Taming the dust beast

Re-board Technology in Sweden produces lightweight yet strong boards made entirely from paper – a sustainable solution widely used in signage, exhibitions and furniture applications. However, the manufacturing process of these board generates an exceptionally high amount of fine dust, causing not only process and product quality issues but also raising serious environmental and safety concerns. To address this challenge, Re-board turned to KELVA.

The Challenge: Extreme dust load and variable material thickness

The open core structure requires cutting and shaping steps that produce large amounts of dry, airborne dust. Without effective removal, this dust contaminates the top and bottom liner surfaces and interferes with the gluing process – resulting in weak bonding, reduced product quality, and increased waste.

More critically, the dust spreads throughout the facility, creating explosive dust atmospheres and posing a significant safety risk. The dust concentration in this application is estimated to be 10 to 20 times higher than in standard industrial scenarios, making conventional cleaning systems unsuitable without major modifications.

In addition, the boards vary in thickness from 5 mm to 30 mm, requiring a cleaning solution that can adapt dynamically to the material profile.

The Solution: Two KELVA HS85 units with custom clot design

To meet these demands, two KELVA HS85 non-contact web cleaning units were installed – one before the top liner is applied, the other before the bottom. These units, known for their performance in wide web applications and high-speed environments, are part of KELVA’s modular product portfolio that supports a wide range of industries including paper, corrugated board, tissue, film and nonwovens.

Both HS85 units are connected to the central dust handling system via booster fans and equipped with a specially configured slot geometry. The cleaning principle is based on KELVA’s proven non-contact technology: precisely directed blowing air penetrates the open cells and loosens dust particles, which are then immediately captured by vacuum extraction. The slot configuration was optimized specifically for this application, balancing airspeed and airflow to achieve maximum dust removal without clogging – even under very high dust load conditions.

Thanks to the close positioning of the cleaning head to the product surface, air volumes can be kept low. This significantly reduces energy consumption and minimizes the system’s ecological footprint. The HS85 also allows for easy maintenance access and can be equipped with optional ionization bars for applications involving electrostatically charged particles – adding further flexibility to tailor each installation to exact needs.

Smart gap adjustment for variable thicknesses

To maintain effective cleaning performance despite varying board thicknesses, both HS85 units at Re-board were equipped with KELVA’s “Stepless Gap Adjustment” option – an electrically controlled, programmable actuator that automatically adjusts the vertical position of the upper cleaning head. This ensures a consistent cleaning effect and protects against mechanical collisions, even in fast-paced production environments.

Proven engineering for demanding applications

The installation at Re-board Technology is a prime example of KELVA’s ability to engineer tailor-made cleaning solutions using proven scaleable components. Even under extreme dust exposure and with variable material dimensions, the result at Re-board is a robust, energy-efficient, and highly effective cleaning system, reducing contamination, improving product quality and ensuring process safety.

For producers of honeycomb boards, solid board, corrugated board, or any other dust-generating material, KELVA offers not just equipment – but a trusted engineering partner with deep industry knowledge and a commitment to safety, sustainability and performance.