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Dust Collection Industry News

Canada grows millions of tonnes of soybeans each year — but ships most of the value-added processing elsewhere. A demonstration plant in Benmiller, Ontario aims to change that. New Protein International is working toward Canada's first large-scale soy protein isolate facility, a plant that would turn roughly 70,000 tonnes of soybeans a year into about 17,500 tonnes of protein isolate. Backers see a broader prize: an estimated $25 billion in annual GDP if Canada builds out domestic food and plant-based ingredient manufacturing. It's part of a growing push to process more of what the country grows, closer to home.

What this means for clients of AST Canada:

The dust risk doesn't start at the protein plant — it runs the whole length of the soybean chain. Combustible grain dust is a hazard everywhere soybeans are stored, moved and handled, from on-farm bins and grain elevators to crushing and oilseed processing, right through to the fine protein powders at the isolate stage. Wherever product is dried, conveyed, milled or packaged, AST Canada can help — bin vents and collectors for storage and handling, cartridge collectors for processing lines, and the Dust Hazard Analysis and combustible-dust testing that keep the whole operation safe.

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Recent Projects

Central Kentucky Installation Tri-Mer & Hartzell

These Tri-Mer units are exhausting two large forge presses, filtering steam, graphite dust and oils from die lube that flash off when the forging process occurs. In addition to the Tri-Mer units, each system uses a Hartzell Fan and stainless steel ductwork.

Upcoming Events

Dust, Damage, and Downtime: Designing Bulk Solids Systems that Protect Product and People

This session provides a practical framework for evaluating system design through the lens of material properties, airflow, transfer point design, and equipment selection. Attendees will learn how these factors interact to influence product integrity, system reliability, and overall operational efficiency. The discussion will highlight common design oversights that contribute to dust generation, over-processing, and downtime, along with strategies to address them early in the design or retrofit process.

Attend this webinar and learn how to:

• Identify common causes of dust, product degradation, and downtime in bulk solids handling systems
• Understand how material properties and airflow influence system performance and product integrity
• Evaluate transfer point and equipment design to reduce segregation, damage, and maintenance issues
• Apply practical design strategies to improve safety, reliability, and overall system efficiency

Online Tues, August 25, 2026

1:00pm EDT - UTC-4

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Torit Bin Vent

Silo / Bin Venting with Cartridge Filtration Flexibility

Canada Builds Its Own Battery-Materials Supply Chain



Canada's battery economy is moving downstream. In May, the federal government backed a major expansion of Electra Battery Materials' refinery in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario — part of a wider push to recycle and refine critical minerals like lithium, nickel and cobalt here at home rather than shipping them overseas. Battery recycling begins by shredding cells into "black mass," a fine, combustible powder of cathode and anode materials — exactly the kind of dust that demands proper capture and fire protection. As Canadian plants scale up, AST Canada can help operations match the right dust collection to keep workers safe and product contained.

What this means for clients of AST Canada:

More battery shredding, refining, and black-mass handling means more fine, combustible dust at the source — and growing pressure to control explosion risk and keep workers protected. If your facility is scaling up to meet this demand, AST Canada can help you size the right collector for safe dust and fume collection.

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