GRUPA WOLFF has recently supplied a number of electrostatic earthing systems and earthing condition monitoring systems to the order of a plant manufacturing paints and varnishes.
The manufacturing plant uses a large amount of flammable substances (mainly organic solvents) characterised by a very low Minimum Ignition Energy. The earthing systems supplied are designed to eliminate the electrostatic discharges that are one of the most common causes of fires and explosions in the industry. The delivery of the equipment was preceded by an audit of the current state of the production installation in terms of hazards associated with static electricity. Such an approach allowed to optimize the delivery in respect of both engineering and cost effectiveness.
The plant produces wood protection chemicals and paint coatings protecting against microbial corrosion. For the production process, flammable gasolines and phthalate resins are used whose vapours form explosive mixtures. The main processes that the earthing systems were applied for included:
- dosing flammable liquids from pipelines to agitators,
- mixing,
- adding pigments and assistants to the main base of the product,
- loading/unloading road tankers used for the transport of flammable liquids.
Bond-Rite CLAMP and Bond-Rite EZ self-testing clamps were applied for controlling electrostatic earthing in these processes.
For earthing the barrels and IBC containers from which specified quantities of raw materials are taken by workers by means of hand pumps, VESX45 and VESX90 terminals were applied. In the case when smaller lots of products are packaged, the terminals are used for earthing portable pumps.
The staff is equipped with earthing terminals with a wrist band for using during the process of adding raw materials in the form of powders to flammable intermediates.
In addition, over the past two years, GRUPA WOLFF has supplied two Earth-Rite RTR systems for controlling earthing of road tankers, enabling testing of earthing in the course of emptying tankers of gasoline or resin.
SCOPE OF WORK: analysis of needs in respect of earthing systems and adjustment of equipment to the investor’s specific requirements; supply
LOCATION: Poland, Wielkopolskie Province
