BossTek introduces indoor atomized dust control equipment

BossTek, a Peoria, Illinois-based company that produces atomized mist technology for dust control, has introduced the compact DustBoss DB-10. It is designed for enclosed working environments and provides dust suppression in a compact and portable design. The company says it provides effective airborne particle control with fewer emissions and less standing water for a safer, more compliant workplace.

“Our customers are well-acquainted with our technology, but before the DB-10, the smallest machine could nearly cover a football field, which is far too powerful for most indoor applications,” BossTek dust control specialist Mike Lewis says.  “Our first customer to use the DB-10 was a demolition contractor removing dusty drywall, plaster and tile containing potentially hazardous materials. These all produce highly regulated dust emissions. We worked with them to create a unit best suited to their needs and the DB-10 was born.”

Similar in size to a child stroller, it is light and designed for easy maneuverability while still offering industrial-level dust control. A three-quarter-horsepower fan delivers 3335 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airflow, powered by a 120-volt current. Mounted on the front of the cannon is a circular manifold with 12 atomizing nozzles that fracture pressurized water into a fine mist.

The device is as loud as a hand-held hair dryer, according to BossTek. The fan forces air through the barrel and then pushes millions of tiny droplets in a cone-shaped pattern up to 30 feet. Using the zero to 50-degree vertical adjustment, the mist can reach into the rafters of warehouses or be directed at specific emission zones. It is offered with a standard wheeled carriage but can be specified with alternate mounting as needed.

Beyond space constraints, BossTek says the DB-10 solves several issues associated with dusty indoor operations. During indoor demolition, for example, harmful dust can fill the area and drift across the site line, creating a violation, but atomized droplets stop dust at the point of emission. Workers are often assigned to use hoses for small-scale dust suppression, which adds to the labor cost, whereas the DB-10 requires no labor to run.

One driver of the new design is the fact that hoses create droplets up to 100 times larger than atomized mist, far too large to capture airborne particulates. They can use up to 100 gallons per minute of water, causing excessive standing water and runoff, a potential hazard. The DB-10 addresses all these issues, BossTek says. 

“The dust emissions from indoor demolition or concrete cutting and breaking can create tiny particles that you can’t see,” Lewis says. “These can get deep into your lungs and cause serious breathing issues, but the mist droplets are small enough to capture individual particles at the moment of emission and drag them to the ground.”

The DB-10 produces droplets of 50 to 95 microns in size, roughly the same as the cross-section of a single human hair. This is important because regulators test for respirable dust 10 microns or less, like those found in indoor demolition, the company says. The slipstream created by droplets greater than 200 microns can deflect tiny respirable dust particles rather than absorb them. That’s why hoses are generally not effective against airborne dust. Using less than a quarter of the water volume of a handheld 1-inch hose, the DB-10 fills the area with a dust-trapping mist that stops particulates from remaining airborne or migrating away from the area. The wide distribution and gentle settling reduce the chance of pooling and runoff.