Boss Products Fire and Explosion Protection Distributor
Collectors & Filters is your authorized distributor for Boss Products systems. We spec and deploy these solutions to eliminate explosion risk and protect your people in facilities across from our home office in Indiana, serving manufacturers throughout Indiana and the Midwest.
Boss Products is engineered for combustible dust hazards in industrial environments. Unlike standard safety components you get passive fail-safe operation and FM Approved detection without the maintenance headaches.
Why Choose Boss Products?
Reliability matters. Whether you are running wood processing or metal grinding operations, you need equipment that meets NFPA 652, NFPA 68 (venting), NFPA 69 (suppression/isolation) , ATEX, and FM Approved standards.
Boss Products systems integrate seamlessly into your existing process and protect your bottom line.
We Are Your Boss Products Supplier
We don’t just ship parts; we provide solutions. Collectors & Filters handles the technical calculations and system design to ensure your project lands on time and under budget.
Contact us today to spec the right system for your facility.
The Boss Products Advantage
Most safety systems rely on electricity to function. Boss Products took a different approach. Their core isolation devices operate passively: no power required in the hazard zone. When an explosion hits, spring-loaded mechanisms and pressure-activated flaps respond instantly. Grid failure during a deflagration event? The system still closes. That’s the engineering difference.
Top Three Products
VigiFlap Explosion Isolation Valves
The VigiFlap is the most widely deployed passive explosion isolation valve in North America. Its straight-through inlet/outlet architecture with round domed flap geometry prevents dust accumulation while maintaining the industry’s lowest pressure drop. Sizes range from 4″ to 32″ diameter (ATEX certified); larger sizes available per manufacturer specification. Install it vertical, horizontal, or diagonal: ATEX certified for any orientation.
- Pressure Drop Efficiency: Straight-through design reduces losses 30 to 40% versus rectangular flaps. Expect thousands in annual energy savings on 10,000 CFM systems running 8,000 hours.
- Zero Electrical Components: Requires no power, sensors, or complex control systems in the hazard zone.
- Dust-Friendly Architecture: Rounded inlet/outlet eliminates corners where dust bridges and cakes.
EcoMAXX Spark Detection and Extinguishing System
The EcoMAXX EM-FCS is FM Approved integrated spark detection and water suppression platform. It detects and extinguishes ignition sources in flight within milliseconds: before particles reach your collector. One control unit monitors multiple detector locations simultaneously. No separate panels for each zone.
- Infrared Detection: 0.7 to 1.1 micron wavelength sensors detect spark and flame signatures while rejecting false alarms from ambient process heat.
- Milliseconds Response: Water suppression activates faster than spark travel time through piping. Prevents dust cloud ignition entirely.
- Multi-Zone Capability: Single control module monitors multiple separate duct zones. Saves thousands in control panels versus dedicated panels.
- Integrated Shutdown Sequences: Spark detected. Abort gate closes. Fan stops. Suppression sprays. All within a blink of an eye.
Additional Product Categories
Explosion Venting Systems
Distinct vent geometries for every pressure profile application. Flat panels for low-vacuum collectors. Domed panels for high-vacuum pulse-cleaning baghouses. High-vacuum panels rated to -250″ W.C. for extreme duty. Flameless vents that contain flames and hot particles inside the vessel: no exterior discharge piping required.
FireBreak Shutters
Source-level fire isolation at dust generation points: grinding stations, saw discharges, welding hoods. Gravity-magnetic or full pneumatic operation. Millisecond response. Sizes from 6″ to 28″ diameter. Dual-mode operation enables deployment in facilities with or without compressed air.
Thermal Probes
Temperature-based detection of smoldering combustion and thermal runaway events. Detects both absolute temperature thresholds and rapid temperature rise rates. Catches slow-burn conditions in wood dust, organic materials, and exothermic chemical processes where infrared sensors alone might miss the hazard. Multiple probes per facility monitored from a single control module.
