New VAC-U-MAX 1040 Combustible Dust Central Vacuum System Package Meets Revised NFPA 654 Standard for Use Indoors

September 11, 2013 - When the revision of NFPA 654, "Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids," released, manufacturers faced tighter housekeeping provisions. In response, VAC-U-MAX, the premier manufacturer of industrial vacuum cleaning systems for production lines and other dust-intensive areas, developed the 1040 Combustible Dust Central Vacuum system package for Class II environments. The new self contained package is configured for indoor use in accordance with the new standard, can fit almost anywhere with its small 4' x 4' footprint and accommodating 6 foot height, needs no special foundation; and, the powerful unit allows 1, 2 or 3 users simultaneous use of the system within a 250-300 ft radius. The small unit is 50 percent more powerful than conventional industrial central vacuum systems enabling users to finish housekeeping duties faster.

"We talked to a lot companies after the regulation published and some were looking at high expenses of moving their central vacuum cleaning systems outdoors or retrofitting them with explosion suppression equipment," says, David Kennedy, GM of VAC-U-MAX's vacuum cleaning division. Putting equipment outside of buildings can be expensive. First systems need weatherproofing, whether it is in California or Florida; and, many states have air permit regulations that can further increase equipment costs when process machinery is located outdoors. Retrofitting equipment with explosion suppression equipment can be complicated, requires downtime to configure, and often carries high costs.

"Our main goal was to create an economical combustible dust central vacuum system for indoor use, and one that could be implemented right out of the box," says Kennedy. The most notable benefit of the package is the collection side of the unit that is less than 8 cu ft fulfilling NFPA 654 7.2.3.2.2 which states, "The explosion protection requirements of 7.1.42 shall not be required provided that the volume of the fixed bulk storage container is less than 8 ft3 (0.2 m3)."

The electric combustible dust central vacuum system, available in 10 hp or 15 hp models, has a PD pump as a power source which provides 50 percent more vacuum than a conventional central vac supplying more vacuum for longer distances or heavier materials. Automatic pulse filter cleaning for handling really fine powders eliminates the need for operators to manually clean the filters, increasing uptime. While most industrial central vacuum systems have conical bottoms and discharge vales, the 1040 Combustible Dust Central Vacuum system has no discharge valve guaranteeing that even sticky and non free-flowing materials collect in the drum effortlessly.

VAC-U-MAX also has a 1040 Central Vacuum Cleaning System for Class I areas with the same small footprint for indoor use. To learn more about the new 1040 Combustible Dust Central Vacuum system package, central vacuum systems for Class I areas, or how VAC-U-MAX industrial vacuum cleaner systems can improve efficiency, ergonomics, or reduce costs, write to them at 69 William Street, Belleville, NJ 07109; call 1-800-VAC-U-MAX (800) 822-8629 or (973) 759-4600; e-mail info@vac-u-max.com; or visit their website www.vac-u-max.com.