Turnkey scrap conveyance and dust filtration upgrades help reduce production interruptions, improve material handling, and create a cleaner, safer work environment.
Overview
Southern States Packaging Company in Spartanburg, South Carolina, provides paper converting services for corrugated box manufacturers, including tier sheets, slip sheets, coated rolls, and other converting solutions.
As production demands grew, the company’s existing scrap handling and air conveyance system could no longer keep pace.
AES worked with Southern States to modernize the system with new scrap separation, filtration, material routing, and safety capabilities, and then handled the complete installation and commissioning of the upgraded system.
The Challenge: An Existing System That Couldn’t Keep Up
Southern States’ existing system relied on two rooftop cyclones (pictured below) to manage scrap generated by its converting operations. Those cyclones jammed regularly, requiring employees to manually clear them before production could resume.
The recurring jams created more than a maintenance issue. Each blockage could interrupt production, while the manual cleaning process added labor and left paper scraps and debris on the roof.
Air quality was another concern. The existing system exhausted air directly into the atmosphere without filtration, allowing dust and paper scraps to be discharged outside and to accumulate on the rooftop.
Together, the system’s limitations contributed to production disruptions, ongoing cleanup requirements, and increased maintenance demands.
Southern States needed a more reliable way to move scrap, control dust, and support continuous production.
The AES Solution: A Turnkey Scrap Conveyance and Dust Filtration Upgrade
AES managed the project as a turnkey installation, including the removal and dismantling of the existing rooftop cyclones, the installation of the new equipment, and the final system commissioning.
AES designed a comprehensive upgrade centered on two 48,000 CFM AirShark air material separators, replacing the rooftop cyclones that had been prone to jamming. The AirShark units separate scrap material from the conveyance air stream.
Rather than exhausting unfiltered air outdoors, the system directs the air through an interior drum filter before returning clean air to the building.
That change helps Southern States address two challenges at once: improving scrap separation while creating a cleaner approach to air filtration and recirculation.
> Learn more about the importance of industrial dust collection.
Simplifying Fine-Dust Handling
Fine particles captured by the system are directed to a briquetter, which compresses the dust into small discs or pucks. This makes fine material easier to handle and dispose of compared with loose dust.
Building More Flexibility Into Production
AES also incorporated eight divert valves into the system to support grade segregation across Southern States’ converting lines.
The valves provide an additional operational benefit when equipment is unavailable. If one of the facility’s two balers is out of service, material can be redirected to the working baler, avoiding the need to shut down production lines.
This built-in flexibility gives Southern States another way to keep material moving and production running.
Adding Another Layer of Plant Protection
To support a safer production environment, AES installed a spark detection and extinguishing system on the air conveyance lines. The system provides additional fire protection for the operation by helping address sparks within the conveyance system.
AES Equipment included
The Southern States system includes:
- Two AirShark AS-48 air material separators
- Self-cleaning, enclosureless drum filter
- Dust cyclone with airlock
- Dust briquetter
- Dust fan
- Eight divert valves
- Spark detection and extinguishing system
- Control panel
- Ducting, fittings, cleanouts, and supports
The Results: Cleaner, Safer, and More Reliable Scrap Handling
The completed system gives Southern States a more dependable way to manage scrap and dust while supporting greater production flexibility.
By replacing the cyclones prone to jamming, the upgraded system helps reduce production stoppages caused by manual cleanouts. The divert-valve configuration also allows material to be redirected when one baler is unavailable, helping Southern States keep its converting lines operating.
The filtration system eliminates the previous discharge of unfiltered dust to the atmosphere, while the briquetter makes captured fine particles easier to handle and dispose of. Spark detection and extinguishing technology adds another layer of production protection, and the overall system is designed to reduce maintenance demands.
For Southern States, the result is a scrap conveyance and dust filtration system better equipped to support the demands of its operation today and into the future.
Need a More Reliable Scrap Handling System?
Whether an existing system is creating production bottlenecks or a facility needs a more effective approach to scrap conveyance and dust filtration, AES can design and install a solution tailored to the operation’s needs.
Have Questions about Replacing a Scrap Handling System in your Facility?
Frequently Asked Questions
An outdated or undersized scrap handling system can contribute to material blockages, production interruptions, additional maintenance, and increased cleanup requirements. At Southern States Packaging, recurring jams in the existing rooftop cyclones required manual cleanouts before production could resume.
AES replaced the existing cyclones with two AirShark air material separators designed to separate scrap from the conveyance air stream. The system also uses divert valves that allow material to be redirected to another baler if one baler is unavailable, helping the converting lines continue operating.
A scrap handling system can incorporate filtration to remove dust and fine particles from the conveyance air before the air is exhausted or returned to the facility. In this project, AES installed an interior drum filter so filtered air could be returned to the building rather than exhausting unfiltered air outdoors.
At Southern States Packaging, fine particles captured by the system are sent to a briquetter. The briquetter compresses the loose material into small discs or pucks, making the collected dust easier to handle and dispose of.
Divert valves allow conveyed material to be routed to different destinations. Southern States uses eight divert valves for grade segregation and to provide operational flexibility. If one baler is unavailable, material can be redirected to the other baler rather than requiring affected production lines to shut down.
Yes. AES incorporated a spark detection and extinguishing system into the air conveyance lines at Southern States Packaging. The system provides an additional layer of protection by helping detect and address sparks within the conveyance system.
Yes. AES provides turnkey scrap handling systems that can include system design, equipment integration, ductwork, controls, installation, and commissioning. For Southern States Packaging, AES also dismantled and removed the existing rooftop cyclones before installing and commissioning the new system.