| Category | Boss Products Advantage | What Most Safety Equipment Does | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explosion Isolation & Diversion | |||
| VigiFlap Isolation Valve | ✓ Passive explosion isolation valve — ATEX certified, NFPA 69 compliant; stops explosion propagation through connected ductwork without power or controls required | Basic check valves and dampers are not rated or tested for explosion isolation — they fail under the pressure wave of a deflagration event | NFPA 69 requires explosion isolation on all suction-side ducts connected to dust collectors handling combustible dust; a non-rated valve provides no actual protection and fails compliance audits |
| No Return Valve | ✓ EcoMAXX No Return Valve — NFPA required device for all ducts transporting material with Kst value above zero; integrates with abort gates, spark detection, and suppression systems | Facilities often install dust collectors without any isolation device on suction ducts — non-compliant with NFPA and leaves adjacent equipment unprotected | A baghouse explosion without duct isolation propagates back through the ductwork to the process equipment and personnel — the NRV is the last line of defense between the collector and the production floor |
| Explosion Diverter | ✓ Redirects explosion pressure wave away from connected equipment and personnel — passive, no power required, no control panel integration needed for basic function | Standard duct configurations with no diverter allow explosion pressure and flame front to travel unrestricted in both directions from the ignition point | In interconnected dust collection systems serving multiple machines, a single ignition point can destroy the entire network without diversion devices at each branch point |
| Explosion Venting | |||
| Vent Panels | ✓ ATEX certified flat (EV-VL) and domed (EV-VD) explosion vent panels — NFPA 68 compliant; sized by calculation per EN 14491, EN 14994, EN 14797 standards | Generic vent panels sold by size without explosion vent sizing calculations — may be undersized for the actual Kst value and volume of the vessel being protected | An undersized vent panel fails to relieve pressure fast enough during a deflagration — the vessel ruptures anyway; Boss provides vent sizing calculation services to ensure the panel matches the actual hazard |
| Flameless Vent | ✓ Flameless explosion vent — vents pressure and quenches the flame front inside the device; safe for indoor installation where standard venting to atmosphere is not possible | Standard explosion vents discharge a flame front and pressure wave to atmosphere — cannot be used indoors or in occupied areas without a vent duct to the outside | Many Indiana manufacturing facilities have dust collectors located indoors with no exterior wall access; flameless venting is the only NFPA 68 compliant option for indoor installations without duct routing |
| Spark Detection & Suppression | |||
| Raptor Spark Detection | ✓ Raptor spark detection and extinguishing system — detects ignition sources in the duct before they reach the collector; activates water suppression in milliseconds | No spark detection means the first warning of an ignition event is smoke, fire, or explosion — by then the collector filters are already burning | Laser cutting, grinding, and conveying operations continuously generate sparks; detection and suppression in the duct prevents filter fires that destroy baghouses and trigger NFPA 652 incident reporting requirements |
| Raptor X Suppression | ✓ Raptor X active explosion suppression and isolation — detects pressure rise at the earliest stage of deflagration and discharges suppressant before the explosion fully develops | Passive venting and isolation devices react after the explosion is underway — they mitigate consequences but cannot prevent the deflagration itself | Active suppression stops the explosion before peak pressure is reached — protects the vessel, the ductwork, and connected equipment from any pressure damage; required in applications where venting to atmosphere is not feasible |
| Fire Isolation & Abort Gates | |||
| FireBreak Shutter | ✓ EcoMAXX FireBreak Shutter — isolates fires in process ventilation and dust collection ductwork; passive (fusible link) and active (pneumatic) configurations available | Standard butterfly dampers and manual gates are not rated for fire isolation — they do not close reliably under fire conditions and provide no thermal activation | A duct fire that reaches the dust collector ignites accumulated dust in the filters and hopper — a FireBreak Shutter between the process and the collector stops fire propagation before it reaches the collector |
| High Speed Abort Gate | ✓ EcoMAXX High Speed Abort Gate — NFPA compliant safety device for return air systems; automatically vents fire, harmful gases, and burning material to atmosphere on spark detection signal | Recirculating dust collectors without abort gates return potentially contaminated or burning air to the facility — a single spark detection event with no abort gate means burning air re-enters the occupied space | NFPA 654 requires abort gates on recirculating collectors in combustible dust applications; the abort gate is the device that makes recirculation safe — without it, recirculation is not permitted |
| Rotary Valves & Process Components | |||
