Bakery Dust Collection & Flour Reclaim Systems

With tight margins and ever increasing regulatory challenges, wholesale bakeries seeking to capture Flour and Cornmeal Dust can rely on CSI! Ingredient dust collection provides tangible paybacks in sanitation time and maintenance savings and substantial ingredient cost savings when the dust can be reused. In addition, wheat flour is classified as combustible dust by OSHA. Capturing rogue dust yields health and safety benefits while offering a solid Return on Investment!

To realize these benefits economically and reliably in a food production environment, especially for flour dust, specialized dust collection equipment is a must. It must be efficient, sanitary, and easy to clean and maintain with food grade product and air filtration – most dust collectors don’t and will prove more expensive to operate and potentially expose your bakery to costly product recalls!

CSI offers economical proven solutions for bread, roll, bagel and muffin lines, including complete systems, safety and performance upgrades for existing dust collectors, related aftermarket items such as filters, flour sifters, proofer cups, belting, and peel board cleaning equipment.

Proper performance and trouble free installation are not an accident at CSI. Expect complete satisfaction thanks to our baking industry experience combined with application input from your engineering, production, and sanitation teams, and a philosophy of engineered solutions instead of “one size fits all” hardware. CSI is able to provide superior, cost effective results thanks to 3D design software, lean manufacturing, and quality vendors for commercially available components such as airlocks, blowers, cyclones, and combustible dust safety equipment. When appropriate we can even integrate existing equipment and source from your preferred component vendors!

With many years of serving the industry leaders.
CSI has provided systems for all types of production methods…

Cyclone and Ducting Flour Reclaim System

Dust Collection Systems

When contemplating new or improved production lines, bakers who prioritize dust collection will be rewarded. There are long term energy, sanitation, and maintenance savings to be realized by early consideration of dust control in the layout and equipment selection process!

Flour and ingredient Dust collection Systems work best when comprised of the following:

  • Close fitting collection hoods and hoppers – naturally with welded stainless steel construction, but sized for the specific location, easily adjusted for varietal requirements, and access ports for easy cleaning and accurate air flow adjustments, reducing compressed air demand (blowers available upon request)
  • Engineered Ducting, properly grounded and with a minimum of bends and flexhose – sized to maintain NFPA minimum velocities and deliver adequate suction to each collection point!
  • Cyclonic primary filtration is very advantageous for flour applications – up to 95% of collected flour will be “passively” removed, greatly reducing air/material separation load on fragile filter media. Cost savings are magnified by a proportional reduction in compressed air at the baghouse (next item).
  • Final filtration may be by a variety of means depending on the volume and nature of the dust, and location (in the production area or outside for example) – a pulse jet purge, welded construction, vertical cartridge “baghouse” is typically recommended for multipoint systems. A Rotary Airlock underneath continuously discharges collected dust for reuse or waste
  • Combustible dust considerations – an Explosion Vent or Quench tube  is required to protect the baghouse in the event of a deflagration, while a short “Pred” duct and Isolation Flap Valve prevents a secondary explosion from occurring upstream. There are a variety of suppliers for these items; proper sizing and design of these will significantly reduce the initial and long term costs. (click the appropriate tab for further details)
  • Blower –Only after the duct, layout, and all components are known can the blower be properly specified! For example, if located away from personnel a silencer may not be necessary, reducing the static pressure of the system, horsepower, and possibly even the size of the blower itself. In addition, an engineered duct layout and Inverter driven motor allows use of a direct drive fan – smaller, more efficient, less expensive, less maintenance, and quieter.

Flour Reclaim Systems

Unlike ingredient dust collected at a Bag Dump or Mixer, Flour dust can and typically is “reused”, assuming sanitary collection points, components, and operation! Thus the primary equipment is similar to a proper bakery dust collection system. To automate the reuse of the flour some added components are necessary, but well worthwhile in most cases:

  • Positioning the cyclone over the primary flour duster and adding a Rotary Airlock to the discharge immediately delivers flour back for reuse when appropriate
  • A regenerative blower, airlock, duct, and receiver (such as a cyclone over the zig zag duster) will automatically deliver flour back to one or more use points
  • Economical vacuum loaders can transfer reclaimed or new flour up to 50’, eliminating the spillage and safety /sanitation concerns of operators reaching up and over operating equipment to refill the flour use points
explosion suppression system

Explosion Suppression & Venting

CSI purchases and integrates components that minimize the risk of a deflagration and reduce dust accumulations; the client is ultimately responsible for operational safety and code compliance. A variety of combustion detection and extinguishing devices are available to safely collect dust. The following items are commonly used in bakery applications:

Typically a baghouse will have a blow out panel to allow pressure to safely vent should static electricity or another ignition source initiate combustion. If located in a personnel exclusion zone with no combustible materials, that may be the extent of this component. For example, a layout with the the baghouse adjacent to an exterior wall may save additional hardware and significant expense.

In the event the vent is located indoors, a Quench tube vents the gasses through a mesh assembly to cool them, preventing injury or further damage

Equally important is a means to stop expanding gases from flowing through the collection duct and causing a “secondary explosion” at the dust collection points. Bakers have found that an Isolation Flap Valve, which slams shut due to the shock wave, is best. As with most things, not all are created equal! A variety of materials are available, some have less aerodynamic drag, and most importantly if you plan to reuse the dust, sanitation quality varies

Also, isolation valves require a section of reinforced duct (varying from 5’ to 30’ depending on diameter and layout) between it and the baghouse. As with the valve itself, cost goes up dramatically with the diameter, so a well-designed, efficient, properly sized system will be less expensive here as well!

