Protecting the air we breathe

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F​​​​​​​owlerex has designed, manufactured, and implemented dust and fume collection systems across industries and around the globe for over 50 years. As environmental standards in industrial and mining sectors continuously evolve, Fowlerex has stayed at the forefront of pollution control and air quality management.  

In this interview, Richard Pigou, Technical Sales at Fowlerex, discusses the company’s role in creating safer work environments, the unique challenges in air pollution control, and how quality, innovation, and experience drive Fowlerex’s continued success.

Richard Pigou: Fowlerex is primarily focused on environmental engineering and pollution control for industries like manufacturing and mining. Whenever you’re processing raw materials, you generate by-products that can include hazardous gases and dust. These are not only potential health hazards for workers but can also interfere with the production process. Our systems are designed to capture these emissions, improve air quality, and create safer work environments. In the mining sector, for instance, it’s often crucial to maintain negative air pressure in areas like crushers to control dust. 

When air quality isn't managed well, it’s not uncommon for viable dust plumes to be constantly present, making these environments highly uncomfortable and unsafe. Dust and fume control might not sound glamorous, but without it, these sites would be nearly impossible to work in. 

I’ve seen firsthand how bad it can get when companies cut corners on air filtration. Often, people buy cheap equipment from overseas suppliers who lack a deep understanding of the specific requirements. This equipment frequently fails to perform as needed, which can lead to significant health risks and safety issues, and, in extreme cases, we have seen it even bankrupt companies. When systems fail, businesses can face shutdowns, regulatory penalties, and the immense cost of replacing faulty equipment. 

In one case, we were called back after a company had purchased an inadequate system elsewhere. They ended up spending far more on redoing the entire project with us than if they’d invested in the right equipment from the start. The cheap equipment they bought floated around to about 4 different companies before somebody ended up scrapping it.

Richard Pigou: One example would be air pollution control for gold rooms, where the gold is processed. In these rooms, we’re dealing with materials like mercury and cyanide, and when gold is melted, the fumes carry heavy metals and, surprisingly, even gold particles. We capture and control these fumes, which not only protects workers from hazardous air but also allows us to recover valuable materials that would otherwise be lost. 

It’s not just gold; many other minerals go through complex chemical processes involving acids and leaching tanks, which release fumes and dust into the air. Without proper filtration, these chemicals could severely impact the environment and worker health. Our wet scrubber technology is one of our main products for this type of pollution control, offering a highly effective method to scrub both chemical fumes and dust from the air.

Richard Pigou: Wet scrubbers are one of our core products, and they’re designed to remove pollutants from industrial air streams. They’re particularly useful in situations where dry collection methods aren’t suitable. Our stainless steel scrubbers are manufactured in-house in a dedicated factory, ensuring no cross-contamination with other materials and allowing us to maintain high standards. 

We’re not just serving Australian sites but exporting these scrubbers globally, to regions like Africa, Mongolia, and the Middle East. We see a continued demand from international markets, which is a nice testament to our designs’ durability and effectiveness. 

A lot of our international work is actually coordinated through consultants who manage mining projects abroad, Australia is a global leader in mining engineering, so we work closely with Australian engineers who bring their expertise to international projects.

Richard Pigou: Bag houses are the workhorses of dust collection—they’re often the first choice for any project that requires air pollution control. These units trap dust particles in fabric bags, effectively capturing pollutants while keeping the air dry. Fowlerex has been building bag houses for over 50 years, refining the design and manufacturing process along the way. Our bag houses offer a high level of efficiency, ensuring that hazardous particles don’t escape into the environment. 

We manufacture our bag houses entirely in-house, and like our scrubbers, they’re exported worldwide.

Richard Pigou: ESG has certainly driven awareness of the need for safe and sustainable practices. While pollution control technology isn’t new, the understanding of health impacts has grown, and there’s now an even stronger commitment to protecting workers. Each year, regulations get stricter on what’s acceptable, making quality equipment even more important. Companies are realising that if they don’t invest in effective air pollution control, they’ll likely pay the price in fines, health claims, or operational shutdowns. 

For us, it’s rewarding to see more clients taking this seriously. There’s always been a level of concern for safety, but now it’s an industry standard. Buying quality solutions means businesses don’t need to redo work and can avoid exposing their workers to unsafe conditions.

Richard Pigou: In our field, innovation is incremental because the core principles of dust and fume collection are well-established. However, we do make small, consistent improvements, particularly to our bag houses, which we’ve fine-tuned over the years for maximum efficiency. One significant innovation recently was redesigning our wet electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Previously, we used a tubular ESP, but we’ve since adopted a hexagonal design, allowing us to achieve higher efficiency in a smaller footprint. This was a big shift for us, modernising a 60-year-old design. 

Our engineers stay connected with global developments, attending trade shows and collaborating with other industry leaders. Sometimes, our international counterparts have insights that inspire us, and other times, we’re the ones leading with new ideas. It’s about staying curious and open to changes that can improve our products for the benefit of our clients.