DIEFFENBACHER helps wood-based panel manufacturers comply with tougher air pollution control regulations
Environmental regulations are becoming increasingly stringent worldwide, especially for air pollutants. With its proven Dryer Emission Control System (DECS) with Inline Scrubber, German machine and plant manufacturer DIEFFENBACHER has the perfect answer for wood-based panel manufacturers to these ever-stricter regulations.
Spanish MDF, particleboard and special products manufacturer FINSA uses DIEFFENBACHER’s DECS with Inline Scrubber to effectively reduce emissions at its particleboard plant in Nelas, Portugal. “The project was prompted by new, stricter laws regarding particle emissions into the atmosphere. We were determined to find a cost-effective and straightforward solution that could meet our needs,” says Inês Cruz, Mechanical Engineer at FINSA. “That’s when we turned to DIEFFENBACHER. Through on-site testing and analysis, they developed a customized concept for us,” she adds.
Over the past 15 years, DIEFFENBACHER has accumulated more than 45 references for its Press Emission Control System, with more than half of them being Inline Scrubber installations. The company used this experience to help develop the DECS to clean dryer exhaust gases. The main components of the system are the unique Inline Scrubber and water treatment and distribution systems. The Inline Scrubber efficiently separates dust particles and droplets from the gas stream. Optional auxiliary equipment removes water-soluble VOCs, especially formaldehyde, from the air. The integrated water treatment ensures that impurities are safely discharged from the system and disposed of.
“With the Inline Scrubber, we’ve achieved our goal of complying with the new, stricter air emission limits,” says Cruz. “Due to the excellent cooperation and support during the project, we would definitely implement another similar project together with DIEFFENBACHER,” she adds.
HOMANIT’s new complete DIEFFENBACHER THDF plant in Pagirai, Lithuania, also features a DIEFFENBACHER DECS with two Inline Scrubbers. In contrast to the FINSA project, however, in Pagirai, the system is used to protect a downstream bio-scrubber from dust. “It was crucial for us that DIEFFENBACHER was able to deliver a complete solution to fully clean exhaust air and reliably ensure compliance with emission regulations. DIEFFENBACHER’s DECS is an essential element that makes this possible,” says HOMANIT Managing Director Gunnar Halbig.
In addition to these two references, DIEFFENBACHER is currently working on four more Inline Scrubber projects. FINSA, for example, is installing two more Inline Scrubbers at its MDF plant next to the particleboard line in Nelas. Masisa from Chile has ordered three such systems—one for a particleboard line and two for an MDF line in San Pedro de la Paz. Another Inline Scrubber system is on its way for installation at Chile Panel’s OSB plant in La Unión. The fourth ongoing project is at Lignatherm’s wood fiber insulation board plant in Küssnacht, Switzerland. “In addition, we are receiving a large number of inquiries for further Dryer Emission Control Systems with Inline Scrubbers from customers all over the world,” Fabian Kohl, R&D engineer at DIEFFENBACHER, concludes.