Eisenmann
Innovative system for dry overspray removal
Highly efficient and simple to operate
In a paint shop, it’s not only the ovens and air conditioners that consume large amounts of energy: the overspray removal systems do, too. Against this background, manufacturers need solutions that enable efficient air recirculation and operate without water, chemicals and other additives. The innovative E-Cube system meets these all requirements. What’s more, is extremely simple to use.
Sustainable production and energy- and resource-efficiency are a top priority for carmakers, automotive suppliers, and all companies that operate a painting line. One way to achieve savings is to optimize the removal of paint overspray from the air, as conventional wet scrubbing requires huge amounts of energy and water. Eisenmann has developed a purely mechanical solution that uses neither water, nor chemicals, nor any other additives: E-Cube. Thanks to its modular design, E-Cube is suitable for plants of almost any size. It supports both air recirculation and supply/exhaust air configurations, and can easily be retrofitted to existing painting lines that previously used other solutions. The cube-shaped modules (cubes) are extremely simple to assemble and replace: tasks that can be performed by unskilled staff or cleaners.
Effective hybrid filters guarantee high removal rates
Air, contaminated with paint particles during spraying, is sucked in and routed through the removal system located below the mesh floor of the spray booth. It then passes through hybrid filters – a combination of surface and depth-type filters. Individual filter elements are arranged in such a way as to create a labyrinthine flow path. This provides an ideal sequence of coarse and fine separation, and ensures the particles are evenly distributed across the filter elements. Behind the removal modules is a second, separate filter stage that guarantees the required overspray removal rate. Depending on the type of paint applied, the system can achieve a removal rate between 0.5 and 2 milligrams per cubic meter of air. This is well below the limit of 3 milligrams per cubic meter specified in Germany’s Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA-Luft).
In plants equipped with air recirculation systems, much of the scrubbed air is sucked back in and returned to the spray booth. The proportion reused can be as great as 80 to 90 percent, depending on the type of paint being applied. Moreover, dry overspray removal significantly reduces energy consumption for air conditioning in comparison to conventional wet scrubbing.
Ideal basis for compliance with VOC regulations
Exhaust air from paint shops running E-Cube with air recirculation only contains low concentrations of particulate. As a result, VOCs can easily be treated by adsorption systems plus thermal oxidizers. This creates an ideal basis for achieving VOC emissions thresholds and the lower permitted values due to be introduced in China for certain substances.
Pressure monitoring to ensure consistent, reliable operation
The cubes’ air resistance is relatively low. As they fill up, the pressure loss increases by an average of 500 to 700 Pascal – much less than in a wet scrubber. What’s more, the cubes have a high particulate capacity. Thanks to these features, the cubes have a service life of one to several weeks, depending on the mode of operation. For example, in a three-shift automotive paint line with a throughput of 20 to 25 car bodies per hour, the average service life of a cube is currently one week. When the integrated gauge reaches a threshold value, this signals that a cube needs to be replaced.
Quick and easy changeovers
Fully assembled overspray removal modules fit on a standard euro pallet. They can be replaced quickly and easily during ongoing operation – a task that can be performed by unskilled staff. It takes no more than two minutes to remove and replace a module. Used cubes are collected worldwide by paint sludge disposal companies for recycling.
Scalable for use in facilities large and small
In addition to meeting functional requirements, E-Cube offers a large degree of design freedom. One cube is sufficient per meter of spray booth length. The E-Cube system is suitable for use in practically any wet paint application – for example by automakers, manufacturers of commercial and agricultural vehicles, and their suppliers. Other areas of application include plastics, general metal finishing, wind turbines, and very large spray booths in aircraft manufacturing.
The system is also flexible in another respect: Paint shops can start off with a low throughput – such as ten vehicle bodies per hour – with the option of a significant increase as demand dictates. The overspray removal solution can be designed to work initially with E-Cube and then be converted to the electrostatic E-Scrub system when required.
Captions:
Foto： ECube_Aufbau.jpg
One cube is required per meter of spray booth length for efficient removal of paint overspray from the air. In a spray booth operated in three shifts and producing 60 kilograms of overspray per hour, the mean service life of a cube is one week.
Foto：ECube_Filterlabyrinth.jpg
The cubes have a high particulate capacity and are quick and easy to replace during ongoing operation.
Foto：ECube_Querschnitt.jpg
E-Cube offers effective dry overspray removal both in air recirculation and supply/exhaust air configurations, and requires much less energy for air conditioning than a conventional wet scrubber.