Position

All modern Automotive veichle (car, truck, tractor, excavator, etc) has a passenger cabin and each cabin has one or more cabin filters fitted upstream of HVAC or Ventilation system. “External filter” (main cabin filter) is normally fit on the cab roof, “recirculation filter” is normally fitted inside the cab.

Protection

Fresh air coming from external enviroment can be contamined by dust, pollen, but most of time, mainly in agricultural application hazardous substance like fertilizer and pesticides, very harmful for human health. “External Filter” function is that to protect the driver stopping these contaminant particles from the air. “Recirculation filter” function is that to bring down the smell, pollen and dust on the cab internal air.

Prevention

A correct filtration reduce the risk of allergies, asthma, breathing diseases that’s why it’s really important to use correct filters and make a correct filtration maintenance.

Contaminants

here below some dangerous contaminant: • Pesticide (from 0.5 to 10 µm) • Pollen (from 7 to 50 µm) • Concrete dust (from 5 to 100 µm) • Carbon monoxide (from 0.1 to 6 µm) • Sulphurous: (from 1 to 10 µm) ATTENTION: just substances over 10 µm are visible and the dangerous ones for lungs are those ones with 0.1 µm or lower.

Dust filter

Activated Carbon Filter

Recirculation Filter

FUNCTION: dust filter or antipollen filter can carries out an

effective filtering action to prevent entering in the cabin of

dust moisture, pollen, spores and bacterias.

TECHNICAL DETAILS: made with particular non-woven fabrics

or cellulose mediathis kind of filter can be produced using

different pleated media like polyester, microfiber or simply

cellulose.

SERVICE: it’s mandatory to replace the cabin filter as

recommended by the machinery maintenance and service

documents. Normally the cab filter must be change every

10,000/15,000 km or once a year.

FUNCTION: This kind of filter must be used on cabs of all that

machineries (tractor or excavator) working with hazardous substances like pesticides, fertilizer and other chemical substances The activated carbon filter made accordingly with standard EN 15695 is the only way to protect the operator against toxic substances and avoid serious diseases. TECHNICAL DETAILS: This kind of filter can contain granulated activated carbon only, or granulated carbon together with high efficiency pleated media, or carbon impregnated media.

SERVICE: It’s mandatory to replace the activated carbon cabin filter as strictly recommended by the machinery maintenance and service documents.

APPLICATION: agricultural machinery, excavators

Activated carbon is carbon produced from carbonaceous source materials such as nutshells, coconut husk, peat, wood, lignite and coal, it’s is a form of carbon processed to be riddled with small, low-volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reaction.

Due to its high degree of microporosity and its high adsorption capacity carbon can be used in many applications. It’s the only material effective against pesticides, fertilizer and other harmful substances. Activated carbons are also used for the adsorption of Hydrogen Sulfide(H2S). Adsorption rates for H2S as high as 50% by weight have been reported.

In the industrial application Activated Carbon can be used in two different shapes:

GRANULATED CARBON IMPREGNATED MEDIA

VERY IMPORTANT: Activated carbon filter cannot guarantee the total protection of operator from harmful effects of chemical products. Activate Carbon filter can just reduce the dangerous effects. We always suggest to use also individual protection equipment (activated carbon mask).

Suggestion to keep activated carbon filter as

long as possible effective.

After every use:

1)Remove the activated carbon filter from the cabin using

suitable gloves and mask;

2) Replace it with a standard dust filter;

3) Put the activated carbon filter into the resealable nylon bag,

in a dry enviroment far away from sun light.

FUNCTION: This filter clean from smell, pollen and dust the recircultaing air inside the cabin when operator use the HVAC systrem.

TECHNICAL DETAILS: this kind of filter can be produced

using different pleated media like non-woven, polyester, microfiber or simply cellulose. Filter frame can be made in plastic, metal, or PU.

