ATEX fans provide safe and efficient ventilation in pharmaceutical powder containment booths, eliminating the risk of explosion which could occur due to the accumulation of hazardous dusts. Powder containment booths are commonly used within this industry to protect operators from exposure to toxic chemicals during the handling of tablets and medicines. They are also used to prevent the contamination of goods. Fine powders can cause a substantial accumulation of dust particles in the atmosphere and in some cases may pose the risk of explosion. Installing the correct fans is crucial for providing adequate ventilation and eliminating the risk of ignition hazards.
ATEX fans are situated at the top of the containment booth in a separate compartment to the operating zone. The role of the fan is to vacuum the contaminated, dusty air particles away from the operating area and into this separate compartment of the booth. Here the air travels through a set of filters to be thoroughly cleaned before it is released back to the outer atmosphere. In some instances, containment booths also have an integrated cooling system to maintain a comfortable working temperature.
Axair recently supplied a large UK containment booth manufacturer, several ATEX Prextur fans to integrate into containment booths that required explosion protection. The manufacturer was struggling to source an ATEX fan that mounted correctly to the configuration of the containment booths. Non ATEX fans such as Axair's GKHM range of plug fans are compact in design and fit perfectly within the architecture of a standard containment booth, whereas ATEX fans are larger, more robust fans that require more consideration in terms of installation. The ATEX Prextur fan provides many benefits including an extended flange which it can be mounted on. This enabled the perfect configuration when installed into the customers containment booths. Where there is an ATEX requirement it is important to ensure the selected fan has the correct ATEX rating. For this particular project Axair accurately selected the Prextur 354 T2 3kW, with a max airflow of 7880 m³/h, a high efficiency rate up to 84% and flexible mounting ability, the Prextur backward curved centrifugal fan is quickly becoming a popular choice for this type of ATEX application.
Other beneficial features of the Prextur backward curved fan include a reinforced impeller with high performance backward blades made of carbon laminated steel which are dynamically balanced to minimise noise and vibrations. It also boasts a self-cleaning turbine. Should maintenance or extra cleaning be required the Prextur has an easy access inspection door integrated. The Prextur fan range is suitable for various other applications including paint booths, food industry dryers, food processing, boilers and ovens, incineration, odour control, pollution control and the manufacture and treatment of chemical products. We continue to work closely with manufacturers to ensure you have all the correct information before selecting a suitable fan.
When sourcing an ATEX fan you must specify the correct zone and may need to seek advice from a certified ATEX consultant to ensure you are compliant with legislation. Axair's ATEX centrifugal fan collection is one of the largest of all the UK ATEX fan suppliers, by working with international fan manufacturing partners Casals Ventilation in Spain, Axair can supply the best ATEX Certified fan for your application. The range of ATEX fans are available for zone 22 dust ATEX atmospheres where there is potential for an explosion.
For more information on ATEX Prextur Fans for Pharmaceutical Powder Containment talk to Axair Fans UK Ltd