Dust problem? No problem.

Recently, WEIMA America has seen an uptick in requests from the North American market for briquette presses. While each application is unique, the challenges of each operation are generally similar. That is true for the following two recent briquette press installations. Their main problem? Dust.

Dust is a dangerous part of any paper operation, one that is tightly monitored by agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ.) The dust is a flammable substance, and a natural byproduct that is produced when paper is cut. Even the smallest spark could combust if dust is not properly controlled. Not to mention — it’s messy.

Small Machine, Big Solution

Kernic Systems recently placed in a WEIMA C-150 briquette press in a customer’s operation to control dust that is created from the shredding of paper and other documents. This information management company shreds approximately ten tons per hour of paper, and now they can do it in a safer, cleaner way.

The briquette press was integrated directly into the paper dust collection system. “The strategic placement of the briquette press allows the dust recovery system to be fully automated, eliminating the need for conventional manual labor-intensive drum collection,” said John Jurk, Vice President of Kernic Systems. Jurk states that their client is now processing approximately fifty pounds of paper dust each hour, two shifts a day.

Efficiency and the Environment

Classic Graphics — a printer located in Charlotte, North Carolina– also recently installed a briquette press into their production line. The company added a larger shredding system to shred all paper waste that is created within their walls, including waste paper, books, pamphlets, and C1S paper signage. This material is shredded and fed into a baler. The dust created during the shredding process is extracted by the air system and pneumatically conveyed to the briquette press, which is located behind their facility.

Before the briquette press was installed, the dust discharged into a dust cart with a curtain wrap. This cart had to be emptied several times each week manually, which was both messy and time-consuming. After the cart was swapped out, the crew would have to clean up all dust and debris that landed around the machine. This wasn’t sustainable or efficient.

Now that the dust collector feeds directly into the briquette press, the mess is contained and the environment around the facility is preserved. The labor hours it took to clean around the building are no longer required behind the building so the manpower can be used to do more pertinent, profitable tasks.

Tom Hicks, Systems Integrator with Balers and Stuff, Inc., worked closely with Classic Graphics to plan and finalize the addition of both the WEIMA shredder and the briquette press into the busy printing operation.

“I was proud to partner with the Classic Graphics and WEIMA teams to integrate a shredder and briquetting press with the existing air conveying and baling system,” he stated. “The overall process provides for efficient and cost-effective handling of the recyclable paper waste stream.”

Classic Graphics also takes the safety of its employees seriously. The air quality in the plant around the baler and shredder area has greatly improved now that the dust is evacuated from the warehouse area of the facility in an effective way.

The shredder runs only during first shift, but the baler and briquette press run simultaneously throughout all three shifts, six days each week. Once the briquettes are produces from the dust, they are discharged into a gaylord, which is then placed on a truck for recycling.The Technical Services Manager, Bob LeVan, has expressed his relief at having a briquette press on site.

“I’m very pleased to date with the briquette press,” LeVan wrote. “It took a while for the recycling crew to get this purchase approved and we certainly feel we made the right decision to have it done!”

It doesn’t get much better than that!