May 01

From MAX VAC to DEMARCO: Evolving Vacuum Technology and Honoring Origins

Posted on by

From MAX VAC to DEMARCOThe DeMarco Family has been the leading patented innovator in industrial vacuum technology since 1968, but it wasn’t until recently that the vacuum line’s name reflected its inventor, Thomas DeMarco Sr. The current DEMARCO® Vacuum Line is the third generation of industrial vacuums from the DeMarco Family. Each generation of vacuums improved the wet/dry material collection process as the company has always been dedicated to providing their customers with high performance and superior quality products.

From MAX VAC to DEMARCOMAX VAC® was the second generation of industrial vacuums from the DeMarco Family. The line was launched in 1986 and revolutionized the vacuum industry with the addition of the Patented DEMARCO® 3-Stage, 2-Compartment Laterally Offset Cyclonic Material Separator Circuit and DEMARCO® Silencer Base® Muffler. The vacuums also implemented the pleated cartridge filter technology for the first time in the industry, an additional feature that enhanced the vacuum’s overall performance and simplicity of design. Overnight, the bag-type vacuum filter became obsolete.

From MAX VAC to DEMARCOCommitting to his father’s innovative spirit, Thomas DeMarco Jr., President and Senior Engineer, improved and enhanced their industrial vacuum line again in 2010. This latest design has more advanced performance features including greater filter efficiency and improved filter air-to-cloth ratio, as well as a new aesthetic low-profile and exclusive compact design. In addition to these new developments, the line was also renamed DEMARCO®. The new vacuum name honors the company’s founder, Thomas DeMarco Sr., the industry pioneer who dedicated his life to the continual improvement of vacuum system technology.

Today, the DeMarco Family, now in its third generation of vacuum engineers, continues to be the innovative leader in the development of superior vacuum designs worldwide.

The DEMARCO® Vacuum can also be customized to work in a wide variety of material collection applications. To learn more, visit the Technology and Performance page today. DEMARCO® – Vacuums Built for Industry™

Apr 07

5 Ways DEMARCO Vacuums Revolutionized the Vacuum Industry

Posted on by

stationary industrial vacuum T1000Did you know that for more than 45 years, DEMARCO Vacuums has been a groundbreaking pioneer in the field of advanced vacuuming technology? It’s true.

Founded by inventor and industrialist, Thomas M. DeMarco, DEMARCO Vacuums holds numerous US, Canadian and other foreign patents related to vacuum technologies. More than just an industrial vacuum systems manufacturer, DEMARCO holds more patents than any other competitor in the industry—and this innovative spirit continues today.

DEMARCO Vacuum’s revolutionary industrial vacuum technologies have changed the way people approach industrial cleaning jobs. Check out some of their patented technologies!

  1. High Suction Vacuums With Positive Displacement Pump Technology: Thomas M. DeMarco patented the original large-scale industrial cleaner using high suction and positive displacement pumps to the marketplace in 1968 for the foundry industry worldwide.
  2. Bag-Type Filter Technology: Also first utilized by Thomas M. DeMarco in 1968, this now outdated technology is still being used today on many competitor systems with either a manual shake or continuous air-pulse jet cleaning method.
  3. Patented Laterally Offset 3-Stage 2-Compartment Material Separation Circuit: Exclusive to DEMARCO Vacuums, this technology ensures absolute minimal material carryover which greatly increases vacuum efficiency and performance.
  4. Pleated Cartridge Filter Technology: Forever changing the vacuum landscape, DEMARCO was the first to introduce and use pleated filter technology in 1986. Featured in the newly patented DEMARCO Vacuum line, competitors who use pleated cartridge filters today do so thanks to DEMARCO’s innovation.
  5. Patented Silencer Base® Muffler Technology: Another exclusive DEMARCO feature, this technology’s newly improved design provides unsurpassed low decibels. It’s compact and aesthetic design makes it a superior option to competitor offerings.

DeMarco Industrial Vacuum Corporation continues its tradition of high quality manufacturing today with new and exciting innovations. Their team of skilled Engineers is ready to serve you. Contact DEMARCO Vacuums today to learn more about their products, services and capabilities.

