Dynabrade Blog

Dynabrade Vacuum Systems:
Breaking Down by Class and Division

Understanding local regulations, standards, and recommendations is important when determining the division and class type of vacuums required for your facility. What type of class and division is right for your application? Let's break down what class and division represents in dust collection.

Class is determined by the types of hazardous materials that are present.
Class I locations have flammable gases or vapors. Class II locations have the presence of combustible dust. Class III locations are hazardous because of the easily ignitable fibers or where those fibers are not as likely to be suspended in the air in quantities that produce an ignitable threat.
Dynabrade's vacuum systems are all Class II rated.

What class and division vacuum is right for your application?

• M-Class, or Ordinary Location or General Purpose
  

  M-Class are locations that are known to be free of hazardous or volatile dusts, fibers, gases, liquids, and vapors. Vacuuming is the preferred method of "housekeeping" over sweeping or water wash-down. We carry two electric portable vacuum systems that are classified as
  Ordinary Location.

• Classes are broken down further by Divisions
  

  Classes being divided further helps to define the likelihood of the hazardous material present in a flammable concentration.

  Division II vacuums are not the cause of the source of ignition. Supporting Groups F & G, which define such materials such as wood, composites, fiberglass, carbon fiber, brass, copper, plastic, and other solid surfaces like Corian.

  Division I vacuums are used to capture metallic dusts up to 5lbs in a dry state. The combustibility and volatility are two potential characteristics of some metals in fine dust form we look to prevent. Supporting Groups E, F & G, which define such materials as aluminum, steel and stainless steel. We also have Division I vacuums with Immersion Separation, that are able to capture metallic dusts in a liquid immersion bath of mineral oil or water (Up to 20lbs) supporting Groups E, F & G, which define such materials as Aluminum, Titanium and Magnesium.

• Class II, Division 2 location: (at least one exists)
  1. Combustible non-metallic dust will not normally be in suspension in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures. Dust accumulations will normally be insufficient to interfere with the normal operation of electric equipment or other apparatus. Combustible dust may be in suspension in the air because of infrequent malfunctioning of handling or processing equipment.
  2. Combustible dust accumulations on, or in the vicinity of the electric equipment may be sufficient to interfere with the safe dissipation of heat from electric equipment.

• Class II, Division 1 location: (at least one exists)
  1. Combustible metallic dust is present in the air under normal operating conditions in such a quantity as to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures. This could be on a continuous, intermittent, or periodic basis.
  2. Ignitable and/or explosive mixture could be produced if a mechanical failure or abnormal machinery operation occurs.
  3. Electrically conductive dusts in hazardous concentrations are present.

The key in determining what is the best solution for you starts with what type of dust you are collecting. From there, it can be determined how combustible the dust is and what class and division would work best for your application.

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