Burnley® Baffles

The clouds of dust that escape during the materials handling process pose extreme risks to workers, facilities and environments nearby.

Exposure to such dust can lead to the development of silicosis, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for workers.

Dust emissions also threaten equipment reliability and site performance. Fugitive dust settles on machinery, conveyor systems, and electrical infrastructure. Abrasive particles accelerate wear on moving components and contaminate sensitive equipment. This contamination increases maintenance requirements and shortens equipment service life.

Environmental impact also becomes a concern for sites located near coastal areas or sensitive ecosystems. Mineral and chemical dust can settle into nearby water systems, increase turbidity, alter water chemistry, and introduce harmful substances into aquatic habitats. Effective dust suppression at the source protects workers, equipment, and surrounding environments while supporting responsible industrial operation.

Burnley Baffles protect sites where bulk materials displace large air volumes during transfer.

Common applications include:

• Mining operations handling ore and aggregates
• Quarries with crushing and screening plants
• Cement plants managing raw material transfer
• Glass production facilities
• Grain processing facilities
• Fertiliser production plants
• Ports and bulk terminals
• Lime, rock, and mineral handling operations

They control dust at dump hoppers, chutes, and material unloading points where uncontrolled air escape drives particulate release.

During dumping, displaced air inside the hopper accelerates unevenly. High velocity zones carry fine dust and light materials upward through the product stream.

Burnley® Baffles create controlled mechanical resistance across the hopper opening. Multiple tapered modules fill the inlet face. Each module contains pivoting blades that open under the weight of incoming material. As the product flows downward, the blades regulate airflow.

This uniform resistance slows and equalises air speed across the hopper surface. Reduced air velocity prevents particles from lifting into the atmosphere. Fine dust and light materials remain below the blade assembly.

When connected to a negative-pressure system beneath the hopper, displaced air flows downward into a baghouse for full dust capture.

Open hopper designs allow displaced air to escape directly through the product stream. High air velocity carries dust into the atmosphere.

Rubber curtains provide limited control and do not equalise airflow across the hopper surface.

Burnley Baffles create structured airflow resistance using gravity-operated modules. The system controls air speed at the source without electrical power. It reduces emissions mechanically before dust enters the work environment.

Ahrens required effective dust control at a bulk material handling site where unloading operations generated high airborne particulate emissions. Escaping dust affected visibility, housekeeping standards, and environmental performance.

Mideco installed Burnley Baffles across the hopper inlet and integrated an Economy Dust Collector beneath the system. The combined solution reduced visible dust emissions during dumping and improved containment at the transfer point. The site achieved stronger environmental control while retaining valuable material that previously escaped during handling.