The Benefits of Non-Vented Clean Room Dust Collector Systems
Today’s controlled manufacturing environments can benefit from non-vented clean room dust collector systems in a number of ways.
In contrast to vented clean room dust collector setups, non-vented clean room dust collectors can be engineered for flexible, modular configurations that:
- Support lean manufacturing
- Reduce downtime
- Save on HVAC expenses
To understand these benefits, one first has to understand the fundamental differences between a vented/fixed approach to creating a clean room environment vs. a non-vented/modular approach.
Vented dust collectors typically use traditional fixed setups to isolate dust and remove it from a facility via ductwork that routes to the outside, where it is collected in containers for proper disposal. This requires permitting, construction, and ongoing air-makeup costs and, of course, requires a permanent, immobile installation.
Non-vented modular clean room dust collector systems, on the other hand, use portable air filtration machines to trap dust in a series of internal filters, recirculating climate-controlled clean air back into the clean room workspace. This modular approach does not require venting to the outside (or the associated permitting), nor does it necessitate supplemental ductwork or containment equipment.
Having understood this important distinction, let’s take a look at the three areas where a non-vented modular clean room dust collector system can make a significant difference to a manufacturer’s bottom line.
Lean Manufacturing Support
In lean manufacturing, production is fundamentally organized around the product in order to increase product flow.
One of the areas that can be a major disruption to product flow efficiency is transporting the product across the physical distances between the processes that the product needs to be subjected to during production. Lean manufacturing overcomes this physical challenge to optimized product flow by adapting processes to products, sometimes even going so far as to bring processes to products, rather than vice versa.
By extension, modular industrial dust collector systems support lean manufacturing by making clean room environments adaptable to production needs. Rather than having to organize product flow according to the requirements dictated by a fixed, vented clean room, portable clean rooms provide a flexible solution that can be tailored to fit specific production needs, making clean room environments available where and when they are needed.
Reduced Downtime
As everyone who has installed a traditional fixed, vented clean room in their facility knows, installation can be a somewhat lengthy process that requires downtime for permitting and construction. Non-vented solutions, though, don’t require altering a facility’s fundamental structure, avoiding permitting and construction requirements.
Likewise, when it comes to ongoing operation, fixed clean room dust collector systems can invite significant downtime, particularly during filter changing, which can be a major operation with many steps.
Filters in fixed installations are typically accessed through a ceiling barrier, which makes access inconvenient — and inevitably creates a mess in the clean room environment itself. Following the installation of new filters in a fixed clean room, the room needs to be cleaned, re-balanced, re-tested, and re-certified. Each of these steps takes time — and they quickly add up to significant downtime.
In contrast, modular clean room dust collector systems can be constructed with non-vented air filtration machines that are adjacent to clean rooms and readily accessible. Filter changing does not impact the clean room environment and is as simple as changing a filter on a residential gas heating unit, incurring only as much downtime as it takes to remove the old filters and insert the new ones.
Savings on HVAC Expenses
In addition to fine dust collection — and the general management of particulate inside the designated environment — a clean room by definition requires controlled temperature, humidity, and pressure control.
With a fixed installation, these aspects of a clean room are generally addressed by tapping into the existing high-volume air conditioning (HVAC) system in a facility.
The initial costs of this strategy are relatively low but ongoing operational costs can become quite high because the increased exhaust has to be counterbalance by increased air makeup.
Modern facilities, which are tightly sealed to the exterior environment, don’t admit much air from the outside. This can quickly lead to a depressurized environment, particularly when inside air is being vigorously vented to the outside. The solution is to pull air in from the outside and treat it, which requires a whole other layer of mechanical effort — and energy expenditure — from the HVAC system.
In contrast, a non-vented clean room dust collector system doesn’t vent to the outside — and therefore doesn’t require supplemental air makeup. Instead, the non-vented system filters and recirculates air that is already resident within the facility.
More Information About Non-Vented Clean Room Dust Collector Systems
To learn more about how non-vented modular dust collector systems work — and how they benefit manufacturers who need to meet clean room requirements — download a copy of our FREE white paper, “Why Modular Clean Rooms Work Best for Manufacturers.”
Having originated the patented six-stage DuroPureTM air filtration technology that makes modular, non-vented clean room environments possible for manufacturers, we take clean room production seriously. If you feel you need a more individual evaluation of your needs, please request a free consultation with one of our clean air experts.