Typically the above components have electrical relays to estop the equipment (and production line) in the event of a failure or deflagration. Other solutions include chemical suppression in the baghouse and/or duct and require periodic inspections at significant expense. Regardless, it is imperative that the baker maintain documentation as to the system requirements, maintenance, and operator training. In addition to the suppression and safety apparatus, CSI will ensure that the ducting design achieves the OSHA/NFPA mandated velocity to prevent the accumulation of dust inside, and balance the air flow for proper dust collection from all locations. Any alteration to the ducting or collection points may affect this and should be evaluated before proceeding!

4 Pocket Bun Flour Reclaim System

Component Replacements & System Upgrades

Attention to detail is invaluable whether considering upgrades or new production lines to gain substantial savings. Key features and available CSI aftermarket components include the following:

  • Collection hoods must “fit” the locations, be sanitary, sturdy, and have the proper configuration to capture the dust with the minimum possible CFM!
  • Air bars are required to fluidize dust in pan molds and on top of product. For food safety we typically provide a .01 micron coalescing air filter along with solenoid and pressure regulator.
  • Replacing “T’s” and lengthy flex hose with rigid duct, sweep elbows and expanding laterals will improve airflow and help achieve the mandated air velocity in each leg. Flexible hoses (other than short lengths necessary at the hood connection) waste energy, cannot be cleaned, and are not code compliant. Lastly, CSI duct will be properly bonded, grounded, and resistance verified at installation.
  • Adding a cyclone to “pre-filter” the dirty air prior to the baghouse will greatly improve its performance and maintenance requirements.
  • “Bag houses” larger than 8 cubic feet must be replaced or retrofitted with combustible dust protective equipment. For low maintenance and long filter life with less compressed air we utilize vertically mounted bag or cartridge filters with a conservative air/cloth ratio (< 5:1).
Engineered System Design

Engineered Systems Design

While the components are simple, the control logic on dust collection systems is critical! The dust collector must be functioning before the process line starts, and safely interrupt production if the collection system faults for any reason. State of the various combustible dust safety devises must be monitored. For further energy savings the system should stop after production finishes, but only after the shutdown sequence and filter blow down process is completed. And of course the controls must meet local and NEC code requirements as well as corporate specifications.

CSI will coordinate with 3rd party vendors or provide controls meeting these requirements, including PLC preference and UL certified upon request. The customer can choose between numerous options:

  • Operator control via pushbuttons, touch screen, or integrated with makeup equipment
  • Allen Bradley or Automation Direct PLC and Inverters
  • Painted or Stainless steel enclosures
UL Approved Panel

Electrical Controls Engineering

While seemingly simple, electrical controls on dust collection systems are critical! The dust collector must be functioning before the process line starts, and safely interrupt production if the collection system faults for any reason. State of the various combustible dust safety devises must be monitored. For further energy savings the system should stop after production finishes, but only after the shutdown sequence and filter blow down process is completed. And of course the controls must meet local and NEC code requirements as well as corporate design guidelines.

CSI will provide controls meeting all of these requirements, including PLC preference and UL certified upon request. The customer can choose between numerous options:

  • Operator control via pushbuttons, touch screen, or integrated with makeup equipment
  • Allen Bradley or Automation Direct PLC and Inverters
  • Painted or Stainless steel enclosures

Project Planning & Coordination

Our goal is your complete satisfaction while providing the most economical and efficient equipment possible! To accomplish these ideals we must work together on the layout, component selection, installation, and operator training.

Over/Under Sheeting Line Flour Reclaim

Regulatory & Safety Compliance

CSI equipment incorporates decades of bakery knowledge and endeavors to make every system as safe as it is productive!

This includes the following:

  • Isolated and lockable disconnect
  • Layout and component selection considerations
  • Detailed operator manual with safety instructions
  • Bolted and or interlocked machine guarding
  • Graphical safety and ArcFlash warning stickers
Stainless & Flex Duct

System Performance Inspections

Proper performance and trouble free installation are not an accident at CSI. Expect complete satisfaction thanks to our baking industry experience combined with application input from your engineering, production, and sanitation teams, and a philosophy of engineered solutions instead of “one size fits all” hardware. CSI is able to provide superior, cost effective results thanks to 3D design software, lean manufacturing, and quality vendors for key components such as blowers, cyclones, and combustible dust safety equipment. When appropriate we can even integrate your existing equipment and preferred component vendors!

Our Workflow…

Step 1: Production needs are the most critical component to designing a system that meets your needs.  Every product and production requirements are unique and your flour & dust reclaim solution should be as well.

Step 2: Determine available space allowances within the production room including ceiling height, walls, overhead obstructions.  It’s critical that we record all variables  to properly design a system that fits without  conflicting with others systems or building mechanical systems.

Step 3: Design a system in 3D that meets your production needs and fits within the available space for a smooth installation and operation.

What you need to provide…

To engineer a dust collection or flour reclaim system, CSI will need to completely understand your production details.  Starting with what product you produce, the daily volume, or hourly rate for each we will begin to evaluate your needs.  We will need to understand the flour dusting requirements for each product.

The best way to get started would be to provide us with pictures of the production line, a line layout preferably in a CAD format, and a product data chart showing rates, volume, product patterns etc…  This basic information will give us a good starting point to build upon when we conduct a site inspection of your production.

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