EXTRACTLY SAVOUR PREMIER SUCCESS

Headquartered at Alexandra Docks, Newport, in South Wales, Premier Forest Products’ business has, over the last three decades, been transformed into one of the UK’s leading independent timber companies, operating multiple sites across the UK, with over 350 employees engaged in the business of importation, distribution, machining, engineering and processing of timber and timber products.

Premier’s product offering encompasses almost every item of timber merchandise imaginable but, as sure as night turns to day, any business delivering more than 400 tonnes of timber goods every day will inevitably create a significant volume of dust waste from its various manufacturing processes.

The company’s exponential growth is, in part, due to numerous strategic acquisitions, but investment in new high-speed production machinery over recent years has also contributed to significant increases in output. In 2022, Premier appointed Bill Thomas in the role of Regional Commercial Development Manager. Although now recently retired, Bill had a track record of transforming timber businesses that he’d managed in the past, and he’s played a key role in Premier’s further expansion.

Ian Rayner, UK Sales Manager for dust extraction specialist Extractly Ltd, had previously worked on dust extraction projects for Mr Thomas at his previous company and, in 2023, Extractly Ltd was invited to review requirements for upgrading the extraction system at Premier’s 3-acre manufacturing site at Haverfordwest, in Pembrokeshire; formerly Merlwood Timber. In addition to supplying a wide range of sawn timber products to landscapers, builders, and builders’ merchants, Premier’s substantial investment in machinery has expanded capacity at the site to include production of hardwood and softwood mouldings and claddings.

Extractly Ltd are also the master UK distributor and installer of the worldwide-proven Ecogate® ‘on-demand’ extraction technology and, as Ian Rayner explained, the manufacturing facility was ideally placed to take advantage of the benefits that Ecogate® technology can offer. “With the addition of new machinery and increases in production, dust and wood waste extraction capacity was being pushed to the limit at the Haverfordwest site”, says Ian Rayner.

Panel processing at Premier Forest’s Newport facility.

“Although the existing filter unit had effectively reached capacity,” Ian continues, “it was still in a serviceable condition, so our brief was to design and install a new ductwork system throughout the factory to efficiently service the extraction requirements of the updated and reorganised armoury of production machinery.” In addition, however, Extractly also provided a quotation for the option of incorporating Ecogate® technology into the new system.

greenBOX Nxt and PowerMASTER variable speed drive unit, Extractly’s control panel (centre) and BS&B spark detection control unit with pressurised water tank.

“There were many benefits to be gained from installing Ecogate® on this project”, Ian went on to explain: “With an Ecogate® extraction-on-demand system, instead of running at full speed, all day, every day, fan speed is automatically reduced whenever production machines are idle. In most woodworking factories, fan usage can generally be reduced by at least 20%.” This figure is derived from a combination of factors, including downtime for loading/unloading operations and regular operator breaks, as well as variations in machine utilisation depending on daily machining requirements to meet production demands.

“Ecogate® then relies on the laws of physics which dictate that a 20% reduction in fan speed actually delivers a 50% reduction in electricity required to power the fan.” With Ecogate® technology in control, the result is an immediate and permanent cut in energy bills and, at the Merlwood site, with a powerful 55kW main fan, the financial savings soon start to add up. In addition, with reduced usage, fan maintenance is also reduced; delivering further cost savings and extending the lifetime of the fan.”

An Ecogate system can be programmed to power up extraction at the start of the day, run filter cleaning routines when it’s most convenient to do so, and shut down the system automatically at the end of the day. With more efficient cleaning, together with reduced fan speed and running time, filter media also lasts longer between changes. Another noticeable change since Ecogate® was installed at the Haverfordwest site is the reduction in noise levels around the factory. The filter unit is actually located in a separate building at a lower level than the production area which, Ian explained, “is why such a powerful fan was originally installed to extract waste from the factory. In the future, when the filter unit does eventually need replacing, it’s likely to be relocated, which should allow us to install a smaller, more cost-effective fan, and hopefully make the working environment even quieter!”

To ensure that Premier’s LEV systems are all designed and maintained in compliance with Health and Safety Executive HSG258 guidelines and COSHH regulations, and that they’re reliably effective in controlling exposure to harmful airborne dust in the workplace, Extractly Ltd were also invited to review the company’s other extraction installations operating across the numerous manufacturing sites, and Extractly’s team of experienced engineers now carry out scheduled LEV testing and servicing.

At Premier Forest’s Duchy Timber branch in Cornwall, Extractly installed a new extraction system based around the ex-demo 10,500m3/hr ATEX filter unit the company had bought from Extractly following its use at the NEC for the 2024 Materials & Finishes demo area. Also included in the system was an 18.5kW main fan, filter to fan ductwork, plus QF ductwork from the fan to all machines, which also incorporated an ATEX non-return explosion valve.

Safety features installed by Extractly included an explosion isolation valve, as recommended by ATEX guidelines, and a ‘bullet’ magnet removes any metal contaminant from the woodwaste.

Most recently, Extractly Ltd installed a comprehensive new extraction system for the group’s Decorpanel branch, at its Newport base, where the company offers a comprehensive range of panel processing services; from cutting & drilling to routing & edging, and profiling and tongue & grooving to bonding, laminating, veneering & foiling, as well as painting, lacquering and other specialist treatments. In common with the Haverfordwest site, investments in new machinery at Decorpanel have again increased production capacity and turnaround, and also expanded the service to enable cutting of advanced building materials, such as cement bonded particle board, in addition to traditional timber-based panels.

At Decorpanel, Newport, the new extraction system features an externally-sited 75kW ‘clean side’ main fan which is capable of drawing up to 40,000m3 of waste-filled air per hour from the factory and into an ATEX 4+1 chain filter unit. Collected waste material is discharged pressure-free, via a rotary valve, and a 15kW fan then sends the waste dust, chips and shavings to a transport loop with two diverters that automatically direct waste to either one of two storage trailers.

Externally-sited 75kW ‘clean side’ main fan.

Internally, Extractly supplied and installed Nordfab Quick-Fit ducting throughout the factory, along with a non-return explosion valve which, in the unlikely event of an explosion in the filter unit, stops the effects of flames and pressure wave travelling upstream in the ductwork and into the factory.

Additional safety equipment incorporated into the extraction system include a spark detection system and a mild steel bullet magnet.

'Bullet’ magnet removes any metal contaminant from the woodwaste

In addition, and following suit with the Haverfordwest site and Premier Forest’s other Decorpanel operations in North East England, Extractly also supplied and installed Ecogate® on-demand technology to control the system at Newport. Premier Forest’s Ecogate® systems feature greenBOX Nxt controllers which receive signals from each individual machine as they come on or offline. In turn, the greenBOX controllers instruct Ecogate® PowerMaster Variable Speed Drive units to adjust fan speed, in real time, to exactly match the current demand for extraction.

“We take site safety very seriously at Premier Forest Products”, affirms Health & Safety Manager, Gareth Howells, “and, from my experiences with Extractly’s team of engineering designers and installers, I feel confident that our dust extraction systems are of the highest standard; delivering safe and clean environments for our employees.”

CONTACT:

Extractly Limited

Tel: 01924 520462             

Email: info@extractly.co.uk         

Website: www.extractly.co.uk