SERVICE: it’s mandatory to replace the recirculation filter as recommended by the machinery maintenance and service documents cause old filter can generate mildew.

APPLICATION: heavy, medium and light duty application.

TO KEEP A REAL HEALTHY ENVIROMENT

INSIDE THE CABIN.

SERVICE NEEDS TO CARRIED OUR

CORRECTLY.

Saturated filter =

Ventilation powerful reduction =

Worse recirculating air quality =

Harmful particles, Mildew and fungus =

Bad smell

For all these reasons it’s strictly reccomended to replace cabin filter accordingly with the instruction marked on the filter or on

the maintenance/Service manual

Don’t blow with compressed air, cause you can damage the filter

Don’t wash the filter, you could damage the media. You must replece it.

Don’t leave the filter on the enviroment. Filter used with pesticides is a dangerous waste and it must be disposed in suitable place !

Don’t blow with compressed air, cause you can damage the filter

Don’t wash the filter, you could damage the media. You must replece it.

Don’t leave the filter on the enviroment. Filter used with pesticides is a dangerous waste and it must be disposed in suitable place !

Accordingly with European standard for Agricultural Machineries 2006/42/CE, for the driver safety it’s mandatory to use activated carbon filters when hazardous substance are used in the work to reduce the risk of breathing diseases, allergies etc.

EN779-2012: Its purpose is to classify air filters based on their lowest filtration efficiency

EN1822-2009: its purposeis to classify EPA, HEPA and ULPA filters through a specific test

EN 15695-2010: it aims to improve the protection of agricultural machine operators against substances harmful to health such as dust, aerosols and vapors during spraying work or spreading, providing protective qualities of the cab in different configurations. Four classes of cabins are defined by the EN15695 standard based on their protective qualities.

Classification of air filters1)

Group Cl

as

s

Final pressure

drop (test)

Pa

Average

arrestance (Am)

of synthetic dust

%

Average

efficiency (Em)

for 0.4 μm

particles

%

Minimum

efficiency2)

for 0.4 μm particles

%

Coarse

G1 250 50≤Am<65 - -

G2 250 65≤Am<80 - -

G3 250 80≤Am<90 - -

G4 250 90≤Am - -

Medium M5 450

-

40≤Em<60 -

M6 450 - 60≤Em<80 -

Fine

F7 450 - 80≤Em<90 35

F8 450 - 90≤Em<95 55

F9 450 - 95≤Em 70

Integral Value Local Value

Filter

Class

Collection

Efficiency %

Penetration

%

Collection

Efficiency %

Penetration

%

E10 85 15 - -

E11 95 5 - -

E12 99,5 0,5 - -

H13 99,95 0,05 99,75 0,25

H14 99,995 0,005 99,975 0,025

U15 99,9995 0,0005 99,9975 0,0025

U16 99,99995 0,00005 99,99975 0,00025

U17 99,999995 0,000005 99,9999 0,0001

EN 15695 does not cover:

The exposure linked to fumigants;

The category of cab and performance level to be used for any particular application;

The actual cab performance in the field applications;

The field durability of filters.

EN 15695 is not applicable to tractor cabs which are manufactured before the date of its publication as an

EN.

How the operator is involved in this standard?

The operator must check the cab protection level in order to be protect during the specific works. Depending on the case the the cab must comply with specification prescribe by the standard.

With regard to the application of plant protection

products (PPP) the operator may be exposed to risks:

- Before actual spraying operation (e.g. sprayer adjustment)

- during the spraying operation (e.g. adjusting sprayer on the field)

- after spraying operation (e.g. sprayer cleaning)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be always used: gloves for dermal exposure and filtering mask for respiratory exposure.

Category 1 Cab which does not provide a specified level of protection against hazardous substances.

Category 2 Cab which provides protection against dust(s).

Category 3

Cab which provides protection against dust(s) and aerosols.

Category 4

Cab which provides protection against dust(s), aerosols and vapours.