Case Study CCM® OCT Filter

The CCM® OCT Filter is one of the most innovative filter systems on the market and already represents the latest industry standard for dust collection in paper or board production. However, the CCM® OCT filter can also be very interesting for many companies in other industries. In the following, we would like to explain the benefits that the filter system offers for your company.

Dust collection without the CCM® OCT Filter

Baghouse and cartridge-style filters have long been the go-to solution for removing dust from manufacturing operations, but there are some significant

downsides to this type of dust collector. They require explosion venting, abort gates, sometimes building make-up air, and additional fire protection, in addition to the long and costly downtimes to maintain and unplug them.

Servicing them can take an entire weekend, but many companies in the paper industry are oversold with orders. Some of them are booked well into 2024. They

cannot afford to stop production for two or three days and lose hundreds of thousands of dollars while the filter is being properly maintained or unplugged. To

make matters worse, if there is a failure due to a plug, you can't just get or look inside the filter to see what's going in there.

Some companies even have policies that do not allow employees to enter confined spaces. They must hire outside crews when their baghouses are up for

inspection or maintenance. Even when they can perform this function in-house, baghouses create liabilities that include the use of ladders and cranes.

Furthermore, the baghouse and cartridge-style filters are extremely susceptible to developing fires. After a spot fire burned down the baghouse at the facility of one of our customers, they first decided to try a different kind of baghouse, but maintenance costs were still cost-prohibitive, with new filter bags costing $25,000 a set plus another $10,000 for labor. These costs were incurred quarterly to properly maintain the unit and keep it running correctly.

In search of a solution, a customer presented this problem to us. They wanted something that would be easier to service, less expensive and not as dangerous. We recommended them the Continuous Cleaning Modular Filter (CCM® OCT). After seeing the drawings and proposal, the customer decided to try it out and was already completely convinced of the technology after a short amount of time.

Which aspects are improved by the CCM® OCT Filter?

The installation of the CCM® OCT filter improves the standards in your company in several aspects. In the following, we will go into the individual aspects in more detail.

Better safety prevention

ERS designed the CCM® OCT filter so that it can be kept safely indoors in a dry environment anywhere in the plant. Since it is not boxed in, the conditions for the explosion are not present. Explosion vents, high-speed abort gates, and expensive fire protection systems are not needed, and if the filter were to catch fire, the sprinkler system would extinguish the fire and the damage would be minimal. Because of its wide-open design, the only thing that would burn is the filter media itself. The media would simply be replaced, and production would continue.

The CCM® OCT filter can also be safely inspected from the ground without ladders or cranes. Unlike traditional filters, you can see inside the unit and monitor it while it is running much like a see-through filter on a vacuum cleaner. In fact, it only takes a quick glance in passing to check that the filter is working properly. We have integrated this function at the request of many customers. Listening to customer feedback played a significant role in many improvements that were made to the filter as it was being developed.

Furthermore, ERS worked with a major integrated and consulting firm specializing in fire protection engineering to ensure that the filter met all OSHA and NFPA requirements for non-explosives. Several standard designs resulted from this and the filter was fine-tuned to be compliant with all industry standards and local codes moving forward.

Easy maintenance

ERS further refined the system so that companies can change out the filter media in-house and have it back in service within minutes resulting in minimal disruption. No special tools are required, and employees do not have to go outside and fight the elements. Downtime is reduced to a minimum. In addition, there is no need to pay outside professionals to replace the filter.

Insurance

After the purchase of the CCM® OCT filter, it should be possible to insure it without any problems. Insurance companies came to the facilities to inspect the filters and approved and insured them every time. Though, in the beginning, some insurance companies were not willing to pre-approve the filters prior to installation, it was found that they were basing that on pre-approval requirements that were written for filters with older technologies that are not applicable to CCM®’s new type of construction and operation.

Reduced downtime

The cost of owning a CCM® OCT filter is less than half the cost of owning a baghouse or cartridge-style filter. Businesses can save money and most importantly gain valuable time annually on every unit. Servicing the filter is so quick and easy that downtime has been cut by 80 percent. Instead of having to hire an outside crew for an entire weekend, two people can perform complete preventive maintenance and filter media change out in 2-6 hours depending on the size of the unit – and it is all done indoors, without the use of a ladder or special tools.

The best dust collector is the one you do not have to think about. With explosion hazards out of the way, simple maintenance, and a window to monitor the internal operation, the CCM® OCT filter is a solution that is engineered to give you peace of mind and benefits your business in many ways.

More and more companies are opting to install the filter system. ERS’s satisfied customer went on to install five more units across the Midwest, with a few more in the works. There are currently more than sixty-five fully operating, insured CCM® OCT filters in service throughout the United States, with many more on order. If you are interested in the system, we can implement it quickly. The installation in your company will only take a few days.

Engineered Recycling Systems

If you are interested in a CCM® OCT filter or any other of our recycling systems, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to help you design a system that is exactly tailored to your requirements. You can reach us by email, phone, or contact form. We look forward to your inquiry