Six double module filter installed at BBS Ltd in January this year.
Specialist timbers require specialist filtration
BBS timbers from Whangarei – New Zealands biggest processor of hardwood, upgra NZ market leaders supplying quality hardwood timber products, BBS Timbers Ltd is a NZ family owned & operated business. As a specialist supplier of quality timbers from responsibly managed forests, the company has full control over the importing of the timbers they sell. An extensive range of over 40 timber species including NZ natives such as Rimu, Tawa, Kauri & Matai, and exotic favourites, Oak, Maple, Walnut, Cherry, Jarrah, Selinga, Purpleheart, Iroko, Ash & French Oak, are all processed at the large Whangarei site making the company a key supplier for solid wooden flooring, decking and cladding. However, the scale of the business operation, and the fact that 99% of the wood processed is hardwood, means a very specific dust solution
control is required. Typically, hardwood is twice as heavy as pine and is very fine and is more of a concern in regard to staff dust exposure. Two new high-speed planers from Europe to cope with increased sales resulted in a new extraction system being required. Brian Donaldson from Whangarei’s Gasworks and Plumbing Ltd has been servicing BBS Ltd’s site for decades, the company employing a team of experienced gasfitters, plumbers, solar installers, and sheet metal fabricators. However, as a completely new filtration system was needed, he contacted Geoff Ebdon from NZ DUCT+FLEX to specify a system that would cope with the dust type and volume. A large capacity filter with 6 Double Modules and an inlet module to help slow the velocity
JOINERS Magazine March 2020 page 66
of the incoming dust was chosen. To remove the dust, a scraper chain system was fitted to drag the dust to the outlet where a 1 metre long rotary valve exit drops dust into the transport duct to the silo/ containers. The filter modules are fitted with Regeneration fans. These fans situated at the top of each chamber, clean the filter bags or socks by blowing clean air in a reverse direction, one chamber at a time, through the socks to help remove collected dust from the sock material, so they carry on working efficiently. This is quite a gentle way of cleaning the filter socks and results in long sock life. The Rotary Valve and Filter and transport fan were all manufactured by Danish based JKF Industri, leaders in dust filtration in Europe with over 60 years design and engineering experience, particularly with the
slower growing denser European timbers. To ensure minimum disruption to BBS Ltd, a container with everything required for the filter was delivered direct to site from the factory – (minimising NZ freight charges), after Christmas ready for the install team to start work. The team arrived 6th January, built the filter by the Thursday and the old undersized unit was craned out and the new put in place before the team left that Friday. Gasworks and Plumbing then connected up the LIPLOCK® ducting system inside. No production time was lost. As all the components i.e. the fan, filter, filter bags and ducting all come from JKF Industri, compatibility and performance of the whole system is assured. “The secret to long lasting dust removal, with minimal