Case study: Installing a new dust extractor system for Bright Steels

Matt Brown | Published November 5th 2025 | Updated November 5th 2025

Bright Steels, based in Malton, North Yorkshire, specialises in the production of steel products including bright cold drawn flat bars, squares, hexagons and alloy rounds.

It started all the way back in 1919, and over the years has since expanded to become the largest producer of bright drawn steel flat and square bars in England and amongst the largest in Europe.

Processes used in steel production tend to generate significant quantities of dust, which can prove potentially harmful to staff, presenting long-term health risks.

With an old dust collector system attached to a shotblast machine, proving problematic for Bright Steels, the firm turned to APS to design and install a new one.

Our challenge was to replace the poorly designed machine in a short space of time, so that Bright Steels could get its production back up and running

We developed a solution that includes a Donaldson DFE reverse jet cartridge filter unit, which helps to maintain high filtration efficiency and airflow

The dust extractor removes the dust generated by shotblasting process, preventing harmful dust escaping into the atmosphere

Challenge

As a Donaldson distributor, we received an enquiry from Bright Steels, which was having issues with its existing dust extractor machine.

The dust extractor was attached to a Tosca shotblast machine, which is a heavy-duty piece of equipment used to prepare steel products for subsequent treatments like coating.

Our challenge was to replace this old, poorly designed machine, which was regularly suffering with filter failures – raising the risk of poor-quality air on the factory floor.

Not wanting to leave Bright Steels with production stopped for a lengthy period of time, we had to work fast within a short time frame to remove the existing system, disconnect electrics and install and fully commission the new dust extraction system.

We also had the difficulty of working within the factory itself, which had a low roof and steelwork.

Dust extractor at Bright Steels up close

Solution provided by APS

We installed a Donaldson DFE reverse jet cartridge filter unit with an abrasive-resistant inlet, sprinkler heads, and a twin hopper section fitted with Mancuna discharge valves. The high-pressure reverse pulse jet system automatically backwashes dust off the filter cartridges, which helps to maintain high filtration efficiency and airflow.

The system also includes fully automatic filter cleaning, a floor-mounted high-efficiency fan set, secondary HEPA filter housing, and an emission monitoring system, which tracks dust emissions to make sure regulatory compliance with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations are met.

An automatic dosing system was provided to apply a pre-coat to the filter media to act as a protective barrier. Heavy-duty welded and painted ductwork connected the dust collector to the shotblast machine.

Dust extractor at Bright Steels wide view

Benefits and outcomes

The dust extractor removes heavy metal dust produced during the process of shotblasting. By capturing the particulates at source, it prevents harmful dust escaping into the atmosphere, ensuring that staff are kept staff.

Bright Steels chose APS as they felt we had the expertise and knowledge, alongside the support of Donaldson as a partner, to provide the high-quality dust collection solution they required.

Simon Stannard, Head Engineer at Bright Steels, said, “I’ve found that everyone involved in the project at APS has been professional and totally competent in their work, and the dust collection unit is running well. This has been such a refreshing change from some of the projects that I’ve been involved with, and I’m pleased it’s all gone so smoothly.”

Matt Brown, Sales Director at APS said: “We enjoyed working with Bright Steels on this project. It’s always a real pleasure to see a difference a new, high-quality dust extractor can make when it’s replacing an out-of-date, no longer fit-for-purpose system, and we’re delighted with the outcome of the project.”

Struggling with a failing dust extraction system? We can help. Get in touch with our expert team today to find out about the bespoke dust collection solutions we can offer you.