Check out the video on our NEW S2 and S3 industrial vacuums (more blog posts coming!) Ready to enlist the S2 and S3 in your maintenance plan? Visit www.NewNilfiskVacuums.com for more information!
Ready for the Battle Against Contamination?
July 13th, 2010Did you know…Nilfisk CFM Food Processing Vacuums
July 8th, 2010Did you know…
Nilfisk CFM HEPA vacuums and portable dust collectors for the food industry:
- Are trusted by food industry giants like Kraft, Hershey and Nestle?
- Are the number one choice for companies implementing cleanroom environments?
- Feature advanced filtering technology with HEPA filters that guarantee the most thorough cleaning, capturing bacteria down to 0.3 microns?
- Feature optional ULPA filters that collect 99.999% of all ultra-fine particles – down to and including 0.12 microns?
- Are engineered for maximum efficiency, protecting filters from premature clogging?
- Are available as intermittent-duty portable vacuums for general cleaning, continuous-duty models, wet/dry vacuums, and more?
- Deliver the largest assortment of attachments, filters and hoses in the industry – including: accessories for overhead cleaning, stainless steel construction, and food-grade, FDA-approved, polymer-constructed hoses?
Find out more at our new food industry focus site, www.foodprocessingvacuum.com!
Combustible Dust Stakeholder Meeting A Success
July 6th, 2010Last week, OSHA held their first ever virtual stakholder meeting to gather more input on the proposed combustible dust rule. The informal chat was just like any other “chat room,” with OSHA posing 4 specific questions (see below) to attendees. Not surprisingly, it seemed that most attendees ignored OSHA’s specific (and technical) questions and instead opted to address other aspects of the rule. Also not surprisingly, the #1 question was “when can we expect to see a rule.” (Answer: it’s going to take time.) For your convenience, we’ve posted the entire transcript of the stakeholder meeting below. It can also be accessed here.
Occupational Health and Safety also has a great summary of the event, here: http://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/07/05/parts-of-dust-standard-likely-to-be-retroactive.aspx?admgarea=news Read the rest of this entry »
Take more action to prevent combustible dust explosions
July 2nd, 2010Happy 4th of July!
July 2nd, 2010Speaking of independence day, did you know Nilfisk vacuums have played a critical role in American historical events? OK, so maybe they weren’t on the battlefield in Gettysburg (although the GM80 variable speed vac is currently used to clean artifacts from the period), but they have certainly become an icon since our founders Nielsen and Fisker first invented the electrically-powered dust collecting vacuum over 100 years ago (they also invented the Nimbus motorcyle!). Here are just a few of the celebrations…and tragedies the Nilfisk vacuum has been a part of; and the events that have helped shape the country we are today. Happy 4th of July everyone!
1. NASA space missions
2. Libraries, including the Syracuse University Library (and remember, Ben Franklin launched libraries!)
3. Hurricane Katrina clean-up
4. Iconic American brands like Kraft and Hershey use Nilfisk vacuums in their day-to-day processes
5. The Smithsonian and various museums across the country, including the New Orleans Collection
6. Ground Zero
7. United States Post Office (Again, Ben Franklin!)
8. Our pharmaceutical vacuums and cleanroom vacuums have played an important part in the R&D and processing of major life saving drugs.
Food Industry Sees Increase in Capital Budgets; Safety to blame
July 1st, 2010Good news for the food industry! Business is booming. Food Processing magazine recently conducted a survey of 32 public companies in their Top 100 list and uncovered 13.6 million dollars budgeted for capital expenditures. Overall, captial spending is up almost 20% in the industry, compared to last year’s decline of 8.7%.
The reason? Well, some companies, like PepsiCo have completed mergers, which make them a larger company than they were last year–$60 billion larger. But safety has also played a critical role. As FP mentions, noone wants to be the next Peanut Corp. of America, and extra meausures have been put in place to improve sanitation and cleanability. (Hello food processing vacuums!)
Along the lines of safety, but not mentioned in the article, is combustible dust. Imperial Sugar made combustible dust a very critical issue in the food industry and got every plant manager listening and wondering if their flour, whey powder, dried milk, cinnamon, peanut dust, etc., etc. was “combustible.” Not surprisingly, Imperial Sugar’s capital expenditures budget is way low this year (compared to previous years), since they’ve had to put their money towards rebuilding the Port Wentworth facility. So, noone wants to be next Imperial Sugar either, and are budgeting money to invest in the proper equipment like explosion proof vacuum cleaners, venting systems, etc.
Read the entire report here…
2010 Capital Spending Outlook: Pent-Up Demand Causes an Explosion in Projects
Dave Fusaro, Editor in Chief; After last year’s drop in capital expenditures, budgets for the Food Processing Top 100 survey group are up 19 percent for 2010.
Visit Process Expo for Free!
June 30th, 2010
EPA Extends Lead RRP Deadline
June 21st, 2010Well, after much debate, the EPA announced this weekend that they are delaying the enforcement of the Lead RRP until after October 1st, and allowing contractors until December 31st to complete training. The extension comes after heavy lobbying from remodeling associations like NAHB and NARI, who argued the shortage of trainers, along with other factors, made the intial April 22nd deadline unrealistic.
Although this sounds like good news for contractors standing in line to get certified, industrial legal consultants are warning remodelers to proceed with caution. Regardless of the RRP, contractors are still supposed to practice lead-safe work, and can still be held accountable by the homeowner.
Say hello to the future of industrial vacuums!
June 16th, 2010This is big. This week, we started telling people about our NEW industrial vacuums, the S2 and S3. So what, you say? Well, the S2 and S3 are literally the next generation of industrial vacuums, superseding the bread and butter of our single-phase industrial line. While they have the same great power, durable construction, and reliability our customers have come to know us for, the S2 (50 liter) and S3 (50 liter or 100 liter) are also jam-packed with cutting edge innovations, user-friendly features, and the option of LOTS of options. Here are some highlights:
- Electronic control panel with LED indicators that monitor the performance of main and HEPA filters (no need to guess when the filter is clogged or needs to be replaced)
- Steel and polypropylene construction (also available in stainless steel)
- Manual filter shaker to quickly clean the main filter from outside the vacuum (automatic filter shaker or automatic reverse purge cartridge also available)
- Oversized handle for easy push/pull transport, plus an accessory storage tray and cable holder
- Options include liquid and/or solid level sensors (on 100-liter S3) that automatically shut-off the vacuum when maximum capacity is achieved, a Longopac collection system that uses a continuous bag you can fill, cut, seal dispose and restore for a new use, dozens of filters (eg. HEPA, Nomex, antistatic and food-grade, just to name a few), hose and accessories!
For more information, visit www.nilfiskcfm.com.
OSHA Hosting Virtual Combustible Dust Stakeholder Meeting
June 10th, 2010Are you a manufacturer concerned about forthcoming combustible dust regulations? Have you shared your throughts with OSHA yet? If not, then be sure to sign up for their upcoming virtual stakeholder meeting (the agency’s first web-based stakeholder meeting ever!) on Monday, June 28th at 1pm.
OSHA says the chat will focus on major issues such as the proposed standard’s scope; the balance between performance- and specification-based requirements; economic impacts; and definitions.
Register here http://www.dol.gov/dol/chat.htm. The site will remain open for feedback through July 7th.