Mar 24

Overview of the DEMARCO Portable Industrial Vacuum Systems

Posted on by

demarco vacuum controllerDEMARCO® has introduced unmatched patented technology which has lead the industrial vacuum systems industry for over four decades. DEMARCO’s Portable Industrial Vacuum Line features a new low profile compact design as well as an exclusive 3-Stage, Two Compartment Material Separation Cyclonic Circuit and the DEMARCO® Silencer Base® Muffler. Built for extremely heavy-duty applications for both indoor and outdoor usage, DEMARCO’s portable vacuums range from 15 HP to 250 HP. These systems will collect nearly any wet/dry materials – from the heaviest, most abrasive to the finest of powders – without interruption.

DEMARCO’s Competitor vacuums have their material separators located directly under their filter compartment resulting in:

  • High Dust Velocities and High Material Carryover to Filters
  • High Workload and Wear on the Filters
  • Expensive Maintenance and Timely Labor
  • Substantial Material Build-Up into the Filter Chamber
  • Shortened Vacuum Pump Life

Material collection hopper sizes are available from 1/3 up to 3 cubic yard capacities. Adding an optional Powerhead Air-Lift Circuit makes for quick and easy material collection hopper sealing. Here’s an overview of the DEMARCO Portable Industrial Vacuum models:

DEMARCO® 1000 Series Portable Industrial VacuumsDEMARCO® 1000 Series Portable Industrial Vacuums

  • 15 HP to 30 HP Drive Packages
  • 1/3 to 3 Cubic Yard Collection Hoppers
  • Vacuum up to 265 Lbs. per Minute
  • Positive Displacement Blowers up to 17″ Hg (Mercury)
  • Up to 790+ CFM

DEMARCO® 2000 Series Portable Industrial VacuumsDEMARCO® 2000 Series Portable Industrial Vacuums

  • 25 HP to 50 HP Drive Packages
  • 1/2 to 2-1/2 Cubic Yard Collection Hoppers
  • Vacuum up to 465 Lbs. per Minute
  • Positive Displacement Blowers up to 27″ Hg (Mercury)
  • Up to 1150+ CFM

DEMARCO® 4000 Series Portable Industrial VacuumsDEMARCO® 4000 Series Portable Industrial Vacuums

  • 40 HP to 150+ HP Drive Packages
  • 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 Cubic Yard Collection Hoppers
  • Vacuum up to 48 Tons per Hour
  • Positive Displacement Blowers up to 27″ Hg (Mercury)
  • Up to 3410+ CFM

Additional options for our Portable DEMARCO® vacuums include over-the-road trailer mounted or in-plant towable packages. Even more, this vacuum line can be connected to a central manifold system with multiple pick-up point connections allowing multiple users simultaneously for even faster cleanups.

Feb 08

5 Filter Maintenance Tips to Improve Efficiency of Your Industrial Vacuum

Posted on by

DEMARCO Vacuum FiltersOne of the most important components in an industrial vacuum is the filter. A properly maintained filter ensures consistent airflow of the vacuum system. Maintained filters also lead to maximum vacuum suction, which means it will pick up material efficiently and increase the life of the vacuum system. Here are a few important tips for vacuum filter maintenance:

  1. Add vacuum filter cleaning/replacement to your Periodic Maintenance (PM) schedule
    • Try to piggyback the filter change with other PM activity to reduce down time.
    • Making filter changes part of a regular PM protocol will not only make your industrial vacuum system more reliable and efficient, it can also uncover other issues before they become downtime.
  2. Monitor the vacuum pressure gauge
    • In most cases 15 inches of water is a good indication that it’s time to clean or replace the filer(s).
    • If the filter pressure gets too high, the vacuum will automatically shut off, resulting in downtime.
  3. Replace filters as needed
    • Replacing filters at the correct intervals will not only extend the life of your system, it will also reduce energy costs.
    • A properly maintained filter will reduce the number of times you need to replace it throughout the life of the vacuum.
  4. Order extra filters
    • If you need to pick up a larger amount of material than normal, having an extra set of filters in stock will enable you to change the expired filters quickly, without losing any time.
  5. Inform your maintenance team
    • Train your maintenance team how to replace and clean the filters. Some vacuum systems will have a different cleaning requirements and filter access may vary depending on model; top, bottom or side entry access.
    • Always refer to the vacuum operation and maintenance manual for specific instructions.

