SonicAire fans were engineered as a proactive solution to eliminate the dangerous buildup of combustible dust in overhead areas of milling and grain facilities. By creating a barrier of high-velocity airflow, the fans automatically prevent dust accumulation to continuously maintain OSHA compliance and protect worker safety. This represents an evolution from conventional managed cleaning approaches, which only address dust buildup after the fact and present risks to personnel. The SonicAire system offers facilities an engineered solution with a one-time investment that pays for itself through reduced operating costs versus traditional cyclical cleaning methods.

1. E
xplosions from combustible dust
have plagued the milling and grain
industry throughout its history. In
just grain handling alone, OSHA,
the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, reports that over the
last 35 years there have been over 500
explosions across the US, which have
killed more than 180 people and injured
more than 675.
Clearly, the numbers tell the story that something else needs
to be done. But what can solve the problem in the smartest, most
practical way?
Or more importantly, what could prevent the problem from
happening in the first place?
SonicAire®
fans were engineered to accomplish just that. They
are the only proactive solution to eliminate overhead fugitive dust
problems.
It is a system that has changed how we control combustible
dust. These fans can robotically prevent fugitive dust from
accumulating in overhead areas. And they provide a vertical
cleaning radius from 0-140°, with a full 360° rotation.
Their introduction to the milling and grain industry has given
managers a new alternative to consider. Allow me to demonstrate
how they work and you can decide for yourself.
A proactive solution for sustainable cleaning in high
places
Our engineers have designed a full line of these fan systems
to address the specific issues of different types of dust
characteristics.
SonicAire 2 Series Controlled Clean. Powerful Performance.
This fan is a powerhouse with a 2HP (1.5kW) motor that
delivers twice the cleaning area of the original SonicAire fan, so
installations costs are cut in half. The SonicAire 2.0 is designed
to combat problems with heavier fugitive dust generated in a
wide variety of industries, but especially the milling and grain
industry.
It boasts a host of new engineering designs that allow for the
ultimate in safety, convenience and automation of cleaning
overhead structures. Innovation highlights include:
• iDrive - A new drive disc that allows operators to easily plan
exactly where cleaning coverage is desired. Determining
oscillation angles and reach of airflow has never been easier
• Unified electrical enclosure - All electrical components are
housed in one place. This increases frame strength and is easier
to service if necessary. Meets NEMA 12 gasketed enclosure
requirements
• Sickle fan blade – A new configuration for high efficiency.
Sound levels are below 81dBA at 20 feet (3.65m)
• Self-lubricating and sealed bearings – Designed for reduced
maintenance costs
• Sleek, extended fan shroud - Increases fan cleaning distance
Other options are available in the 2 Series. They include:
• SonicAire 2c: The ‘c’ stands for ‘compact.’ The fan motor
still has the power and control, but the fan size allows it to be
located in the spaces that are too small for other fans.
• SonicAire 2hw: The ‘hw’ stands for ‘heat and water.’ This is
a water-tight fan (NEMA 6) that can work in extreme heat as
high as 180°
Engineered safety
The core of every SonicAire fan is its BarrierAire™ technology,
our unique engineering platform. As its name implies, this
innovative technology uses dynamic air patterns to create a
barrier, or set up a block for fugitive dust buildup.
Here’s how it works.
High velocity and high mass airflow from a robotic clean fan
create an overhead barrier. This barrier essentially controls dust
like an air curtain, preventing accumulation of fugitive dust on
steel structures, pipes, ducts, walls and process equipment.
It does this automatically and accurately. Anything in the
overhead areas can be shielded in this way so that no dust can
ever accumulate. Managers can pinpoint the areas that need to be
cleaned so that no dust is allowed to build up in overhead places.
The outcome is remarkable: you can now automatically
maintain OSHA compliance throughout your plant – at all times.
Users no longer have to pay for expensive cleaning services.
They also don’t have to shut down production to allow cleaning
services to work. Even more important is that they also don’t
An evolution or revolution in controlling dust in overhead areas helps eliminate the risks of fugitive
dust for milling and grain facilities
An automated cleaning process
that continuously protects against
combustible dust buildup
by Brad Carr, President of IES, USA
34 | October 2015 - Milling and Grain
F

