Vortec_CaseStudy_SealedAir0 pages

Putting a Damper on
Static Electricity Fires
Vortec spray nozzles eliminate static electricity fire hazard in facility
manufacturing polyethylene foam.
The Sealed Air Corporation has over 100 facilities worldwide, manufacturing protective
packaging products including Bubble Wrap® Brand Packaging; Fill-Air® Inflatable Packaging; Jiffy
Mailers® and various paper products. At one Sealed Air plant, polyethylene foam products are
produced in rolls, sheets and planks in a broad spectrum of sizes.
At the plant, the raw materials for the foam are mixed, and then extruded through a die
into various shapes. The plant routinely produces over 30,000 pounds of foam a week.
Maintenance Supervisor Robert Gosselin is responsible for the care and upkeep of this facility
which employs from 50 - 100 people. Until recently, he faced a challenge: the production of
polyethylene foam involves hydrocarbon gases such as butane and propane and the foam itself
generates static electricity. The presence of flammable gases and static electricity created a
severe fire hazard. “Fortunately, we never had a major incident,” Mr. Gosselin states, “but we did
have fire hazard incidents where we had to cease all production and then later re-start.”
To keep the working environment safe, Mr. Gosselin sought to keep humidity in the production
room over 60%. To achieve that goal, he tried a variety of solutions. “We experimented with
different brands of humidifying misters but there was always a problem. Either they plugged up
too easily or the drops were too big and we ended up with puddles on the floor which resulted
in a slipping hazard for employees. What we needed were nozzles that offered three qualities:
a fine enough mist; repeatability, meaning they would keep functioning for a long time without
maintenance; and also overall longevity. My initial experience with other companies’ nozzles made
me wonder if such a thing existed.”
Gosselin first
learned of Vortec’s
Sprayvector® nozzles
through the website
of an industrial supply
house. He ordered
3 different Vortec
nozzles initially and
found one “fulfilled
all the requirements
for what we were
seeking.”
He ordered several
more of this model,
replacing all the
existing nozzles in the
plant with the Vortec
Sprayvector® nozzle.

Vortec, an ITW Company
10125 Carver Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242

1-800-441-7475
sales@vortec.com
www.vortec.com