Extraction and Filtration in Industry
Ingeniería industrial
✅ Highlights on Industrial Extraction and Filtration Systems
- Importance for occupational health: Industrial extraction systems remove contaminants such as dust, gases, and particles, protecting workers' health and maintaining a safe and clean environment.
- Types of systems: Extraction systems include centralized, bag, and cartridge types. Each has its advantages and specific applications depending on the contaminants and needs of the industrial plant.
- Operational benefits: Installing extraction systems improves operational efficiency, prevents costly shutdowns due to dust accumulation, and ensures compliance with environmental regulations.
- Production efficiency: Keeping work environments clean ensures optimal operation, prevents interruptions, and improves the quality of the final product, which directly contributes to customer satisfaction.
- Regulatory compliance: In addition to operational benefits, filtration and extraction systems help comply with environmental and health regulations, reducing emissions and improving plant performance.
Industrial extraction and filtration play a crucial role in production environments by removing dust, gases, and contaminants from the air, preserving workers' health and preventing environmental pollution. In this article, we delve into what industrial extraction involves, when it is necessary to install a system, its benefits, and we explore the types of filtration we offer at UCERSA: centralized, bag, and cartridge systems.
What is Industrial Extraction and Filtration?
Industrial extraction is defined as systems designed to remove dust, gases, and contaminants in industrial environments. This ensures workers' health and prevents environmental pollution, guaranteeing a safe and sustainable work environment. Currently, there are several types of industrial extraction, including centralized, point, and portable systems.
Industrial Extraction Systems
Although they are commonly related concepts within the industrial sector, extraction and filtration systems can be analyzed as part of the same system. The industrial extraction system emphasizes the part of the system responsible for extracting particles from selected emission sources using hoods, pipes, and extraction units. Here, the required power, airflow, and distance are determined to efficiently evacuate any suspended particle according to its density and state.
Industrial Filtration Systems
Industrial filtration systems are the part dedicated to waste management according to the air management chosen for the system. There are structures that cannot vent air outside, so it returns to the building interior. On the other hand, there are also systems that vent air outside, allowing fresh air to enter. Here, the filtration system is essential for workers' health or for ecological reasons. In both cases, the use of filtration elements is necessary, most commonly bags and cartridges, which we will discuss further below.
"The filtration function is fulfilled in the filtration module and in filtration stages installed at key points in the distribution. It consists of treating the air with suitable filters to remove dust, impurities, and suspended particles. The required degree of filtration will depend on the type of conditioning installation to be carried out. For air cleaning, filters are normally used of the mechanical type, made of porous substances through which the air is forced to pass and in which it leaves the particles it carries in suspension."
Source: Wikipedia - Air Conditioning
Types of Industrial Extraction
Industrial extraction is deployed in various forms, adapting to the specific needs of each work environment. Here we present three fundamental types: the centralized system, bag filters, and cartridge filters.
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Centralized Extraction: This system connects to several extraction points in the factory or plant, allowing the transport or removal of material through a network of fixed pipes.
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Extraction with bag filters: Bag-type filters are the ideal choice when dealing with fluids with significant concentrations of contaminants.
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Systems with cartridge filters: Cartridge filters are ideal for dry and fine dust, offering a greater filtration surface in proportion to their size.
Applications of Industrial Extraction
Industrial extraction finds applications in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, food, energy, and others. It not only improves air quality but also prevents contamination in different sensitive processes, ensuring workers' health.
When to Install an Extraction System
The installation of extraction systems is crucial in processes such as dry machining, chemical, pharmaceutical, plastics, grinding, sandblasting, silo emptying, marble cutting, or plasma cutting. At UCERSA, we specialize in a wide variety of industrial sectors, but our origin is linked to the demanding ceramics industry.
Benefits of Industrial Extraction and Filtration
The incorporation of industrial extraction and filtration systems brings a series of significant benefits that directly impact workers' health and production efficiency. Below, we highlight the key advantages:
- Safeguarding Occupational Health
Industrial extraction protects workers' health by removing air contaminants, reducing respiratory and dermatological problems associated with exposure.
- Prevention of Costly Downtime
Prevents the accumulation of dust and particles in machinery, preventing premature wear and unscheduled shutdowns that could be costly.
- Environmental Compliance
Contributes to compliance with environmental regulations by reducing pollutant emissions to air, water, or soil, preserving the natural environment.
- Increased Production Efficiency
Keeping environments clean ensures optimal machine operation, avoiding interruptions and contributing to production efficiency.
- Improvement of Final Product Quality
Industrial extraction guarantees the purity of production processes, directly impacting the quality of the final product and customer satisfaction.
Centralized Extraction
The industrial centralized extraction system allows material to be transported or removed from one area to another through a network of fixed pipes. This system has an extraction unit, a filtration unit, and a collection unit, adapting to different working conditions.
The industrial centralized extraction system is an advanced solution designed to capture, transport, and remove contaminants from various work points to a single filtration unit. This type of system is especially suitable for facilities that require efficient management of industrial dust, shavings, fumes, or process waste in multiple areas of the plant.
A typical system consists of three main modules:
- Extraction unit, equipped with high-performance industrial fans (usually centrifugal or direct drive).
- Filtration unit, where bag filters or cartridge filters are used, depending on the type and concentration of particles.
- Collection unit, with tanks, hoppers, or automated discharge systems that allow the management of captured waste.
Among its main advantages:
- Reduction of suspended dust throughout the facility, improving indoor air quality and safety.
- Unification of the extraction system in a single installation, making maintenance easier.
- Scalable and flexible design, allowing new capture points to be added without redesigning the entire system.
- Compatibility with automatic cleaning systems and remote monitoring to optimize performance.
In addition, this type of system allows for spot or continuous extraction and can be integrated with process machinery to capture the contaminant right at the emission point. It is widely used in sectors such as ceramics, wood, food, chemical, or pharmaceutical, where the demands for cleanliness, environmental control, or safety are high.
At Ucersa, we design industrial centralized extraction systems adapted to each process, optimizing the required airflow, pipe routes, and the overall energy efficiency, complying with ATEX regulations when necessary.
Filters for Industrial Extraction
Industrial extraction filters are the key component of extraction and filtration systems. These devices are responsible for collecting particles and, as their name suggests, filtering the air that will be returned to the workspace or expelled outside.
Industrial extraction filters are essential components within any air extraction and treatment system. Their main function is to retain contaminant particles such as dust, fumes, fibers, or mists, preventing them from being released into the work environment or the environment.
These filters are designed to work with different types of contaminants, airflows, and operating conditions. Depending on the nature of the process, the volume of particles, and the type of substance to be treated, the most suitable filter type is selected to ensure optimal industrial filtration efficiency.
Bag Filtration
Bag filtration systems are ideal for fluids with high concentrations of contaminants. Divided into fabric bags and pleated bags, they provide continuous cleaning in various applications. Our bag filters are designed to filter all types of pollution, using high-efficiency filter bags.
Cartridge Filter
Cartridge filters are recommended for dry and fine dust, equipped with suitable filter materials for different applications. They are cleaned by compressed air pulses, maintaining efficiency and avoiding loss of airflow. They are ideal in applications that require high quality and safety.
Ucersa, Industrial Extraction and Filtration Projects
At UCERSA, we design, produce, and install customized extraction and filtration systems for each client and industry throughout Spain, from Madrid to the Mediterranean arc, including the north and south of the peninsula. Our equipment guarantees the best results in the removal of contaminants, even those that are harmful or explosive. Contact us for more information about our solutions and to improve air quality in your company.