With its product development and strategic acquisitions, Husqvarna Construction has built up a wide range of solutions ranging from power cutters to demolition robots for the construction and demolition industries. As heavy machinery is often found working on construction sites, and with work often taking place at heights with the risk of falling concrete and other materials, safety is a critical part of work. A perhaps less obvious safety aspect is the dangers from the inhalation of harmful airborne particles. Silica dust is today considered to be the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos. Inhaling small dust particles over a long period of time increases the risk of developing diseases such as COPD, silicosis and cancer. 

A complicating aspect is that the particles are often so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Therefore, it is crucial that any equipment that collects dust can be trusted, and that it is really as safe as it is claimed to be. It was this realisation that led Husqvarna Construction to launch a major investment in dust management two years ago. In 2022, it introduced a new line of ‘H-class’ dust extractors based on a new platform, and now Husqvarna is expanding the range with a brand new dust extractor and three air cleaners.

New dust extractor with automatic filter cleaning

When PDi Magazine visited Husqvarna Construction at its headquarters in the Swedish locality of Jonsered, about 15km east of Gothenburg, only a few weeks had passed since the launch of the latest addition to the dust management line, the DE 130 H, a single phase H13/HEPA dust extractor. The model uses ‘Auto-Pulse’, a new development for automatic filter cleaning. Thanks to the cone shaped pre-filter, which is divided into two chambers, it is possible to always keep the filter clean during work. This means that the user does not have to interrupt work to clean the filter manually. The DE 130 H is the first model to use Husqvarna’s patented technology*. “It is based on a pulse mechanism for each chamber in the two part filter,” says Christian Nyberg, who is the manager of research and development for the dust and slurry segment at Husqvarna Construction, leading a team that was involved in developing the technology. “It shifts between the two chambers and keeps the filter continuously clean. The fact that the pre-filter is conical is to facilitate efficiency and ensure that dust falls downwards and does not enter the filter again. The filter was launched earlier this year, and is a real game changer,” Christian adds.

The DE 130 H uses ‘E-flow’ which adjusts the air speed automatically, and is equipped with the Longopac system and a ‘V’ shaped tray developed to protect the dust bag and make it easily accessible. It has lift hooks, a pleat cover, robust rear wheels with integrated locking, as well as attachments for hoses and the metal wand floor tool. It is suitable for, among other things, handling dust when grinding and polishing concrete floors, sanitary usage, and can be used with larger hand held tools. The DE 130 H can also be used for ‘shotblasting’, which is an application that requires continuous stable air flow, being made possible by the automatic filter cleaning. As well as meeting the latest H-class standards, it is equipped with H13/HEPA filters with EN1822 and MIL-STD 282 certification, and is IP55 rated which allows it to be washed with water. It is 1,175mm high, 855mm long, 542mm wide and weighs 48kg.

Three new air cleaners in different sizes

Husqvarna Construction is also introducing three new air cleaners. The A 25, which was launched in September, will be followed by the A 45, which will be launched in early 2025. The numbers in the names correspond to how many square meters the product can clean, based on an air exchange rate of 10 times per hour (according to the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s recommendation) and a ceiling height of 2.5m. Later in 2025, a third model will be launched to cover an even larger area. “Dust extractors capture most concrete dust directly at the source, but it is theoretically impossible to avoid particles being emitted into the ambient air. And this is where air cleaners come into play as a second line of defence against airborne particles,” says Christofer Swahn, global product manager for the dust and slurry segment at Husqvarna Construction. “The perception of air cleaners needs to change from accessory to necessity.”

Both the A 25 and A 45 are stackable with a locking mechanism and are equipped with colour coded LED lights that show filter status. They come with pre-filters and H13/HEPA filters but can be converted to three stage filtration with a carbon filter. They can also be used to create negative pressure, for example to avoid dust spreading. They are IP54 and IPX4 rated, and are equipped with a storage pocket. The A 25 is 340mm long, 410mm wide, 430mm high and weighs 14kg. The A 45 is 370mm long, 410mm wide, 580mm high and weighs 20kg. The A 45 is also equipped with wheels, a handle that can be raised or lowered, different fan speeds, and a test function for the H13/HEPA filter.

Not just products, but a system

Husqvarna Construction’s goal with its new focus is to provide something significantly more than just introducing products. The company wants to influence the construction industry at large and increase awareness of safety among users. “Many customers ask, for example, how many horsepower the products have, but rarely how to use the products safely,” says Christian. “Unfortunately, we see that some use them in the wrong way. We want to support our customers to use the products safely and by showing the benefits in real life applications gradually change the mindset of contractors.”

