Workplace Dust Monitoring in Metallurgical Workshops
Real-time ambient dust trends for better extraction control and workplace conditions
A global metallurgical company
Challenge: unreliable dust-trend information
Solution: continuous measurement, lower maintenance burden
Continuous ambient dust monitoring helps plant operators see changes in workshop dust levels, assess extraction-system performance and respond to abnormal conditions before they become persistent problems.
The challenge
A global metallurgical company operated dozens of workshops at its main European plant. Each workshop used a dust extraction system to remove airborne dust and help protect both employees and equipment.
The plant had been using opacity-based dust monitors, but workshop conditions led to frequent maintenance and regular false positives. Because many monitors were installed in difficult-to-access locations, the maintenance burden increased without providing the reliable dust-trend information the plant needed.
The solution
During a three-month trial, the company installed two Sintrol Dumo ambient dust monitors alongside its existing systems. Auto Setup was used during commissioning, after which two independent alarm relays were set at four and ten times the normal dust level.
A 4–20 mA output provided continuous trend information, enabling operators to identify dust spikes and changes associated with workshop cleaning cycles and ongoing production.
Results
From a two-monitor trial to every workshop at the plant.
During the three-month trial, the Dumo monitors did not require cleaning or adjustment after the initial setup. Following the trial, the plant installed a Dumo in each workshop and began extending the solution to other global sites.
- More reliable visibility into workplace dust trends
- Earlier indication of abnormal dust conditions
- Lower maintenance burden than the previous opacity-based system
- Better information for evaluating extraction and cleaning performance
John Korpi
Area Sales Director
Dust Monitoring Solutions
How it works
DumoPro uses Sintrol’s Inductive Electrification technology to monitor total suspended particles in ambient air. Signal processing and filtration convert the sensor response into a continuous dust trend that can be used for real-time monitoring, alarms and follow-up of changing workshop conditions.
Relevant products
Sintrol
DumoPro Dust Monitor
DumoPro ambient air dust monitor detects dust in industrial environments 24/7. ATEX approved, low maintenance, fast response, and easy Auto Setup for reliable results.
Sintrol
DustCloud
Monitor dust measurements, device status and alerts across multiple locations with DustCloud, Sintrol’s cloud-based industrial dust monitoring service.