in order to accommodate its high-dust application; a severe-duty electric motor for continuous low maintenance, long-life operation; and UV-resistant tubing and paint to protect outside parts from the elements. “Installed in January, after a few minor adjustments, the system has been running problem-free ever since,” Mr. Hook reports. “Prior to changing over to the VAC-U-MAX dedusting system, we had frequent system crashes caused by clogging in such central lab locations as the press, mill, receiving station, and x-ray machine. As the hours of lab downtime increased, our production output seriously suffered. “VAC-U-MAX helped us find a solution to these problems and was with us throughout the entire process, making sure that the system was properly installed and that the equipment performed according to its designed purpose. The bottom line? VAC-U-MAX helped us turn our cement lab into a valuable asset, maximizing uptime and efficiency, while at the same time providing for improved environmental conditions. Founded in 1897 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Lehigh Cement still maintains its headquarters there. Lehigh and its related companies have become leading suppliers of cements and construction materials in the United States and Canada. Lehigh employs about 6,000 people in North America and generates sales of more than $2.1 billion (U.S.) annually. The company’s annual production output makes it the fifth largest Portland cement producer in North America. About VAC-U-MAX: VAC-U-MAX is a premier manufacturer of industrial vacuum systems for production lines and other dust-intensive areas, and offers a comprehensive line of rugged industrial vacuum cleaners, ranging from small air and electric powered drum units to large electric diesel powered units in the 75-200 horsepower range. Featuring reliable equipment that’s made in America, the VAC-U-MAX systems are backed by the company’s exclusive “Airtight Performance Guarantee™.” The full range of VAC-U-MAX equipment encompasses air-operated vacuum cleaners, electric drum-top vacuum cleaners, vacuums for scrap trim recovery of tube filling machines, central vacuum cleaning systems, continuous duty electric vacuums, dust-free sanding systems, and tools and accessories. In addition to general industrial use, industry-specific applications for the systems include: ceramics, chemicals, food, metalworking, plastics, and powder coating. The company also designs and manufactures custom pneumatic systems and support equipment for conveying, batching, and weighing materials, and serves major worldwide markets in the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. For more information contact: VAC-U-MAX 37 Rutgers Street Belleville, NJ 07109 Phone: 800-822-8629 Email: info@vac-u-max.com Web site: www.vac-u-max.com © Copyright 1998 - 2008 Powder and Bulk Dot Com |