2. have to put personnel at risk using scissor lifts to reach the
overhead areas.
However, there is a one-time deep clean of fugitive dust, and
once that dust is removed, no new dust is allowed to accumulate
again. Only with BarrierAire technology can you automatically
maintain OSHA compliance throughout the plant at all times.
Your employees have never been safer from the risks of
combustible dust.
Now that you know what the systems do, let me explain why
we designed it in the first place.
Managed approach vs engineered approach
Basically, SonicAire fan systems represent a shift in
engineering philosophy.
Prior to their launch, the only way people could keep overhead
areas clean was through a managed approach. In fact, the NFPA
Standards refer to a managed solution, which has been the status
quo. So before technological advances were made, manual
housekeeping was the only solution.
Why has a managed approach lasted this long?
What many people found attractive about ongoing cleaning
is that there are low upfront costs. Contracts were set up for
ongoing payments that then became a part of annual operating
expenses.
You don’t have to put down a lot of money at one time to
continue either using cleaning services or using your employees
to manage combustible dust.
A managed approach means that personnel or third party
businesses clean the overhead structures on a continuing
basis. This has been the conventional approach to controlling
combustible dust.
In essence, the cleaning is done after the dust had already
accumulated.
But our
engineers had
issues with that
philosophy. Our
response was, "Why can’t
we find a way to keep the problem
from happening?” We
also had serious issues with other aspects
of a managed approach, which include:
• A risk to personnel for the overhead cleaning
• Lost production due to the necessary shutdown of the plant
• Levels of clean in a facility vary based on the proximity to the
scheduled cleaning time
If overhead cleaning is scheduled monthly on the 15th, the
combustible dust has had time to accumulate by the 14th of the
month, making it possible for the plant to be out of compliance
with OSHA regulations therefore risking the safety of the
employees. Even if a plant owner/manager
were not inclined to
procrastinate
the cleaning, the cyclical nature of the buildup
is inevitable with a managed approach.
Now, the philosophy for an
engineered approach is that
technology can be leveraged to
automate cleaning processes
and
continuously
protect against the risks of combustible dust
accumulation.
Milling and Grain - October 2015 | 35
F

3. Two different types of engineering solutions exist.
The first is localised filtration. With this technology, the
equipment captures the combustible dust by either vacuuming or
suctioning. This approach is often needed, but the reality is that it
can’t be used alone.
Think about it; it is impossible to collect or capture 100 percent
of fugitive dust. Localised filtration can’t capture every particle.
OSHA regulations basically represent a zero-tolerance approach
to dust accumulation, even with the new nuances on levels.
But the bottom line in compliance is still clear: Our job is to
remove the fuel (fugitive dust) that causes the explosions. We still
can’t allow for accumulation. That’s where our engineers saw an
opportunity to innovate something that shifted the paradigm and
makes people safer.
The second technology is SonicAire’s BarrierAire technology.
With this, you can now account for all the fugitive dust in a
large facility. These fans can robotically eliminate fugitive
dust not captured by a filtration system. Best of all, this can be
automated.
In fact, often there can be a synergy between the filtration and
SonicAire fan systems for enterprise-wide compliance, since they
can be effectively used together in one facility.
What’s more, with either of these engineered approaches,
there are higher, one-time costs for implementation. So capital
investments have to be made. These are one-time costs though
and the benefits are ongoing.
An engineered approach also allows for automated, controlled
cleaning that doesn’t interfere with production. Depending on
the sophistication of the specific technology, it also delivers
consistently higher levels of clean for ongoing compliance to
government regulations and for employee safety.
SonicAire fans have been shown to pay for themselves in as
little as a year.
Criteria for evaluation
Mill and grain facility owners and managers should evaluate
the overall cost for any solution – be it SonicAire’s BarrierAire
technology or anything else based on the following range of
variables:
• Initial cost
• Operating cost
• Ongoing labour cost
• Employee morale
• Disruption to normal production
• Energy usage
We believe that trying something revolutionary can seem risky.
We also believe that nothing is more important than protecting
the lives of employees.
So we’ve reduced the risk to new clients by offering a unique
“Try and Buy” program.
The premise is simple: Try a SonicAire fan for 60 days; get all
your money back if you are not 100 percent satisfied. With this
program available, you’ve got nothing to lose, but the dangers of
combustible dust.
By 2050 – 35 years away – we must be able to show that we
have avoided the loss of 180 lives and injuries to 675 employees.
About the Author:
Brad Carr is president of IES, manufacturer of SonicAire®
fans.
SonicAire fans were highlighted as a Safety Innovation Award
at GEAPS 2015. Mr Carr has had numerous invitations to speak
on dust control and safety for a wide range of industries; most
recently at the National Safety Council Congress and Expo.
He has also published many articles on this topic for a broad
spectrum of industries. SonicAire fans were highlighted as a
Safety Innovation Award at GEAPS 2015.
http://iesclean.com
36 | October 2015 - Milling and Grain
F

4. Trends that FEED the industry
Register at www.ippexpo.org #IPPE
Join us Jan. 26-28, 2016, in Atlanta, Ga., USA, for the world’s largest annual feed,
meat and poultry technology exposition. Brought to you by American Feed Industry
Association, North American Meat Institute and U.S. Poultry Egg Association.