CEMENT DUST: BÉTON PROVINCIAL’S LIVELIHOOD AND CHALLENGE

Recognized as one of the leading companies in Quebec’s concrete industry, Béton Provincial specializes in ready-mixed and precast concrete, as well as concrete blocks and pavement. The company receives its supplies of cement powder from Asia via the port in Quebec City. From there, the goods are transported to Béton Provincial’s production plants throughout Quebec.

Faced with major dust management issues, and given the dangers of cement powder for its workers’ health, Béton Provincial had to constantly interrupt its operations to perform repetitive maintenance such as filter changes on its machinery. Cement powder is very harmful to engine components, since it obstructs air intake to the engine. Without proper maintenance, that can greatly reduce the engine’s lifespan. The company was having to change the filters every two hours to protect the machinery and the operators in their cabins.

A true pillar of its industry, Béton Provincial is always looking for ways to improve its processes and operations. To that end, the company turned to the Propulsa Innovations team, learning about its innovative solutions during a meeting at its facilities.

THE PROPULSA INNOVATIONS SOLUTION

Propulsa Innovations is well aware of the impacts cement dust can have on heavy machinery (e.g., clogged filters) and workers’ health (e.g., respiratory diseases like rhinitis and asthma or impaired respiratory function such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema)*. It was confident in its proposal: to install Epura Cabin and Epura Engine self-cleaning pre-filtration systems.

The underlying aim of the proposal was to provide Béton Provincial with a way to guarantee the safety of its employees, reduce the amount of machinery maintenance needed, and save time and money on original filter changes.

Once Béton Provincial discovered the many benefits of Epura technology, particularly how it could change the company’s day-to-day operations by drastically reducing downtime, it ordered multiple Epura Cabin and Epura Engine systems.

The systems were installed on John Deere JD644 and JD644L wheel loaders, since they are constantly in direct contact with cement dust.

RESULTS

The extreme operating conditions Béton Provincial experiences every day at the Port of Québec terminal proved to be a fine challenge for the Propulsa Innovations team.

The two companies collaborated closely to install the Epura Cabin and Epura Engine self-cleaning pre-filtration systems, which resulted in Béton Provincial operating uninterrupted for weeks on end. The company has gone from servicing filters every two hours to maintenance approximately once a month.

Béton Provincial is also benefitting from a significant reduction in the time and costs related to operating in very dusty conditions.

Much less repetitive maintenance

Healthier work environment for operators

Better preservation of engine components in heavy machinery

Lower fuel use and fewer pollutant emissions for each vehicle

The benefits for the company are numerous and considerable.

For all of these reasons, not to mention the quick return on its investment, Béton Provincial plans to acquire new Epura self-cleaning pre-filtration systems for other machinery in its fleet.

These results demonstrate just how installing Epura systems has benefitted the operations of companies that work in extremely dusty environments, such as Béton Provincial at the Port of Québec.

*Officiel Prévention – Santé et sécurité au travail