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PrestiVac

Vacuum solutions engineered for glass & ceramics

The industry whose dust rarely burns but reliably harms — glass and ceramics are made of silica and minerals, so the defining hazard here is respirable crystalline silica, not deflagration. From batch preparation through glazing to the grinding and finishing of fired ware, the priority is HEPA-retained, exposure-controlled recovery, because the danger this dust poses is slow rather than sudden.

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  • Health-First

    The dust harms, rarely burns

  • Respirable Silica

    Batch prep to fired finishing

  • HEPA Filtration

    Fine mineral fractions retained

  • Built for Glass & Ceramics

    Batch, glaze & finishing

  • Explosion-Proof

    Manufacturing specialists

  • 1000+

    Vacuums sold worldwide

  • USA

    Designed & manufactured

  • Direct

    Buy from the manufacturer

  • NFPA 660

    ATEX / IECEx principles

Glass & Ceramics production process explorer

Every stage. Every challenge. The right vacuum solution.

A glass or ceramics operation turns mineral powders into fired product, generating fine mineral and — after firing — respirable silica dust at several distinct steps. Walk the stages where exposure control matters most.

Stage 01 — Batch & raw-material prep

Silica sand, feldspar, soda ash and other minerals are weighed and blended as fine powders — the first respirable dust source, captured at the batch house rather than allowed to drift.

Key challenges

A slow hazard, not a sudden one

  • Respirable Crystalline Silica

    Glass and ceramic raw materials are silica-bearing, so respirable crystalline silica — with its 50 µg/m³ exposure limit — is the defining hazard, demanding HEPA-retained, exposure-controlled recovery.

  • Fired-Ceramic Dust

    Grinding and finishing fired ware releases respirable silica — the fired body does not lower the hazard, and this is typically the dustiest step in the plant.

  • Batch Dust By Volume

    Batch and body preparation handle mineral powders at scale, so fugitive fine dust accumulates quickly on structures and equipment between cleanings.

  • Glaze & Pigment Materials

    Some glaze and pigment materials carry heavy-metal components — glaze-room dust is captured under sealed, HEPA-retained handling as an exposure control.

  • Hard Technical Ceramics

    Silicon carbide, alumina and similar technical ceramics are built to be abrasive — their fine dusts demand HEPA retention and durable recovery.

  • Housekeeping Is Exposure Control

    Because the hazard is chronic rather than explosive, disciplined HEPA-retained housekeeping is itself the primary occupational-health control.

Dust & materials knowledge center

What glass & ceramics manufacturing generates

Common Glass & Ceramics materials and recovery approaches
MaterialCombustibleRecovery approachDeep dive
Silica sand & batch mineralsNo — but a severe respirable hazardHEPA-retained, exposure-controlled recovery
Fired ceramic & finishing dustNo — respirable silicaHEPA capture at the grinding source
Feldspar, clay & body mineralsNoHEPA-retained recovery on schedule
Glaze & pigment materialsSome heavy-metal / toxicSealed, HEPA-retained handling
Technical ceramic dust (SiC, alumina)Generally noHEPA recovery for hard abrasive fines
General batch & mineral dustVariesRoutine HEPA-retained recovery

Combustibility and severity are material- and particle-size-specific — testing and your Dust Hazard Analysis govern. Full directory: the full materials directory.

Applications in glass & ceramics

Built for performance. Built for compliance.

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Representative case study

Controlling Silica Sand & Reactive-Metal Dust in a Foundry

How a representative jobbing foundry runs housekeeping on the oldest dust hazard and the hottest floor at once — silica sand keyed to the exposure standards while shakeout concentrates the respirable fraction, and reactive-metal casting cells carry their own combustible-dust rules on the same shop floor.

Read the full case study

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Get the right explosion proof vacuum for your application.

Tell us what you need to vacuum and where. Our technical team will recommend the PrestiVac model best suited to your material, your classification and how hard you will work it — and because we build every unit ourselves, we can modify it to fit.

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  • Legally certified explosion proof
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  • Designed & manufactured in the USA
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