
The Dust Settles at A.M. Goshow & Son This architectural millwork company’s new dust collection system has been the catalyst for improved productivity. By Bernadette Freund
The sawdust and chips just kept piling up at A.M. Goshow & Son in Souderton, PA, established in 1972. Goshow had been faced with increasing amounts of wood dust and chips in its 3,600-square-foot facility due to the inadequacy of its 30-year-old dust collection system. The company’s original dust collection system consisted of a motor/blower package located inside the building on the dirty air (inlet) side of a cyclone separator. The cyclone was located outdoors on top of a large collection hopper. This motor/blower package was very loud and made it difficult to have a conversation within the shop area. The system also required constant maintenance because of its aging motor. Goshow was faced with another problem because it needed to add equipment to advance the shop. But, how could the architectural woodwork firm add the new equipment it needed such as a CNC panel saw and machining center with a dust collection system that had a faultering motor and could not handle the dust created by increased output of material? Part of the answer came before Goshow could even make a decision.
The Old System Needs a Replacement After researching the dust collector market, Goshow decided that Sternvent and the Model GYL3010 would fit its needs. “We needed to replace our old system,” explains Goshow. “We are a small company and our time was limited to be able to explore upgrading options or new systems that are out there for dust collection. When our old system broke, of course, it pushed us to look at our options. We decided to go with a Sternvent system because it solved our previous problems.” The New System Is the Solution The decision also was made to install the new dust collector on the existing hopper to further maintain dust storage capacity. In addition, the existing hopper was approximately 8 inches by 8 inches by 10 inches and supported about 10 feet off the ground to allow a trailer or truck to back under the hopper. A 12-inch rotary airlock driven by a 2-horsepower motor and an airtight steel receiver was installed because the hopper was not an airtight structure and to allow for continuous disposal of collected dust from the cyclone to the hopper. Since Goshow’s existing system had failed and it was operating without a central dust collection system, Sternvent was able to deliver the entire system within two weeks after the company ordered the unit. The localized distributor for Sternvent, Effective Controls East in Harleysville, PA, provided complete turnkey installation upon receipt of the equipment. |
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