System supplements shredder’s built-in water injection system.

Springfield Iron and Metal, Springfield, Mo., has added a DustBoss DB-45 dust control system from Dust Control Technology (DCT), Peoria, Ill., to its shredding operations to curtail shredder dust. According to DCT, the system is designed to maintain production levels while protecting workers and the local environment from nuisance dust.

The dust suppression system was mounted in a rooftop location to enable better aim. The system’s atomized misting unit delivers millions of droplets sized for optimum particle attraction, supplementing the built-in water injection system in the facility’s hammermill shredder, according to DCT. An added feature of the system is the inclusion of a remote control, which facilitates operation from the shredder cab, allowing the company to start, stop and oscillate the machine without physical contact.

Springfield operates an American Pulverizer 80x104, 4,000-horsepower auto shredder that can shed more than 80 tons of material per hour. The shredder features integrated water injectors designed to control dust and to prevent explosion hazards as well as a closed-loop conveyor system to mitigate dust.

“We wanted to incorporate the most effective suppression technology we could find to supplement our existing dust management techniques,” says David Braun, Springfield Iron CFO. “When we had a chance to observe the DustBoss at another Midwest metal recycler, we felt like we’d found the right equipment.”

DCT’s DustBoss DB-45 is a mid-sized unit that has been designed specifically for dust suppression, the company says. Positioned over the shredder to knock down particles at the transfer point, the DB-45 is designed to help control dust without over-saturating the shredded material.

“We experimented with a few different locations until we found the optimum spot,” says Burl Williams, Springfield Iron plant manager. “We now have it located on a rooftop approximately 50 feet off the ground, and about 40 feet from the shredder,” he says.

“The DustBoss has done a good job for us,” Williams continues. “And the remote control is a big advantage in our situation. It allows the shredder operator to manage the unit from his station, so no one has to visit the machine to start, stop or oscillate.” 

The DB-45 features a ducted fan design with 18 brass nozzles, which atomize water droplets for dust capture. “Airborne water droplets and dust particles attract more readily when they’re about the same size,” says Edwin Peterson, president of DCT. “In our standard configuration, we atomize the water to 50-200 microns, which gives us the maximum attraction and avoids a slipstream effect. But we can customize the droplet sizes to suit specific applications.”

Peterson says the DustBoss series is designed from the ground up for dust suppression. “To get the best performance, all of the components have to be designed to work together for optimum flow and distribution, with the right nozzles, spray angle, fan speed and delivery pressure to achieve the droplet size and velocity needed for dust management,” he explains.

The DB-45, featuring a range of 147 feet, is capable of delivering a virtual dust barrier that covers more than 70,000 square feet when equipped with optional 359 oscillation, DCT says. With its 15-horsepower fan, the DB-45 generates 18,000 cubic feet per minute of air flow to maximize droplet distribution and particle capture. The design comes standard with adjustable elevation from 0-50 degrees, according ot the company.

Company responds to customer requests to provide daily prices for heavy melting steel.

The Steel Index (TSI), with offices in London, Singapore, Shanghai and Pittsburgh, has announced that it will increase the publication frequency of its ferrous scrap reference price for Turkish imports of heavy melting steel Nos. 1 and 2 from weekly to daily starting Sept. 1, 2011. According to TSI, Turkish scrap import prices are seen as one of the key indicators not only of scrap pricing but also of steel pricing around the world.

Company plans to have the facility operational by the end of 2011.

National Recycling Inc. (NRI), a scrap metal recycling firm headquartered in Hugo, Minn., is locating its second scrap yard in Cambridge, Minn. The city of Cambridge is selling the company slightly more than 10 acres of land on which to build the new scrap metal facility.

Location will be the company’s fifth in the state.

The auto recycling company Copart Inc., headquartered in Fairfield, Calif., has opened a new auto recycling facility in Ellenwood, Ga., giving the company five facilities in Georgia and 154 locations worldwide.

Facility already had received ISO 9001 and 14001 registration.

The Mendota Heights, Minn., electronics recycling firm MPC, formerly known as Materials Processing Corp., has reported that its Philadelphia location has earned R2 (Responsible Recycling) certification. MPC says only a handful of Philadelphia-area electronics recyclers have achieved the certification.