Tiger-Vac CD-IT (160L) EX (CFE) 1/2GD

Tiger-Vac CD-IT (160L) EX (CFE) 1/2GD – High-Capacity Oil-Based Inert ATEX Vacuum for Reactive Metal Dust

The Tiger-Vac CD-IT (160L) EX (CFE) 1/2GD is the largest unit in the CD-IT inert vacuum series. It is engineered for safe recovery and inertization of large quantities of conductive, combustible and self-heating metal powders in ATEX Zones 1, 2, 21 and 22. The system uses Tiger-Vac’s oil-based immersion technology (“Wet Oil Mix”), where reactive metal dust is submerged into a controlled neutralizing bath.

With its 160L stainless-steel immersion tank and powerful 7.5 kW explosion-proof motor, this model is built for industrial environments with very high dust throughput, long hose runs or multi-operator setups. It is commonly installed as a centralised inert recovery station in AM factories, defence facilities and metal processing plants.

Applications – where the 160L model excels

• Large-scale additive manufacturing facilities (6+ metal printers or automated AM cells)
• High-volume recovery of reactive metal powders: aluminium, magnesium, titanium, zirconium, superalloys
• Ammunition and defence industry with heavy combustible metal dust loads
• Metalworking, grinding and finishing operations producing hazardous reactive fines
• Battery R&D and production environments handling lithium-, cobalt-, nickel- or conductive graphite powders

Users typically select the 160L model when:

• minimal tank emptying and maximum uptime are required,
• large daily amounts of reactive metal dust must be neutralised,
• a centralised inert vacuum is needed to service multiple stations.

Neutralizing liquid, permitted and prohibited materials

The CD-IT (160L) EX (CFE) is designed exclusively for mineral oil or another manufacturer-approved neutralizing liquid. Oil immersion is required for reactive and water-reactive metal powders including magnesium, aluminium, titanium, zirconium and lithium-based blends.

Permitted: metallic reactive dusts (Al, Mg, Ti, Zr, superalloys, AM metal powders, ammunition residues)

Not permitted: organic dust, wood dust, food dust, plastics dust and all non-metallic dusts.

Inertization and filtration

Air and dust are conveyed through conductive hoses and ESD-safe tools into the 160L immersion separator, where particles are submerged and chemically/thermally neutralised. The airflow then passes through the Coalescing Filter Element (CFE) for droplet removal.

A HEPA filter is optional and can be installed using the dedicated HEPA housing assembly.

The explosion-proof TEFC three-phase motor is third-party certified for continuous duty operation in hazardous environments.

ATEX, IECEx and EN 17348 compliance

The unit is third-party certified as II 1/2GD with external marking Ex db h IIB T4 Gb / Ex h tb IIIC T135°C Db IP65 and internal marking Ex h IIC T6 Ga / Ex h IIIC T50°C Da.

IECEx certified under IECEx LCI 10.0040X and compliant with EN 17348 WT for the recovery of combustible and self-heating dusts.

Full ESD compliance with total system resistance < 10 ohms when conductive hoses and tools are used.

Part of the CD-IT EX (CFE) inert vacuum series

The CD-IT (160L) is the largest model in a three-unit inert vacuum series. All models share the same immersion technology, ATEX 1/2GD classification and IECEx certification, differing only in motor size, airflow and liquid bath capacity.

Tools, accessories and safety options

Standard equipment includes: conductive tool kit, stainless-steel sieve basket, liquid level indicator and CFE filter. HEPA kit is available as an optional upgrade.

Optional safety features include a rupture disk (pressure relief) and degassing valve for controlled venting when working with highly reactive metal powders.

Technical & safety note

This unit must only be used with compatible neutralizing liquids, within certified ATEX zones and with a fully bonded conductive hose and tool system. Inertization reduces ignition risk but does not replace a full process hazard analysis.