The Importance of Dust Control

Sweeping up debris and dirt in your facility is an inherently dusty chore. In fact, the sweeping compound industry has made a great deal of money creating a product that will reduce it, but in the case of sweeping compound, you are literally throwing your money away. There are products that do a better job and can save you time and money.

Sweeping with no dust suppression will cause the dust and dirt to be liberated from the floor and allowed to re-deposit on your equipment, your products, and the floors all over again. The chopping action of a broom or the movement of a dust mop allows the light debris to become airborne. This light debris creates a hazard for your employees in the form of reduced air quality and the possibility of respiratory issues.

The removal of dust, dirt and debris will allow for longer equipment life, better air quality for your employees, better product appearance and better overall work environment. Advance’s DustClear is a five stage process to eliminate dust that is liberated while sweeping. The combination of these five stages allows for the best dust reduction in the industry at a very affordable investment.

DustClear Stages of Dust Suppression

Stage 1: DustGuard

In the past, there has been very little that you could do to reduce the amount of dust that is created by side brooms. Side brooms are typically the biggest contributors to airborne dust while sweeping with a mechanical sweeper. Some manufacturers have tried to add a rubberized shroud around the side broom and utilize the main broom vacuum chamber to reduce dust at the side broom. This option failed because it did not allow for the side brooms to move larger debris. This debris could not enter the sweep chamber and was pushed along the front of the machine. It also degraded the main broom vacuum power reducing the effectiveness of the entire dust suppression system.

DustGuard is Advance’s answer to side broom dust control and it is the introduction of a fine fog at the side broom assembly. Advance’s patented system produces a fog that bonds with airborne dust particles so that they immediately fall to the ground and are swept into the debris hopper.

The surface is left dry to the touch and ready for immediate use. Since the amount of moisture used is so small, the debris and the inside of the hopper are left dry. This feature eliminates the majority of the dust that is created by the side brooms and it can be used inside or outside of the facility.

Stage 2: Vacuumized Main Broom Chamber

This stage is common on most sweepers in the market, but Advance has gone to great lengths to allow for easy adjustment/replacement of skirting and protection for the vacuum impeller or motor. This system produces a vacuum at the main broom that keeps dust from escaping the chamber.

Stage 3: Airflow Labyrinth

As dust is pulled into the hopper system in most competitive equipment, it is directed into the dust filter so that dust can be captured. Advance uses a baffling system to change the speed of the airflow so that as dust is introduced into the main hopper chamber, heavier particles will settle with the other debris. Air accelerates and decelerates in an additional cycle prior to reaching the dust filter so more dust settles out. Airflow makes three abrupt directional changes so that 90% of the dust is removed from the airstream before it reaches the dust filter, improving dust control and extending filter life.

Stage 4: Nanofiber Technology Dust Filter

Fine particles that are not diverted by the Airflow Labyrinth are captured and filtered by a nanofiber filter material. Only clean air is re-introduced into the atmosphere. This Ultra-Web filter efficiently filters 98% of particles the size of 0.3 – 1.0 micron, which is approaching the H.E.P.A. filtration standards and it currently meets the MERV 13 specifications. The filter material utilizes a unique multi-layer system that traps dust on the surface of the filter for better clean-back, longer filter life and lower maintenance costs.

This filter can be washed and replaced. The removal and replacement of the filter media can be accomplished in under 2 minutes.

Stage 5 - Airflow Restoration System

Advance utilizes an offset weight mounted on a motor to vibrate the filter material and re-introduce the dust into the hopper assembly. This motor is set to rotate at a varying frequency so that more dust can be removed than would be at a constant speed. Most machines engage this feature automatically when the machine is taken out of sweep mode so that the operator does not have to remember to clear the filter material. This function can also be engaged while dumping the hopper to assist in removing all debris and dust from the hopper chamber.