Skip to main content

BOMAG’s cleaner milling machine

BOMAG has developed a novel system for reducing dust levels around its milling machines. Called the Ion Dust Shield, this patented system uses ionisation to positively charge dust particles from milled cuttings. The firm says that current dust extraction technology for milling machines focuses on minimising dust levels around the operator. These ensure that the working area is kept free from dust, with this retrieved material then being exhausted to the discharge conveyor, typically at a height of around 5m
November 28, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
BOMAG’s Ion Dust Shield is claimed to reduce dust missions from a milling machine by 80%
172 BOMAG has developed a novel system for reducing dust levels around its milling machines. Called the Ion Dust Shield, this patented system uses ionisation to positively charge dust particles from milled cuttings. The firm says that current dust extraction technology for milling machines focuses on minimising dust levels around the operator. These ensure that the working area is kept free from dust, with this retrieved material then being exhausted to the discharge conveyor, typically at a height of around 5m with a standard machine.
However, the problem with this method according to BOMAG is that micro particles can end up hanging in the air around the machine, taking several hours to fall back to the ground. And it is these micro particles that provide a hazard to human health with a potential for causing lung or heart damage once they enter the body. But by ensuring that the micro particles are positively charged, BOMAG’s Ion Dust Shield ensures that the micro particles stick together so that they are larger and do not hang in the air. Moreover, as the particles are larger they also will not enter the lungs or heart.


According to BOMAG, this patented system reduces dust by 80%. Any dust settling on the machine can be simply washed off at the end of a shift as the particles will remain stuck together. A spokesperson for the firm said, “This is not a filter, so there’s no need to dispose of a contaminated component.” The spokesperson continued, “We have a system that converts dangerous micro particles into non dangerous large particles.”

The system is being introduced first on the firm’s smaller milling machines as these are typically used for operations in urban locations, where there may be concerns about dust.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Attitude is key to sustainability, says Volvo CE’s Thomas Bitter
    June 27, 2018
    Whether you are in the global Volvo Ocean Race or working on-site locally, sustainability is about attitude as much as technology. David Arminas reports. Technology, sustainability and safety. We ignore these often related themes at our peril. This was the key point made by Volvo Group chief executive Martin Lundstedt during his brief opening presentation at the start of the Building Tomorrow Conference in Spain last October. The conference took place within the harbour of Alicante that was bustling wit
  • BOMAG’s versatile round vibratory plate
    April 7, 2025

    BOMAG says that its new BR 95 e round plate vibratory unit offers a powerful and compact compaction solution. Designed for efficiency and ease of use, this electric unit suits use on projects with strict emission requirements. The BR 95 e can carry out compaction tasks in confined spaces and is said to offer a reliable alternative to combustion engine models.

  • Construction adapting with Machine control Technologies
    June 18, 2015
    Machine control technologies are revolutionising construction – Dan Gilkes writes Electronic control of engines, transmissions and hydraulic systems, primarily to reduce exhaust emissions and boost productivity, is also providing manufacturers with an opportunity to incorporate increasingly complex machine control into their equipment. This in turn has the potential to make the machinery more productive, further cutting fuel consumption as part of a virtuous operational circle.
  • New innovations for crushing and screening equipment market
    September 16, 2015
    Mobile crushing and screening solutions have become a key component for the aggregate production sector - Mike Woof writes. The market for mobile crushing and screening solutions has grown enormously in recent years. With the first track-mounted mobile units having appeared in the 1980s and pioneered by a small number of manufacturers, the range and variety of units on the market has grown enormously since.