| HT Series Rotary Valve | ✓ Cast iron rotary airlock valve — ATEX certified, NFPA 69 compliant; explosion and flame proof rated to 25 PSI / 670″ W.C.; differential pressures to 40″ W.C. | Standard rotary valves are airlocks only — not explosion rated, not ATEX certified, not compliant for use below combustible dust collectors | A rotary valve below a dust collector hopper is an isolation point; if it is not explosion-rated, an ignition event in the hopper propagates through the valve to the conveyor or bin below — defeating the entire isolation strategy |
| HTS & BS Series Valves | ✓ HTS Series for high-vacuum applications to 160″ W.C.; BS Series for standard duty to 28″ W.C. — rotor tip options: neoprene, silicone, polyurethane for material compatibility | Single-configuration rotary valves require over-specifying for low-pressure applications or under-specifying for high-vacuum systems — no material-matched rotor tip options | Conveying system vacuum levels and material characteristics vary significantly across applications; matching the valve series and rotor tip to the specific application prevents premature tip wear, material leakage, and seal failure |
| Controls, Automation & Services | |||
| Automatic Blast Gates | ✓ EB-ABG automatic blast gates — integrated with energy management control system; open and close automatically based on which machines are running | Manual blast gates require operators to open and close gates as machines start and stop — gates are routinely left open, reducing airflow to active collection points | Automatic blast gates eliminate the human factor in airflow management; the system always directs full suction to active machines and closes unused branches — consistent capture velocity at every hood regardless of operator behavior |
| Energy Management | ✓ Boss energy management control systems — monitor and control dust collector fan speed, blast gates, and system pressure in real time; VFD integration reduces fan energy consumption | Fixed-speed dust collectors run at full power regardless of how many machines are operating — energy waste on low-production shifts and weekends | VFD-controlled fans matched to actual system demand reduce energy consumption 30–50% on variable production schedules; payback periods of 12–24 months are common on systems over 25 HP |
| Dust Hazard Analysis | ✓ Boss provides NFPA 652-required Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) services — identifies combustible dust hazards, documents compliance gaps, and specifies corrective equipment | Equipment suppliers provide equipment only — DHA documentation and compliance gap analysis require a separate engineering firm, adding cost and coordination complexity | NFPA 652 requires a DHA for all facilities handling combustible dust; facilities without a documented DHA face OSHA citations and insurance coverage gaps — Boss completes the analysis and supplies the corrective equipment from one source |
| Boss Products America — part of the STIF Group. ATEX certified. NFPA 68 & 69 compliant. Distributed by Collectors & Filters, Whitestown, Indiana. Contact us: 317-910-1497. | |||
Frequently Asked Questions
Boss Products America is an engineered industrial safety systems manufacturer headquartered near San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the STIF Group, listed on Euronext Growth Paris, and operate an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing facility. Their product line covers fire and explosion mitigation for industrial facilities specifically dust collection systems, pneumatic conveying, grain handling, wood processing, food production, and any manufacturing environment where combustible dust presents an ignition risk. All Boss Products safety systems are FM Approved, ATEX certified, and NFPA compliant.
Combustible dust is finely divided solid particulate that, when suspended in air at sufficient concentration near an ignition source, can ignite and explode. It is present in nearly every manufacturing and processing facility including woodworking, metalworking, food production, grain handling, pharmaceuticals, plastics, rubber, and textiles. OSHA has documented nearly 300 combustible dust incidents over the past 25 years resulting in roughly 900 worker injuries and deaths, in addition to facility losses. The risk is real, it is regulated, and it is 100% manageable with proper mitigation systems.
The primary NFPA standards governing combustible dust are NFPA 652 (the foundational standard requiring a Dust Hazard Analysis for all affected facilities), NFPA 654 (manufacturing, processing, and handling of combustible particulate solids), NFPA 68 (explosion venting), and NFPA 69 (explosion prevention systems including isolation and suppression). Specific industry standards such as NFPA 61 (agricultural and food processing) and NFPA 664 (woodworking) also apply in their respective sectors. Boss Products systems are designed and certified to meet these standards. We can help you determine which standards apply to your specific process.
A Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) is a formal, documented review of your facility's dust-generating processes to identify combustion and explosion risks. NFPA 652 requires every facility that generates, handles, or processes combustible dust to complete a DHA and to review it every five years or whenever significant process changes occur. If your facility has never completed a DHA, you are out of compliance regardless of what other safety measures are in place. Boss Products offers DHA services as part of their engineering support, and Collectors & Filters can coordinate this assessment for Indiana and Midwest facilities.