Stijn Verherstraeten, senior vice president, concrete surfaces and floors at Husqvarna Construction, agrees with Christian’s sentiment. He too sees a need for increased knowledge. “In some applications or markets, I can sometimes see that dust extractors are not used at all. We want to act as advisors and support our customers. Our main task as a leader in the industry is to develop the market by expanding the usage of dust extractors, slurry collectors and air cleaners to create a better work environment for operators.”

Another important aspect is to create dust and slurry management solutions that work well with the rest of the range. “Using our equipment generates dust,” says Stijn. “We see dust management as something that is central to far more application areas than just floor preparation. Just think of our vast portfolio of sawing, drilling and demolition equipment as well that needs to work seamlessly with our dust and slurry management solutions.”

During product development, reduced operator bound maintenance, reduced size and weight, and versatility with fewer products and more areas of use were highlighted as a priority. Most important, however, is safety. “We want to create more awareness about the risks that dust on construction sites can bring and that there are ways to address them,” says Christofer.

Husqvarna Construction’s history with dust and slurry equipment goes back a long way and received a major boost with the acquisitions of the companies Pullman-Ermator, Blastrac and HTC. The core competence around the products and applications of these companies has been retained, and the goal has always been to continue to evolve and further build on this solid background. “We have taken a big step forward since our acquisitions,” says Stijn. “Dust and slurry management is a strategic area for us. The dedication of our teams has now resulted in new innovative dust and slurry management solutions that work very well together with our other products as a total system to support our customers in becoming even more productive while also contributing to the safety of the work environment.”

“The largest market for Husqvarna Construction’s dust and slurry management products is obviously still strongest in mature markets,” says Stijn. “We have a long way to go in, for example, Eastern Europe and Asia. However, we are experiencing an increasing sales trend in, for example, Latin America, and we hope that this will also spread to other regions with great growth potential.”

Rigorous testing for increased safety

One of the pillars of Husqvarna Construction’s research and development is testing the products to ensure that the machines work as planned. “If you use Husqvarna’s products, you must be sure that we have done all the tests,” says Christian, who showed PDi one of Husqvarna’s test centres. Here, test engineers Elias Moberg and Hakan Kalay analyse how the products work together in a system. In a clinically clean test room, the new dust extractor and two air cleaners stand together with a dust generating product, in this case the new floor grinder PG 6 XR. Wearing safety gear, the engineers start the machines and simulate a normal work setup. Before the test is carried out, the air in the room is completely clean, and the engineers’ task is now to analyse the particle concentration of the room, especially those of 0.1-10 micrometres. The focus is particularly on particles that cannot be seen, to ensure that the equipment is working as it should and meets requirements to provide a safe working environment. “What we want to investigate is how well the products extract silica dust from the air,” says Christian.

The room is adapted to regulations from the American work environment authority OSHA, which now shares many similarities with European regulations. The limit for permissible dust exposure in the USA is 0.5mg/m³ and in Europe 0.75mg/m³. “Adjusting the exposure levels would help us further harmonizing the products,” says Christian. “Having said that, our filters as standard are significantly better than what the regulations regarding silica dust require.”

During the test, the amount of air flow, which needs to be at least 20m/s, in the hose is also monitored. In an adjacent test centre, tests are carried out on separate product types. Here, various parameters linked to performance, for example vacuum and air flow, are measured through different types of pipes. “Vacuum and flow are measured using sensors, and resistance is simulated through dampers that gradually close,” explains Elias. “We measure, among other things, which vacuum and flow are most effective. Energy consumption is very important to us as well, in order to provide efficient products to our customers.”

In another centre on the premises is a dust laboratory divided into two rooms: one without dust and one with dust and negative pressure. In the room with dust is a rig that feeds dust to the product to be tested. The amount of dust is measured in mass/min, and in the room there are also different types of dust to test in combination with the machines. Here filters are tested and compared, with their ability to capture and release dust, assessed along with the performance of temperature and leakage tests. “One challenge is that you can’t see the dust, so you have to be absolutely sure that it works,” says Elias, who works full time as a test engineer for dust and slurry equipment. “We carry out tests often, in certain periods I work in the lab all my working hours.”

As a further step in ensuring quality, each individual machine is tested in the factory at the end of the assembly line.

Strong ties to Jonsered

The PDi tour of the test centres is nearly at an end, and it is time to leave Jonsered. Although Husqvarna Construction is a major player with products all over the world, the Nordic influence permeates the entire business. Regardless of where Husqvarna Construction’s equipment is sold, there is a strong connection to the research and development that takes place in the small mill town near the Säve river. “What we do here in Jonsered spreads to other parts of the world,” says Christian. “We have a global footprint.”

With a solid focus on creating efficient machines that are also safe, Husqvarna Construction now hopes that its investment in dust management will be well received by the industry. Stijn concludes: “‘Safe’ and ‘productive’ are our key words. I am proud of our new range.”

www.husqvarnaconstruction.com

* Patented in Sweden; patents pending in other countries.