Dust-A-Side Australia, has just launched its new range of Fog Cannons in the Australian market, which are available for either rent or purchase.

In partnership with WLP Systems – an innovative Italian manufacturer renowned for its specialised equipment and systems that improve air quality – Dust-A-Side Australia is now the exclusive distributor of WLP Fog Cannons for Australasia.

The Fog Cannons (also known as mist cannons), are completely mobile, portable and easy to set up. They provide a significant reduction in water usage compared to low pressure watering systems, while ensuring coverage of large areas.

According to Dust-A-Side Australia Senior Project Manager, Anthony Duck, the Fog Cannons are incredibly versatile as they create a fog curtain that prevents dust moving into other areas, and can be used everywhere from open pit to  port environments.

“Through a series of highly pressurised jet nozzles, water is converted into a fine mist, which is dispersed through the air by a powerful fan. When airborne dust particles hit the mist, the particles are captured and the water dissipates before ever having the chance to spread,” Mr. Duck said.

“The key to a Fog Cannon's success is not just about how much water can be blasted from the cannon or how far the water can reach. The spray nozzles need to be strategically selected so the correct sized water droplets are released into the air. With the capability of oscillating 340 degrees and tilting up to 45 degrees, the cannons offer a lot of flexibility. They can be remote controlled from a distance, allowing operators to elevate or move the units into the best position to increase their effectiveness. The amount of water being used by the cannons can also be fully controlled in order to optimise water consumption.”

Fog Cannons offer many other benefits. As the units are highly mobile and fully adjustable, they can be strategically placed near sources of dust, such as tip areas, roads or loading areas, to achieve effective dust suppression. They can also be set up on skids or trailers, making them easy to manoeuvre onsite.

Dust-A-Side Australia have turnkey Fog Cannons kits available incorporating  a diesel generator and tank. This gives operators a complete solution with remote controllability and ability to plug the units into existing communications networks in major capital cities. The Fog Cannons also have PLC capabilities, which means they can be connected to existing systems. This allows Dust-A-Side Australia personnel to activate the units through existing tags or pieces of equipment onsite, such as a tip radar or a belt centre.

Compared to other dust suppression solutions, Dust-A-Side Australia Fog Cannons are compact, user-friendly, and energy efficient, allowing for minimal water usage. These features will alleviate clients from the need to exchange one hazard for another as excessive use of water for dust control can cause geotechnical hazards or slippery roads that not only lead to accidents, but slow down an entire operation, impacting production and ultimately revenue.

Mr. Duck added that the company is confident its new Fog Cannons will effectively streamline client operations.

“From a dust prevention point of view, the performance of our Fog Cannons can be further improved by adding dust binder products to the water. For example, our HydroTac formulation can be used on haul roads and stockpiles to better prevent fugitive dust, or our patented DAS Product bitumen emulsion can be used to further minimise airborne dust. If clients have a long-term stockpile that's going to just sit there, sites can also utilise fog cannons and add AquaTarp to the water, which essentially seals loose materials with a waterproof crust.”

With over three decades of international research, Dust-A-Side Australia believes that Fog Cannons can deliver significant value to clients’ operations by increasing their efficiency and productivity, whilst reducing dust issues and minimising downtime.

“We can assist our clients with the ideal Fog Cannons design aligned to their needs, and provide a turnkey setup and ongoing maintenance package to meet their individual project requirements,” Mr. Duck said.