For more information on industrial vacuum filters, including how to select the right media for the material you are picking up, please contact us or visit the DEMARCO Vacuum Accessories page.

Jan 24

Future Look at Factories and Manufacturing

Posted on by

Future Look at Factories and ManufacturingModern manufacturing, an essential part of the global economy, has long since left the days of dark and dirty factories, having evolved into sleek, technology-driven environments. Today, manufacturing is at a critical juncture and is again facing a new paradigm shift, according to a new study that offers a glimpse into the future of factories and manufacturing.

Based on the report’s findings, The Economist highlights some of the key ways that manufacturing is changing:

  • Whereas manufacturing has traditionally been considered to be a process that turns raw materials into physical products, the physical part of production is becoming the center of a much wider value chain. “Manufacturing is no longer just about production. Production is now the core of a much wider set of activities,” The Economist explains. “Manufacturers are increasingly generating revenue from other activities, many of which are categorized as services.”
  • While the move may be slow so far, manufacturers are starting to recognize that many factors previously used to justify offshoring have changed dramatically over the past few years. With wage costs rising, especially in China, and new technologies changing the economics of production, reshoring – the process wherein companies bring their offshore-outsourced manufacturing capacity back home – can make logistical business sense.
  • A technological evolution is taking place in manufacturing facilities. “Computer-aided design and simulation reduces the time and cost of bringing new goods to market. Advanced robotics makes automation cheaper and more flexible,” The Economist says. “And new materials, such as nanoparticles, will give products novel properties.” Coupled with ongoing advances in 3-D printing and digital fabrication, traditional models for manufacturing are rapidly evolving to include small-scale, even DIY production.
  • As natural and capital resources are constrained, pressures in the marketplace and within ecosystems occur. “In the future, companies will not be able to afford to throw things away,” Richard Lapthorne, an industrialist who led the report’s expert groups during the two-year project, said. As such, manufacturers are discovering that sustainability offers an opportunity to manage their corporate risks; differentiate their products, brand, and image; and create new value, which fosters revenue-generating growth.

The near future offers a new era of opportunity and challenges for manufacturers, driven by rapid changes in technology, new ways of doing business and
global competition. “These changes mean that manufacturing in 2050 will look very different from today,” the report makes clear.

For more information on industrial vacuum filters, including how to select the right media for the material you are picking up, please contact us or visit the DEMARCO Vacuum Accessories page.

Jan 24

Overview of Dyson’s Innovative Founder

Posted on by

Dyson InnovationRisk, unpredictability and even failure are unavoidable in the process of innovation. In fact, a key part of the innovation process is the ability to experiment, process failures, learn from them and turn them into beneficial experiences.

In a recent Q&A with the Chicago Tribune, Dyson Ltd. CEO Max Conze offered some insight into company founder James Dyson and the roles of both experimentation and failure in the innovation process.

Today, one-third of Dyson’s 4,500 employees are engineers, who are encouraged to look at problems that are often ignored by others and the available solutions, which are “pretty frustrating.”

“Our approach is best described as problem solving,” Conze told the Tribune. “James and everyone is a big believer in, you pose a problem, you think about possible solutions, and you prototype that solution, and then you iterate, you iterate, you iterate.

“So often the first time that the engineers think about a solution, it may literally be as crude as taking some paper and some tape and just building something and saying, if it looked like this and did this, wouldn’t that be great?” Conze continued. “And then we’ll take it into 3-D printing, and we iterate and iterate, we iterate.”

Of course, just as innovation requires taking some risks, trying something new always involves some level of uncertainty. The new idea or next iteration might work or it might not. Learning from failure is a key part of the innovation process.

“If you want to invent, you have to live through failure,” Conze said. “How many failures does it take before success?”

James Dyson is familiar with both innovation success and failure. Before his company became famous for designing and manufacturing innovative vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, bladeless fans and more, the industrial designer famously created 5,127 prototypes of his first machine, the vacuum cleaner, in a workshop behind his house, before successfully developing one that he believed worked to his standard.

