Conveyor Explosion Protection Solutions

What Conveyors Are and What They Do

Conveyors are essential for material transfer within milling & grain processing facilities. They connect equipment across multiple stages of production, storage, and packaging. Common types include belt conveyors, chain/drag conveyors, and screw conveyors, all designed to handle dry, dusty materials within enclosed housing.

While conveyors serve as a primary function in these facilities, their continuous movement of dry/bulk materials make them a potential ignition source if not properly protected.

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Potential Risks in Conveyor Operation

Conveyors generate and transport combustible dust through long, enclosed housings that can act as conduits for fire or explosion propagation.
  • Frictional Heat – Misaligned belts or rollers create rubbing surfaces that can ignite dust.
  • Overheated Bearings or Drive Motors – Continuous load and heat generation pose ignition risks.
  • Static Discharge – Movement of dry product can accumulate electrostatic energy.
  • Metal Sparks or Tramp Material – Foreign objects can strike internal surfaces.
  • Explosion Propagation – Pressure waves can travel along conveyor lengths and through connected systems, causing secondary explosions.
  • Sparks or Embers – Hot material from upstream equipment can enter the elevator and ignite suspended dust.
  • Belt Slippage – Plugged chutes or overloading can cause friction at the drive pulley, creating a potential ignition source.
  • Mechanical Failures – Broken buckets, bolts, or misaligned belts can rub against the housing, causing friction or impact sparks.
  • Bearing Failures – Overheated bearings may serve as ignition points.
  • Dust Dispersion – Material entering or discharging from the elevator stirs up dust clouds that meet all three explosion conditions: fuel, oxygen, and confinement.

Challenges in Conveyor Explosion Protection

Protecting conveyors involves managing hazards that span their full length and connection points:
  • Conveyors are interconnected with other equipment, creating potential paths for flame propagation.
  • Limited access can complicate device installation and maintenance.
  • Bearings and drives operate under consistent heat and load, demanding early detection systems.

Boss Products’ Conveyor Protection Solutions

Boss Products provides complete explosion protection solutions engineered to address the unique challenges of conveyor systems in milling & grain operations.

Passive Protection:

Explosion venting:

  • EV-VD / EV-VL Vent Panels – Provide safe outdoor pressure relief for conveyor housings operating in open environments.
  • EV-VQ / EV-VI Flameless Vents – Enable safe indoor venting without flame release, ideal for enclosed or indoor conveyors.
  • Vent Spacing Design – Vent spacing along the conveyor length is calculated based on housing volume and Kst value to ensure adequate overpressure relief.

Explosion Isolation Devices:

  • Vigiflap® – Closes automatically during an explosion event to isolate upstream and downstream components.

Active Protection:

Explosion suppression:

  • Raptor X® – Provides rapid explosion suppression for enclosed conveyors or other high-risk zones, extinguishing deflagrations before pressure rises to dangerous levels.

Spark detection/extinguishing:

  • Raptor Spark® – Detects and extinguishes sparks or embers traveling through feed or discharge ducting. Commonly applied where conveyors connect to intermediate silos, hoppers, or other process equipment.

Temperature monitoring:

  • SensorJet® system (or equivalent system) – Continuously monitors bearing and drive temperatures to detect overheating or friction before ignition can occur.

Protect Your Conveyors from Combustible Dust Explosions

Conveyors are the backbone of your milling and grain operation—but without proper explosion protection, they can also transmit catastrophic risks.
  • Protect what keeps your process flowing,

Contact Boss Products to implement a conveyor protection strategy that keeps your people and process secure.

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