Dust Properties and Choosing a Collector

Do you know your dust? Consider your dust properties carefully to identify the best dust collection solution.

-Size: What is the size of the dust particles being filtered; fine or large?

-Density: Is the dust low in density like wood chips or heavy in density like fine steel dust?

-Chemistry: Will you be filtering any abrasive dust? Corrosive dust?

-Temperature: Will you need to operate in a high heat environment?

-Moisture: Is there any moisture or oil present in the dust?

Now that we've considered your dust properties we can narrow down the selection of dust collection systems that may be the best fit for your facility. These are the three main types of collectors and what industries typically use them:

Baghouse

Baghouses are usually suited for large volume applications. They will perform best when you have a large area or high volume of dust that needs to be captured. For example, collecting more than one 55 gallon a drum per day and an airflow exceeding 1000 CFM would be considered high volume. You will also see baghouses in high temperature applications. Here are some industries that use baghouses:

-Foundries

-Mining

-Castings

Cartridge Collectors

Cartridge collectors can be more compact and modular than baghouses. When you have height or space restrictions in your facility, a cartridge collector is going to be one of your best considerations. A cartridge collector will work best when you are collecting a low volume of dust and when you have a CFM of 500 or greater. For example, less than one 55 gallon drum a day would be considered best. The more common industries that use cartridge collectors:

-Steel

-Synthetics

-Paint/Powder Booths

Bin Vents

Bin vents are going to work best in applications where you are moving product from location to the other, and the dust being produced from that movement needs to be captured. Just like a cartridge collector, bin vents are quite compact. They handle a lower volume of dust and can handle between 400 - 10,000 CFM. Some of the environments they work best in are:

-Sand

-Cement

-Agriculture

Now that you have an introduction to dust properties, the most common dust collectors, and which one may work best for your application, you have enough information to get started on your next dust collector project. You can also take advantage of our free Dust Collector Purchasing Guide that will help direct you to buying a dust collector that will provide you with the most optimal performance for your needs.