How should dust be managed in a large crushing and screening plant?
In a major aggregates crushing and screening plant in the province of Brescia, dust control is a decisive factor both for running the business and for the quality of the working environment.
The handling of materials and the constant movement of heavy goods vehicles can, in fact, cause dust to be stirred up and dispersed into the surrounding areas, making it necessary to have a dust suppression system capable of operating continuously and in a targeted manner.
For this project, as always, we started by analysing the plant’s actual requirements.
Why is a site inspection essential for choosing the dust suppression cannon?
Before identifying the solution, we carried out a technical site inspection, checking the layout of the area, the distances to be covered and, above all, the points where the most critical issues were concentrated.
The measurements revealed two areas where heavy goods vehicles pass through continuously, where the traffic caused a particularly significant amount of dust to be stirred up, with repercussions for neighbouring areas and working conditions.
The requirement was therefore to provide effective coverage of the transit areas, without resorting to fixed solutions that would be difficult to adapt to the plant’s various operational needs.
Two LC50R units to cover the areas used by heavy goods vehicles
The chosen solution was to install two Conrad LC50R, with a range of up to 50 metres and a coverage area of up to 7,500 m² each.
The decision to use two machines makes it possible to target the two main thoroughfares identified during the site inspection, ensuring focused coverage of the areas where vehicle movement was the main source of dust generation.
Thanks to the wide coverage, large surfaces can be treated with the machines kept in a strategic position, while misting acts directly on the dispersion of particles in the air.
How can dust control be automated?
In a plant of this size, a dust suppression system must also be easy to manage.
For this reason, the two LC50R units have been fitted with a timer for time-based scheduling, which allows the operating cycles to be set according to the plant’s requirements and the times of peak activity.
The machines are also fitted with Industry 4.0 kits and radio remote controls for remote operation. The operator can therefore control the operation of the dust suppression cannons without having to go to each machine in person.
A solution that combines dust suppression, automation and remote management, making the system more seamlessly integrated into the plant’s day-to-day operations.
And inside the plant? An even more precise solution is needed
Whilst the main problem in the outdoor areas was linked to heavy goods vehicles passing through, the situation inside the plant was different.
Here the critical issue was the dust produced directly while crushing the material. That is why, alongside the two LC50R units, we installed a Conrad Phoenix Plus, intended for more targeted work in the production areas.
The Phoenix Plus is particularly well suited to this type of application thanks to its compact size and the fact that it can be carried and positioned manually wherever it is needed.
Why choose a compact machine for the most critical emissions?
In an industrial plant, not all situations require the same type of intervention.
Alongside machines with a long range, which are useful for covering large areas, it can be essential to have a more compact and easily repositionable dust suppression cannon.
The Phoenix Plus does exactly that: it allows for more precise control over critical emissions, adapting to the process requirements and quickly repositioning the machine when the area to be treated changes.
The result is a system comprising several complementary technologies: two LC50R units for dust management in transit areas and one Phoenix Plus unit for more precise control within the plant.
A solution designed not simply to spray water, but to tailor dust control to the various operating conditions at a major crushing and screening plant in the province of Brescia.
