Case Studies

Improving Dust Collection Performance Through a Targeted Engineering Assessment

2 minute read

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A North American food and pet food manufacturer was facing persistent dust accumulation despite existing dust collection systems. Catena conducted an engineering assessment to identify the root causes of dust escape, evaluate system performance, and suggest short- and long-term improvements.

The Challenge: Persistent Dust Accumulation

The client was experiencing dust buildup in one of their manufacturing facilities, including Flour Milling, the Bran Scale Area, and Bran Dryer Discharge operations. Although dust collection systems were in place, there were several problems that needed addressing:

• Persistent combustible dust accumulation creating elevated EHS risk
• Excessive manual cleaning requirements due to recurring dust releases
• Equipment leakage, worn connections, ineffective containment, and conveyor design limitations contributing to dust emissions
• Limited visibility into airflow performance, dust capture effectiveness, and the root causes of dust releases

The Solution: Targeted Engineering Assessment

Catena deployed a dust-control engineering expert to assess the challenges and provide recommendations across the client’s highest-risk production areas.

This included:

• Evaluating dust collection performance across Flour Milling, Bran Scale, and Bran Dryer Discharge operations
• Identifying hidden leakage points in equipment, fittings, transfer systems, filtration components, and uncovered weigh belt feeders
• Pinpointing conveyor design limitations that allowed dust and product to escape in the Bran Dryer Discharge Area
• Developing recommendations including remediation steps, maintenance enhancements, containment upgrades, and capital planning priorities

“I’m impressed with the amount of detail they were able to capture during their time onsite,” said the client’s EHS Site Manager.

Consultant Expertise: Specialized Dust Safety and Material Handling Experience

Catena’s SME brought more than 40 years of process engineering experience in food manufacturing and large-scale bakery operations, with deep expertise in dry material handling, dust safety, mitigation, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compliance. Their background included more than a decade on the NFPA 61 committee, leadership of a $20M North American dust safety compliance program across 11 sites, and plant-wide dust system redesign work focused on reducing fugitive dust from equipment interfaces, conveying systems, and silo operations.

The Benefit: A Clear Path to Stronger Dust Control

Before Assessment	After Assessment
Recurring dust buildup with limited root-cause visibility.	Catena identified the Bran Scale Area as the highest-priority dust source and tied it to specific equipment, containment, and airflow issues.
Heavy reliance on manual cleaning to maintain safe production conditions.	Targeted containment, maintenance, and system improvements reduced dependence on reactive housekeeping.
Capital needs were difficult to prioritize without a structured technical assessment.	Catena delivered recommendations for immediate fixes and longer-term dust control investments.

“There are some new ideas we never thought of when looking at our dust control system, and it sets us up well as we go into next-quarter planning on where to invest,” said the client’s Site Leader.