“I think that’s the spirit that we’re instilling in young engineers: You’ve got to go after ideas, stay with them, failure is good,” Conze told the Tribune. “For every great machine that we can come up with, there’s hundreds of prototypes that we have discarded and thrown away along the way.”

For more information on industrial vacuum filters, including how to select the right media for the material you are picking up, please contact us or visit the DEMARCO Vacuum Accessories page.

Jan 07

OSHA VPP Success Story

Posted on by

OSHA VPP Success StoryIn our ongoing series of posts highlighting companies that have taken extra steps to satisfy Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) safety requirements in their Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), a cooperative program that recognizes employers and employees who proactively prevent worksite injuries and illnesses, here we look at Tecton Products, LLC.

In 2011, the custom fiberglass pultrusions designer and manufacturer’s Fargo, ND, location achieved VPP recognition through its commitment to continuous improvement in workplace safety and health.

Having already earned North Dakota’s first Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) designation for its safety and health management systems in 2005, Tecton Products formed a project team in 2009 to begin documenting the company’s efforts in pursuit of VPP recognition. Following OSHA’s VPP onsite evaluation in February 2011, Tecton was approved as a VPP Star site in August 2011. Due to its commitment to VPP, Tecton let its SHARP status expire in March 2011.

Through the VPP program, Tecton commits to a proactive approach to safety and health management while maintaining injury and illness rates below the industry average. The company’s historical injury and illness rates have been significantly below the national average for its industry.

Between 2008 and 2010 alone, Tecton’s “Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART)” incident rate was 78 percent below the national average for its industry. The average VPP worksite has a DART case rate of 52 percent below the average for its industry. During the same period, Tecton’s Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) was 20 percent below the national average for its industry.

Jan 04

OSHA Dust Classifications and Industrial Vacuum Systems

Posted on by

The health and safety issue of combustible dusts reached its apex back in 2009, when the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) released their National Emphasis Program NEP on combustible dust. The NEP was released in order to focus attention on the agency’s efforts to mitigate dust-related explosions. Part of the NEP standard 1910.307(b) posted stipulations about the use of electric industrial vacuums in areas where combustible dust accumulates. This standard is defined by NFPA 70 from the National Electrical Code.

An explosion proof industrial vacuum / dust ignition proof vacuum or a combustible dust safe pneumatic industrial vacuum should meet requirements for use in the OSHA dust classifications of: Class 1, Group D and Class II, Groups E, F, and G.

For more information on industrial vacuum filters, including how to select the right media for the material you are picking up, please contact us or visit the DEMARCO Vacuum Accessories page.

Summary of Class I, II, III Hazardous Locations*

CLASSES

GROUPS

DIVISIONS

1

2
I Gases, vapors, and liquids (Art. 501) A: Acetylene
B: Hydrogen, etc.
C: Ether, etc.
D: Hydrocarbons, fuels, solvents, etc.		 Normally explosive and hazardous Not normally present in an explosive concentration (but may accidentally exist)
II Dusts (Art. 502) E: Metal dusts (conductive,*and explosive)
F: Carbon dusts (some are conductive,* and all are explosive)
G: Flour, starch, grain, combustible plastic or chemical dust (explosive)		 Ignitable quantities of dust normally are or may be in suspension, or conductive dust may be present Dust not normally suspended in an ignitable concentration (but may accidentally exist). Dust layers are present.
III Fibers and flyings (Art. 503) Textiles, wood-working, etc. (easily ignitable, but not likely to be explosive) Handled or used in manufacturing Stored or handled in storage (exclusive of manufacturing)

These industrial vacuums should include vacuum features such as motor, switches, filters, and inner chambers that are designed specifically for use in combustible dust applications or situations. In addition, an explosion proof vacuum should have a graduated filtration system that traps and keeps the combustible dust particles from moving out of the equipment back into the air. A HEPA filter is most often used in order to clean the exhaust of the vacuum. High quality HEPA filters provide a strong defense for prevention of small dust particles escaping back out into the air.

For companies that must regularly handle the removal of combustible dust, an explosion proof industrial vacuum is a smart investment. Before purchasing, however, research is a must – ensuring the right machine is matched to each specific situation. When matched properly, the right machine can be matched to the needs of the company in question, ensuring proper plant safety.

