IE5 motors in use
Mobile dust extractor saves 22% energy
Nestro is a manufacturer of products and systems for extraction and filter technology. Raceplast, a specialist in engineering plastics, uses an energy-efficient mobile dust extractor with permanently frequency-controlled, quieter IE5 motors.
Founded in 2007, Raceplast is a specialist in engineering plastics with a range of services from the manufacture of individual parts to series production and the assembly of components. In order-related production and the use of very different plastics, the processing methods used include sawing, CNC milling (3- and 5-axis), CNC turning, profiling, drilling and engraving. Thanks to modern machines, the shape, surface and contours, flatness and radii can be produced exactly according to the customer's requirements.
The company has developed rapidly in recent years. At the end of 2022, B&G from Reken was asked to offer a new, more efficient extraction and filter technology with significantly reduced downtimes and less noise emissions for the chips produced during many plastics machining processes. B&G sales representative Frank Heller then contacted Nestro Lufttechnik. The area sales manager responsible for the B&G trading company at Nestro is Jörg Brockmann, who has been working with B&G in the region for over 20 years and has already successfully implemented several projects in the plastics industry.
After an on-site inspection of the machinery, the structural conditions and the residual material disposal concept, B&G and Nestro were able to convince the company of an energy-efficient solution. Two elevated NZ3 cyclone separators are now used at Raceplast to separate the solids (in particular the milling and drilling chips) from the raw gas. The aim is the almost complete separation and discharge of all these solid components, which in standard filter systems repeatedly lead to entanglements at the automatic discharges / agitators or to blockages of rotary valves due to the formation of lumps and braids. This is precisely what had repeatedly led to downtimes at Raceplast in the past.
In the plastics industry, a cyclone pre-separator is therefore a good choice for this application due to its simple design, its price-performance ratio and its operational reliability. The swirling flow in the cyclone creates centrifugal forces that transport solid particles in the air-material flow to the cyclone wall. These particles are slowed down on the wall and move downwards on helical paths (chip strands) to the end of the cone due to gravity, while the raw gas freed from the solids is extracted through the opening at the top of the cyclone. The solids are then separated at the lower end of the cyclone, the cone end, by means of a special eight-cell airlock without pressure at 15 revolutions per minute directly into a container press from our partner Stenau in Ahaus.
Each of the two cyclones used has a raw gas volume of approx. 7,600 m³/h due to its specific size. Due to the chip material to be separated, special designs of the Nestro rotary valve 400 x 400 mm were used, which were designed with smooth surfaces and completely countersunk screw heads.
22% energy costs are saved
A dust extractor of the latest generation with an integrated clean gas fan was installed behind each of the cyclones. "The two NE 350 J units used have a maximum volume flow of 8,954 m³/h and are therefore perfectly suited to the required cyclone design. These dust extractors are the first to be equipped with IE5 reluctance motor and frequency converter packages as standard," says Jörg Brockmann. Raceplast can save up to 22% on energy costs with these devices compared to those with IE3 motors.
According to the manufacturer, the design of the mobile dust extractor type NE J ensures extraction through integrated vacuum technology with 100% dust-free operation and through the constant target/actual value comparison of the vacuum required for extraction at the processing machines. The fan is located behind the filter unit. It is therefore only supplied with clean gas and does not transport any material. The remaining fine dust from plastics processing can be disposed of easily but professionally via mobile dust garbage cans.
In close cooperation with ABB, supplier of high-efficiency reluctance motors, Nestro claims to be the first manufacturer in the world to offer dust extractors with permanently frequency-controlled, quieter IE5 motors as standard. The frequency converter integrated into the housing ensures energy efficiency at every load level. At the same time, Nestro has optimized the entire fan geometry for precisely this type of motor over several development stages. As a result, the new dust extractors achieve the lowest energy consumption per power unit, improve reliability and service life and reduce noise emissions.
Exhaust air sound insulation with baffles is integrated in the clean gas area. This makes the NE J one of the quietest devices on the market, which is why Raceplast did not require any additional sound insulation. Another advantage of the construction design is the generation of a cross-flow underneath the externally loaded filter bags, which prevents the plastic dust from being whirled up out of the three tons. Cleaning is always carried out at the end of operation using compressed air pulses, the so-called JET process. This is known to be fast, thorough and gentle and leads to a longer service life for the filter material.
Control system recognizes ten processing machines
With the new Nestro Logic control of the deduster for automatic fan start-up at startup, up to ten plastic processing machines can be detected via potential-free contacts or pick-up coils and the associated shut-off valves can be controlled. A wired touch panel terminal with integrated emergency stop gives production staff in the building access to device operation and data analysis. The dust extractor can be parameterized and operated very easily via the 7" colour touch panel (switches and indicator lights are no longer required).
Thanks to the IFA-approved category M antistatic filter bags made of polyester needle felt, a return air residual dust content of less than 0.1 mg/m³ is guaranteed - which is cleaner than outside air, according to Nestro. Each of the dust extractors could therefore be installed with a return air duct to the inside, so that almost no heat loss is noticeable in the production area thanks to "recirculated air operation". As an additional convenience, a summer/winter switch for a regulated fresh air supply was built into the return air.
The specialist retail partner is delighted. "We have found an efficient, energy-saving and low-emission solution tailored to the existing machinery, which has been well integrated into Raceplast's disposal concept," says Frank Heller. Süleyman Ceyran, Managing Director of Raceplast, agrees: "Our decision to invest in the latest dust removal technology is in line with our strong commitment to sustainability and ecology. By using the latest, energy-efficient technologies, we are minimizing our ecological footprint and helping to protect the environment. This investment is part of our long-term vision to make a positive contribution for future generations."
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