New Cartridge Filter Dust Collectors

Cartridge filter dust collectors are built for high efficiency and a small footprint. There are many considerations when choosing a cartridge filter system for your process.

The first consideration is where should the system be located at your facility. Air, much like water or other materials that move through a pipe or duct has friction loss. The friction reduces the efficiency of your fan. Excess ductwork and fittings can cost you additional money by having to overcome those friction losses with a higher efficiency fan on the initial purchase. It can also cost you in the long run by operating this fan for many years overcoming those losses. Locating your dust collector as close to your pickup points as possible can help save on these costs.

Properly designing you ductwork is imperative. Dust has mass and requires a minimum velocity to transport the dust within the system. If you know the particle size and type of dust, the carrying velocities can be easily determined. If the ducting is not designed properly, dust will fall out of the airstream and clog your duct. This is especially important due to the weight this adds to your supported ductwork. Most ductwork installations are not designed to support excess weight inside the ductwork. The excess dust may also provide fuel if a combustible event ever happens within your system. More times than not, things in manufacturing change. Dust collection systems should be considered during these changes. Change in a dust collection system must be managed by a knowledgable individual who understands dust collection, ductwork, carrying velocities, static pressures and friction losses. If a company simply moves ductwork, modifies ductwork, or adds pickup points in a system, the whole system can be thrown out of balance and can create inefficiencies that lead to a wide variety of issues. Always manage change with your dust collectors and dust collection ductwork with a qualified individual or company that specializes in dust collection.

Special considerations have to be made when dealing with a combustible dust. Many products, when reduced to a dust form, can become a combustible dust. It is not always intuitive whether dust is combustible or not. If the properties of your dust have not been tested and are not known, it is imperative this is considered, researched and or tested for conclusive documentation of the dust particulate properties. Some examples of combustible dust are wood, plastic, shot blasting, sugar, metal processing and many others. There is OSHA law and NFPA guidelines for dealing with combustible dust collection in the work place. Combustible dust hazards can be controlled by devices placed on and inside of your dust collection equipment.

Cartridge collectors are constructed with vertical filters or with horizontal filters. If you are only considering up front costs, the horizontal filter unit seems like a good choice. However, in most applications, the dust will build up on the top half of the filter and not clean off during the filter pulse cycle. This reduces efficiency of the original design. This potential buildup should especially be considered as a fuel source if your dust is combustible.

Servicing of the dust collector should also be considered. Because of the excess buildup, horizontal filters are extremely heavy and cumbersome to change during a filter change out. Vertical filters generally slide in from the catwalk door access on the dirty air plenum onto a track. Most have a cam arm that push up on the row of filters therefore sealing them to the cell plate separating the clean air plenum from the dirty air plenum. Typically the buildup of dust in the pleats of the vertical filter is non existent which allows for a higher efficiency unit overall. Filter install and removal also becomes a menial task with a vertical filter install.

Faulkner Industrial can help. We provide and install turn key cartridge dust collection systems. Our team can help you work with the right OEM and installation to insure you have an efficient system that will protect your employees and assets. Contact us on the info@faulknerindustrial.com or at 1-800-817-1668 and one of our representatives will help you get the process started.