A recent contract undertaken by Dust Control Systems Limited involved replacing an existing dust plant with the very latest in energy saving extraction for their long-standing customer, Lancashire-based Mike England Timber Co. Ltd.
Mike England Timber has a well-established reputation for supplying quality, machined softwood products throughout North West England. Located on a semi-rural site within easy reach of the motorway network at Hoghton near Preston, the family-owned and operated business provides sawn and moulded timber products to a wide customer base within 150 miles of its head office.
Named after the former Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham footballer, Mike England Timber was established in 1969 by John and Margery Hardman. Today, John and Margery’s two daughters hold key positions in the company; Jeanette Corner is managing director and Liz Butterworth is purchasing director. The company prides itself on being an independent timber supplier, delivering the best possible value, whilst being flexible and efficient. It also has a strong environmental ethos, with all timber stocks being sourced from sustainable forests having FSC accreditation.
The Company is committed to investing throughout the business, particularly in its sawmill – two new Weinig Powermat 500 machines have recently been installed, and the decision to upgrade the dust extraction system further underscores this commitment. Gavin Butterworth, production manager, explains: “After the initial decision to invest in a new up-to-date extraction system, we called in DCS who have looked after all our extraction needs for many years. After carrying out a full appraisal of our requirements, DCS recommended a modern extraction plant controlled by their Dynamic Drive System. This system would satisfy our extraction needs and cut electricity bills by providing the optimum amount of power to meet demand.”
Melvyn Bathgate of DCS says: “Although the majority of the sawmill’s production is carried out by two high-performance Weinig six-head moulders, machining in excess of 130 cubic metres of planed & moulded timber per week. During the setting up processes both machines are not always running at the same time. However, a Stenner band resaw and a cross-cut saw are in constant use. Our proposal included pneumatically operated dampers fitted to the two moulders which automatically open when the machine is operating, and close when it’s not. The DCS Dynamic Drive sensors detect any change in volume requirement and adjust the fan speed as the dampers open and close.”
A high-efficiency modular filter unit was installed, with screw and rotary valve discharge to a woodwaste transfer system which feeds waste to two 10 tonne capacity container trailers. Designed to handle a total airflow capacity of 25,000m³/hr, the system employs a 37kW, low-noise, CombiFab main fanset and a 15kW waste transfer fan. The filter unit is fitted with the Superbag polyester filter bags. Superbag employs a patented weaving technique, in tubular format, giving the filter bag a surface which can cope with varying filter loads.
Mr Butterworth adds: “As I expected from DCS, they came up with a thorough cost-efficient solution that we had no hesitation in committing to. Supply and installation of the new equipment was completed very efficiently in just a few days with minimal disruption to our production process. We now have an extremely efficient dust extraction system, consuming only the kilowatts needed, in place of a system that ran continuously and at a constant speed – good for us and good for the environment.”