Dec 31

DUNMORE Corp. Certified VPP Star

Posted on by

DUNMORE Certified VPP StarIn our ongoing series of posts highlighting companies that have taken extra steps to satisfy Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) safety requirements in their Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), a cooperative program that recognizes employers and employees who proactively prevent worksite injuries and illnesses, here we look at DUNMORE Corporation, a provider of engineered and laminated film.

Headquartered in Bristol, Pa., DUNMORE produces coated film, metallized film and laminating film substrates for a wide range of industries. In 2010, the company’s film contract manufacturing facility in Bristol achieved VPP Star certification for superior workplace safety.

The VPP Star program is designed for exemplary worksites with comprehensive, successful safety and health management systems. Companies in the Star program have achieved injury and illness rates at or below the national average of their respective industries. These sites are self-sufficient in their ability to control workplace hazards. Participants are re-evaluated every three to five years, although incident rates are reviewed annually.

“DUNMORE has pursued this certification to enhance the framework to drive future improvement in our already strong health and safety systems,” Tom Rimel, VP of operations and development at DUNMORE, said in a statement at the time. “Safety and associate well-being is a core value of the company, and we believe that no activity of our business is as important as associate safety.”

DUNMORE’s commitment to safety and associate wellbeing does not begin or end at its initial VPP Star certification. The company, which has been continuously improving its safety and health programs throughout its entire 40-year history, has also begun working toward VPP Star certification at its Brewster, NY, manufacturing facility.

Dec 23

OSHA VPP: Silica Dust Control

Posted on by

Silica Dust ControlThe control of airborne silica is a constant challenge in sand casting foundries, where large volumes of sand are used in the molding processes. Kennedy Valve Foundry, a sand cast iron foundry in Elmira, N.Y., developed an approach to the ventilation of its grinding operations that has helped overcome some of the challenges commonly associated with the control of airborne silica dust in sand casting foundries.

At Kennedy Valve, a division of McWane, Inc., more than 430 employees work to manufacture fire hydrants and valves for waterworks applications. One challenge that frequently arises in the sand foundry is the control of airborne silica resulting from the chipping and grinding of castings, particularly when portable tools are used.

Wanting to improve protection of workers against overexposure to silica at these workstations, Kennedy Valve sought a new approach to ventilation controls for portable grinding tools on sand castings nearly 3 feet wide.

With a foundry ventilation consultant, the company’s technical team identified a ventilation approach that had been demonstrated to be effective in controlling emissions from another foundry process, called air carbon-arc gouging, conducted on workbenches with steel castings. This method had been identified and documented in a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) case history.

As presented in the NIOSH case history, a tabletop booth that incorporated a wraparound design, a 3-ft. diameter turntable for casting repositioning and a unique way of introducing supply air so that it swept past the worker on both sides of the body appeared to incorporate the best features seen to date on a ventilated booth. One design characteristic of the booth that NIOSH evaluated on fume-producing processes – the use of spaced exhaust openings along flat collecting surfaces – seemed like it could create a rebounding issue when applied to grinding. Respirable-size dust follows in the low-pressure wake of the large (inertial) particles in the grinding swarf; if the large particles rebound off a solid wall, the dust will rebound with them and head toward the worker’s breathing zone.

An industrial ventilation designer working on the team offered a way to address this issue. The designer, who is also a firearms instructor, cited the method of stopping air-rifle pellets using an energy-absorbing hanging curtain.

“In this case, if the grinding swarf impacted a hanging curtain, the large particles would be stopped ‘in their tracks’ and be unable to rebound. The fine dust particles at that point would be pressed up against the curtain,” according to a company case study. “If vertical dividers were employed to restrict sideways air motion, the fine dust could be readily directed through suction into exhaust plenums both above and below the impact zone for the grinding swarf and be removed from the bench.”

After successful completion of a prototype test program, 15 production booths were constructed and installed in the renovated finishing area. The benches have consistently controlled silica exposures during grinding to below OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Level for Kennedy Valve’s grinding needs when operating at exhaust rates down to 3,000 CFM and supply airflow rates at half of that flow rate.