Innovative Explosion Protection for Metal Processing Companies
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Flameless venting in indoor areas – Q-Rohr for metal dust applications
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Q-Rohr with integrated rupture disc and signaling cable

Metal dusts, which occur in industrial processes, have an inherently high risk potential when we speak of flammability and explosion properties. Depending on the procedure, we may be talking about splinters from a shape-cutting chipping technology of aluminium components, or welding fumes from laser or plasma welding processes with particles well below 1 μm diameter.

Both materials have the potential to trigger critical situations.

Traditional specifications such as the maximum time-based increase in pressure and the maximum explosion pressure do not, in the case of metal dusts, always reveal anything about the effects of an explosion. In fact, combustion temperatures and calorific combustion energies must also be taken into consideration. Light metals can assume varying high technical explosion characteristics, depending on the particle size and degree of oxidation.

These physical principles also apply to suppression systems. The DIN EN 14373 standard is currently being revised, in order to offer better protection with regard to this scenario. Until now, almost all suppression systems have been unsuitable for metal dust explosions.

Based on these findings, the standards for testing protection systems were also revised and matched with the special characteristics of metal dusts. In particular, in the case of flameless pressure relief equipment, the test standard DIN EN 16009 prescribes tests with existing dusts under real, practical conditions of use.

REMBE Q-Rohr®-3-6T: Flameless explosion pressure relief for metal dusts – a global innovation from REMBE®

As the inventor of the flameless explosion pressure relief, REMBE® engineers have developed the next generation of Q-Rohr®-3, the Q-Rohr®-3-6T and the Q-Rohr®-3-6T-AL, in accordance with the new requirements described, so that the specifications of DIN EN 16009 are complied with in different test scenarios. The scope of application of the well-known and proven Q-Rohr®-3 was thereby expanded to include metal dusts. REMBE® is globally the only manufacturer that offers a protection system for metal dust explosions.

The Q-Rohr®-3 is used, in particular, for the flameless pressure relief of equipment (dust collectors, conveyers and the like) located in interior spaces at risk of dust explosions. In this protection system, the need for costly, labor-intensive vent ducting for directing explosions outside is negated. Due to the patented system of flame entrapment and dust retention, the Q-Rohr®-3 enables a process-optimized setup of all the equipment in the immediate vicinity of people and machines. There are virtually no maintenance costs-- these costs are replaced by a simple, periodic visual inspection. This application is now expanded to metal dust applications with the Q-Rohr®-3-6T and the Q-Rohr®-3-6T-AL

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