Reducing hazards while screening dusty food powders

Manufacturers are opting for machinery that can meet high product demands without compromising operator safety, in response to increasingly strict regulations. Companies are also trying to reduce the risk of dust and fume inhalation with manual handling solutions and product containment and ventilation equipment.

Raw materials and ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk powder, spices and flavourings supplied in industrial-sized bags can be heavy to repetitively lift and support, and can emit hazardous quantities of dust when unloaded into industrial sieves or hoppers. Russell Finex supplied an operator-friendly bag tipping sieve to a food manufacturer seeking a solution to these hazards.

After consultation, it was determined that the food manufacturer required an industrial sieve for screening food powders, with a bulk bag unloading station and dust containment solution to protect operators. Accordingly, Russell Finex installed the Russell Compact 3in1 Sieve — a bag dump screener with dust extraction, designed to sieve food ingredients through low-level bag emptying.

A manual bag dump station is integrated into the industrial sieve, while dust control curtains are fitted into the dust hood to protect operators and minimise dust inhalation. The PVC strip curtains provide added dust control measures, alongside an optional dust extraction system to protect operators and the surrounding environment.

Russell Finex Sack Tip Station. Image credit: Russell Finex.

Alongside its manual bag-tip station, the Russell Compact 3in1 Sieve provides a magnetic separator to remove ferrous contamination from food ingredients. The stainless steel magnetic grid acts as a further quality-check procedure to control ferrous contamination when check-screening dry powders. The industrial sieve is available in stainless steel, and can be disassembled and cleaned without the need for tools.

Top image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/sonia62