These are three distinct protection strategies that address combustible dust explosions in different ways. Explosion venting (NFPA 68) uses vent panels that rupture at a predetermined pressure to release explosion energy safely — it controls the explosion but allows it to occur. Explosion isolation (NFPA 69) uses valves, abort gates, or chemical barriers to prevent a deflagration in one part of the system from propagating through ductwork into adjacent equipment or occupied spaces. Explosion suppression uses chemical agents deployed at high speed to extinguish a deflagration within milliseconds of detection, before pressure builds to a damaging level. A complete protection strategy typically combines all three approaches — venting at the collector, isolation in the duct runs, and suppression or spark detection upstream.
The VigiFlap is Boss Products' passive explosion isolation valve — the most widely deployed passive isolation valve in North America. It installs in the ductwork connecting process equipment to a dust collector and acts as a one-way barrier. When an explosion occurs in the collector, the VigiFlap closes within milliseconds under the explosion pressure wave, preventing the deflagration from traveling back through the duct and into the building or upstream process equipment. It operates with no electrical power in the hazard zone — spring-loaded mechanics mean it still functions during a power failure. Sizes range from 6 to 52 inches in diameter and it can be installed vertically, horizontally, or at any angle.
A passive isolation device, like the VigiFlap, responds automatically to the physical conditions of the explosion itself: pressure, temperature, or airflow reversal triggers the mechanical closure without any external signal, power, or control system. An active system uses sensors to detect an explosion event and then sends an electrical or pneumatic signal to trigger a valve or suppression agent. Passive systems have fewer failure points and respond without depending on sensor accuracy or control system speed. Active systems allow for more precise control and can be integrated into broader safety shutdown sequences. Boss Products offers both, and the right choice depends on your system layout, Kst rating of your dust, and applicable NFPA requirements.
Explosion vent panels are engineered pressure-relief devices installed in the housing of a dust collector or process vessel. When an explosion occurs inside, the vent panel ruptures at a calibrated burst pressure and releases the deflagration energy to the atmosphere before pressure reaches a destructive level. Standard vent panels must discharge to a safe outdoor area and they cannot be used when the collector is located indoors or adjacent to occupied spaces. Flameless explosion vents add a flame-arresting filter element over the vent opening that extinguishes the fireball and retains hot particles, making indoor installation safe. Boss Products offers flat panels, domed panels, high-vacuum panels, and flameless vents sized to NFPA 68 requirements.
Spark detection systems use infrared sensors mounted in the ductwork to detect sparks, embers, or flame signatures in the airstream before they reach the dust collector. When a spark is detected, the system triggers a water suppression spray in the duct to extinguish it in flight — in under 500 milliseconds — before it can ignite accumulated dust in the collector. Boss Products' EcoMAXX system is FM Approved and monitors multiple duct zones from a single control unit. Spark detection is particularly important in woodworking, biomass, and any application where hot work or friction can generate sparks upstream of the collector.
An abort gate is a high-speed diverter valve installed on the clean air discharge side of a dust collector between the collector and the building return air system or occupied spaces. When a fire or explosion event is detected in the collector, the abort gate closes in 50 to 180 milliseconds, diverting the contaminated airstream to the outdoors rather than allowing smoke, flame, or combustion products into the building. Boss Products' Raptor Gate abort gates are spring-loaded for fail-safe closure even during a power failure, and are available in sizes from 4 to 72 inches handling up to 87,500 CFM.
Yes. Boss Products manufactures a complete line of rotary valves in multiple series — the HT, HTS, High Temperature HTHB/HTSHB, MD, and BS series — covering standard industrial applications through high-temperature and heavy-duty service. Rotary valves are used as material discharge devices at the bottom of dust collector hoppers, silos, and cyclones, and serve double duty as passive explosion isolation barriers when properly rated. Boss Products also offers compression couplings, heavy-duty barometric dampers, and automatic blast gates as part of their process component line.
Yes. Boss Products provides Dust Hazard Analysis services, explosion vent sizing calculations, start-up and commissioning support, technical support and service, and training for facility safety personnel. They also offer an online explosion vent calculator for preliminary sizing. For facilities in Indiana and the Midwest, Collectors & Filters coordinates Boss Products engineering support as part of the project — we do not simply ship hardware and leave you to figure out compliance on your own.
Collectors & Filters in Whitestown, Indiana is an authorized Boss Products distributor serving manufacturers throughout Indiana and the broader Midwest region. We provide system specification, NFPA compliance review, equipment coordination, and installation support for the full Boss Products line including explosion isolation valves, abort gates, explosion vents, flameless vents, spark detection systems, and rotary valves.