Novatec's UV technology helps sanitize factory floor

Baltimore-based auxiliary equipment maker Novatec Inc. has invented an air sterilization machine that it says can mitigate the level of COVID-19 virus pathogens present in factory air by removing dust and particulate from work areas.

The patent-pending technology, called ScrubX Sanitizing System, consists of a multi-stage air circulator, scrubber and sanitizer that Novatec says traps airborne particulate and then kills any viral matter with a multi-staged ultraviolet system.

The air enters a system designed to remove most of the dust, then directs it to a collection container with ultraviolet C (UVC) germicidal lamps, or more precisely, a narrow band of UV light called "far-UVC."

Any factory dust that is too fine for the ScrubX enters a second-stage filter that has more UVC lamps and a 0.1-micron ultra HEPA filter, which Novatec says removes dust and small pathogens, including coronavirus.

ScrubX is a next-generation product developed for issues related to plastic dust in the factory, Biplab Pal, chief technology officer and co-founder of Novatec's sister company, MachineSense LLC, told Plastics News.
MachineSense designed the built-in controls to measure the air quality index, filter status and particulate levels for complete remote monitoring of suspended pathogen and dust levels. The control system receives feedback from particulate monitoring sensors located in dust-prone areas.

"Submicron particulates are always bad for human health. It damages lungs. But with COVID-19, [the particulates] are making the factory environment highly contagious for virus transmission," Pal said. "Research has shown that most of the COVID-19 virus transmission happens indoors and via air-borne forms. It's also well-known masks do very little to stop 0.1 micron Covid-19. Therefore, it is imperative that factories have to do their best to clean the plastic dust in real-time before the particulates become carriers of the COVID-19."

UV light kills pathogens by damaging their DNA. The technology has been used for years to sterilize surgical rooms, research labs, HVAC ducts and in the semiconductor and food industries. Now there is growing interest in the technology for public transit, office buildings, schools and restaurants to help reduce coronavirus transmission.

New York City recently began testing UVC irradiation on subway cars and buses. China is doing that already. A bus company in Shanghai says the technology reduced it disinfection time from 40 minutes to 5 minutes with less labor.

Also, Amazon announced it is working on an ultraviolet robot to disinfect its warehouses and Whole Foods stores. A video shared recently with CBS News' 60 Minutes shows the robot, which consists of a metal frame on wheels that is equipped with UV tube lights, rolling down a freezer aisle aiming its blue light at glass doors and handles.

Sunlight contains three types of UV. UVA and UVB reach Earth and can damage the DNA in skin, causing sunburns, wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer.

UVC consists of shorter wavelengths of higher-energy light that is filtered out by the ozone, which is good because these rays can destroy genetic material be it human or viral particles. That's why UVC light is usually installed above people's heads or restricted for use in unoccupied rooms.

However, an even narrower narrow band of UV light, far-UVC, is proving to be just as effective at killing germs as higher ranges of UVC light, but is less harmful to skin and eyes. Far-UVC can be used to sterilize spaces while people are around, making it ideal for crowded places like cruise ships.

Even so, Pal said all UVC produced and used by ScrubX happens internally.

"There is no external exposure to personnel," he said. "It can only be opened after power has been switched off and the required sanitization time has been met."

Scientists also are studying far-UVC and its ability to disinfect surfaces in addition to destroying pathogens in the air at Columbia University's Center for Radiological Research.

If widely used in occupied public places, far-UVC technology has the potential to curtail future epidemics and pandemics, according to the center's director, David Brenner, a professor of radiation biophysics.

"Far-UVC takes a fundamentally different tactic in the war against COVID-19," Brenner said in a recent news release. "Most approaches focus on fighting the virus once it has gotten into the body. Far-UVC is one of the very few approaches that has the potential to prevent the spread of viruses before they enter the body."

Businesses are just beginning to ramp up production of far-UVC fixtures and systems.

Pal said ScrubX combines the manufacturing and factory experience of Novatec with the Internet of Things (IoT) platform developed by Machinesense. Three features make it distinct, he added: The sensors and machines work in unison to remove dust in the factory based on actual data; a unique mechanical design collects the dust in a special quartz tube irradiated with UVC; and it has a specialized dust-dispensing system for fabric filters, which collect smaller particles and last longer.

"ScrubX is just not a stand-alone dumb machine," Pal said. "It receives feedback of particulate levels from sensors that detects dusts of 0.3-40 micron size from different areas of the factory. It's a full-blown Internet of Things-based modern dust cleaning system where multiple machines with multiple particulate sensors can be deployed to clean the dust of the factory effectively."

Mark Haynie, Novatec's dryer product sales manager, said ScrubX is generating a lot of interest as a new entry into the market. One unit can provide dust and particulate control for up to 3,000 square feet of interior space.

"This product is a good fit to the times as well as future periods when bacteria and viruses would be present," Haynie said.

The system is geared toward plastic factories but is also suitable for facilities that cut, polish and process wood, food, stone construction materials and metal, Haynie added.

"While most airborne viruses can circulate for up to five hours, with dust and particulate hanging in the air, the virus could stay present for 48 hours or more," Haynie said.

Both mobile and stationary units are available. Mobile units can be easily moved throughout the factory, or stationary units can be installed in a fixed location, inside or outside of the building.

Another advantage of the system is that it doesn't have to be incorporated into the HVAC system, which would add to the cost, Haynie said. He described the cost as "reasonable to provide the safeguarding of the plant and its personnel."

In a news release about the ScrubX system, Novatec CEO and MachineSense co-founder Conrad Bessemer said, "Novatec is hoping their technology will get more people back to work safer and faster than thought possible."

MachineSense also has introduced an infrared temperature scanning system that can be used to help detect and screen for COVID-19 called FeverWarn.