Key Technology has introduced its new #16 Air Cleaner system for food processing facilities. The system uses positive air flow, which moves through a product as it falls above a diagonal screen, to push light debris up and into a collection hood.

Removing extraneous vegetable matter (EVM), dirt, and other lightweight materials, the system cleans product of debris to improve product quality and line efficiency. Key Technology’s redesigned air cleaner features a new fan, motor, screen, and chamber configuration to enhance sanitation and reduce maintenance, while increasing air flow capacity and spreading air velocity more evenly across the product screen.

While the company designed the #16 Air Cleaner system primarily to improve performance, it also looked for opportunities to maximize sanitation and maintenance efficiencies. Predictive modeling software was crucial in the development of the air cleaner; computational fluid dynamics enabled Key Technology to model air flow to design an innovative system backed by data.

Ideal for both wet and dry products such as peas, green beans, corn, berries, and nuts, Key Technology’s air cleaner removes leaves, steams, husks, dirt, and more. Typically installed at receiving, the system separates EVM and debris early on the production line to improve line efficiency and reduce energy waste.

Compared to the previous model that provided an air flow capacity of up to 16,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM), Key Technology’s new air cleaner offers up to 19,000 CFM depending on the application. Additionally, the new air cleaner achieves more even distribution of air velocity across the product screen to reliably remove more debris. This stronger, more even air velocity is produced by a smaller fan that operates with the same 20 horsepower as the previous model.

Additionally, Key Technology designed the new air cleaner with minimal wear parts. The new system has only one moving part—the motor—to reduce maintenance and operating costs.

Sanitation has also been improved with the elimination of baffling, larger access doors for easy cleaning, and sloped surfaces to help prevent product and moisture build-up. A new hinge design, with a single lamination, replaces piano hinges that had many holes and laminations. A new screen design, with perforations integrated into the side panels, replaces spot-welded screens. The new fixed twist lock cam latches replace the previous model’s rubber draw latches and wingnuts.

Finally, to maximize system performance, Key mounts and integrates each air cleaner with either their dewatering shaker for wet products or their transfer shaker for dry products.

Key Technology: www.key.net