BossTek's compact DustBoss DB-10 is the latest addition to the company's line of atomized mist cannons. The DB-10 is ideal for enclosed working environments. The unit is maneuverable unit and provides ideal suppression in a compact design. The mist cannon controls airborne particles with fewer emissions, less standing water, and a safer, more compliant workplace.
"Our customers are well-acquainted with our technology, but before the DB-10, the smallest machine could nearly cover a football field, which is far too powerful for most indoor applications," says Mike Lewis, dust control specialist at BossTek. "Our first customer to use the DB-10 was a demolition contractor removing dusty drywall, plaster, and tile containing potentially hazardous materials. These all produce highly regulated dust emissions. We worked with them to create a unit best suited to their needs and the DB-10 was born. They are extremely happy with the outcome."
The compact mist cannon is mounted on two wheels with a tall handle. Similar in size to a child stroller, it is light and easy to maneuver, while still offering industrial-level dust control. A three-quarter HP fan delivers 3335 CFM of airflow and is powered by a 120-volt current. Mounted on the front of the cannon is a circular manifold with 12 atomizing nozzles that fracture pressurized water into a fine mist. About as loud as a hand-held hair dryer, the fan forces air through the barrel and then pushes tiny droplets in a cone-shaped pattern up to 30 feet (10 metres). Using the 0- to 50-degree vertical adjustment, the mist can reach into the rafters of warehouses or be directed at specific emission zones. It is offered with a standard wheeled carriage but can be specified with alternate mounting as needed.
Beyond space constraints, the DB-10 solves several issues associated with dusty indoor operations. During indoor demolition, for example, harmful dust can fill the area and drift across the site line, creating a violation. Atomized droplets stop dust at the point of emission. Workers are often assigned to use hoses for small-scale dust suppression, which adds to the labour cost, whereas the DB-10 requires no labour to run. The DB-10 reduces the need to be close to large machinery and falling material that can be hazardous to workers.
Hoses create droplets up to 100x larger than atomized mist, far too large to capture airborne particulates. They can use up to 100 gpm of water, causing excessive standing water and runoff, a potential hazard. The DB-10 creates atomized mist that is small enough to capture airborne particulates.
"The dust emissions from indoor demolition or concrete cutting and breaking can create tiny particles that you can't see," says Lewis. "These can get deep into your lungs and cause serious breathing issues, but the mist droplets are small enough to capture individual particles at the moment of emission and drag them to the ground."
The DB-10 produces droplet sizes of 50 to 95 microns in size, roughly the same as the cross-section of a single human hair. This is important because regulators test for respirable dust 10 microns or less, like those found in indoor demolition. The slipstream created by droplets greater than 200 microns in size can deflect tiny respirable dust particles, rather than absorbing them. That's why hoses are generally not effective against airborne dust. Using less than one-quarter of the water volume of a handheld once-inch (25.4 mm) hose, the DB-10 fills the area with a dust-trapping mist that stops particulates from remaining airborne or migrating away from the area. The wide area of distribution and settling reduces the chance of pooling and runoff.
