Previously we have looked at BVC Industrial Vacuums for on-tool extraction and general cleaning duties. In this article we will look at the “big beasts” which find applications within primarily the construction materials supply chain.
Quirepace have been manufacturing BVC heavy duty industrial vacuum cleaners since 2008 when they took over the business from Barloworld. However, the machine designs have a long pedigree stretching back to when British Vacuum Cleaners were part of the Goblin Empire, and are still manufactured using some of the castings and metal pressings that have stood the test of time.
In 2016 Quirepace brought the metal pressings in-house and now operate their own press-shop with two new 30 tonne and 55 tonne presses.
The largest range of BVC machines is designated “Centurion” and consists of two models; the Ti60 and Ti80 both of which are available with several choices and variations of motor size, capacity, filtration and hoses/tools. The range spans from 4kW up to 15kW. All units require a 3 phase supply, although petrol and diesel variations can also be supplied.
The power of Centurion Industrial Vacuum Cleaners is required primarily when heavy aggregates and materials have to be cleaned and recovered, so customers are typically from cement processing, brick works, lime processors, concrete products manufacturers and other similar industries.
Ti60 and Ti80 have 60 litre and 80 litre collection tanks, but for heavier materials it is often appropriate to use an intermediate interceptor skip which can be both manoeuvred on its own wheels or picked up and carried by FLT. Similarly, Centurion Ti80 is equipped with fork lugs.
Using a separate skip interceptor provides several advantages; a single vacuum unit can be shared between several interceptors; for emptying the vacuum unit does not have to be detached from the power supply, and having the vacuum plant separate from the collector reduces the weight to be carried from the work place to the disposal point.
The motive power for Centurion Industrial Vacuum Cleaners is a combination unit consisting of a continuously rated 3 phase electric motor of a rating suitable for the application combined with a BVC multistage vacuum pump designed for heavy duty use. The BVC multistage design is much more forgiving in an industrial application than typical side channel exhausters and vacuum pumps found on competitor machines. Side channel units are very efficient at handling air, but the tight internal tolerances are rapidly destroyed should anything else find its way into the unit. BVC multistage vacuum pumps operate with much wider tolerances between Impellers and casings and in most cases are not affected by accidental ingress of material or liquid, giving the units a very high durability in the toughest environments.
As in all Industrial Vacuum Cleaners, filtration is as important as the machine power in determining the overall efficiency of the unit. Filters must not blind easily, or performance quickly degrades, and must also be robust enough to handle continual operation with aggressive materials. All BVC Centurion vacuum cleaners may be specified with either standard bag filters or, for finer materials, the unique BVC Clearflow filter which naturally agitates continually in use helping to prevent filter blinding. All standard filters may be combined with HEPA secondary filters for enhanced filtration where required.
BVC Centurion machines are available with 38mm, 51mm and 76mm hoses and various combinations and lengths of hose may be used depending on the application. Additionally, the larger machines are capable of operating multiple users simultaneously through either Y pieces or fixed pipework systems.
Similarly heavy-duty tools are available in several different designs depending on the application. For some materials special aerating tools are necessary to mix the material with air to enable it to flow easily
If materials to be cleaned are organic such as wood or plastic products and where fine material dusts may create an explosive atmosphere, it is necessary to use ATEX rated vacuum cleaners. Both Ti60 and Ti80 are available in ATEX rated versions with similarly rated hoses and tools.
Whilst the BVC range of Industrial Vacuum Cleaners manufactured by Quirepace is available in a wide range of standard configurations, it is also possible to manufacture special units for particular applications. For example, it is possible to equip machines with PLC interfaces so that the equipment starts and stops automatically determined by external signals and processes.
BVC Centurion Industrial Vacuum Cleaners are manufactured for durability in the most aggressive environments, and have stood the test of time in many diverse industries. Machines used in the UK are provided with a 5 year parts warranty against manufacturing defect, and spare parts are available for all units from a comprehensive warehouse in Fareham. Quirepace also provide spare parts for many older units up to 30 or more years old, and it is not unusual to find BVC vacuum cleaners still in use after several decades.
BVC from Quirepace – Tough Machines for Tough Jobs.