Making sure that your manufacturing facility is free from dust and other particles in the air has never been more important. However, deciding which type of system to choose for your building can be somewhat confusing. We understand that, so we’ve outlined things to look for in a dust collection system and the pros and cons of each type of system. The dust collection system that’s best for you depends in large part on your application, the type of dust or particulate you are looking to capture, and the size of your facility.
What to consider when choosing an industrial dust collection system
The first thing you need to look at when choosing an industrial dust collection system is the type of dust you are looking to capture.
Are the particulates large or small?
Are they coarse, oily, or sticky?
You should also consider the space you have to devote to the collection system.
Are you looking to collect particulates in a specific area, or do you want to reduce the particulates in the ambient air?
Do you want to locate the collection system indoors or outdoors?
All these answers will determine what type of dust collection system is best for you and your process.
What is a cartridge dust collector?
Cartridge dust collectors, as the name implies, involve pleated media filter cartridges that collect particulates which can then be discharged from the filters using a pulse- jet cleaning system. The cartridges sit in a rack-like structure where air can be pulled through the pleated media.
Cartridge dust collectors are particularly good for eliminating fine dust and dust and byproducts of applications such as welding, plasma cutting, and laser tools.
This type of dust collection system operates efficiently down to .3 microns, which makes it a good choice for things like pharmaceutical dust.
However, this type of collection system operates poorly with sticky or tacky particulates or those that adhere to one another. These types of particulates can get clogged between them filter pleats in the system, reducing system efficiency, and even causing the system to fail and stop production.
Cartridge dust collectors come in a variety of sizes and configurations. The smallest cartridge collectors are much smaller than the smallest pulse-jet baghouse. This can be an advantage for indoor applications where space is at a premium.
One additional benefit of a cartridge collection system is that employees have no contact with particulates when they are changing the cartridges. They stay out in the “clean” air, away from the dust, smoke, or fumes.
What is a baghouse dust collector?
A baghouse dust collector uses a type of fabric filter to separate particulates from the air. They use an induced draft blower to pull dust laden air through the bag-type filter elements. This type of filter has been used for decades in manufacturing, agricultural, and industrial minerals applications.
One of the most used baghouse dust collectors is the pulse jet. This industry workhorse has no moving parts in its basic configuration, allowing for collection efficiencies of greater than 99.9%. In the pulse-jet dust collection system, the air enters from below the bags or filters and is pulled up through the filters where dust is captured. The dust is then dislodged from the bag filters with the pulse-jet cleaning system falling into a storage hoper below.
Baghouse dust collectors work best with larger sized dry particles. This type of collector is efficient down to around 5 microns (much larger than with the cartridge collector). The fabric collection bags used with baghouse collectors also, generally, last longer than collection cartridges. This type of collection system works better with larger, fibrous particles, such as wood or grain dust. In general, baghouse collection systems are large systems and usually are placed outside.
To learn more about how to choose a dust collection system and how cartridge dust collectors can benefit your manufacturing process, visit camcorpinc.com or contact us at (insert contact info). CAMCORP has been a leader in air and environmental technology for more than 30 years.
