cartridge dust collector with filters at the bottom

Summary

Summary: Small dust collectors for applications up to 1,000 CFM airflow cost between $100 up to $5,000 USD.  Pre-fab dust collection systems such as a bin vent or cartridge type collector cost between $10,000 and $80,000 USD. Pre-fab units accommodate airflow volumes between 2,000 and 10,000 CFM. Custom baghouse dust collectors or multiple module bin vents and cartridge collectors range between $50,000 to $1 million USD and more.

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Table of Contents

  • What is a dust collector?
  • Dust Collector Cost
  • What Goes into the Price of Your Dust Collector
  • Dust Collector Filter Media
  • Electrical Controls or Accessories
  • Summary
  • Dust Collection Resources

What is a Dust Collector?

Dry dust collection systems remove airborne dust that generate during manufacturing or industrial processing. Examples include woodworking, bulk powder processing, or food production. Dust collectors range from small portable units to extensive custom turnkey systems.

Dust Collector Cost

Small Dust Collector Cost

A small dust collector that is able to handle up to 750 or 1,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airflow can cost between $100 up to $5,000.  These small retail units are ideal for ventilating two to three pieces of equipment (i.e. saw, sander, planer) for a small woodworking or metalworking shop.  Small units must be set up extremely close to the collection point. This reduces static pressure and fan size.  You can find these units at an online retailer or home improvement store.

Large Dust Collector Cost

Larger dust collection systems are needed to ventilate large scale processing equipment. These industrial dust collectors are found in some of the following commercial applications:

  • School woodshops
  • Metalworking facilities
  • Sandblasting
  • Chemical processing
  • Food processing
  • Cement production
  • Energy production
  • Mining
  • Foundries, and many others.

Large dust collectors are designed to handle a much larger dust loads, meet higher airflow, or specific temperature requirements.  Pre-fabricated dust collection systems like a bin vent or cartridge dust collector can handle airflow volumes between 2,000 and 10,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM).  Depending on the size of the unit, filter media, and the fan size, units can range between $10,000 – $80,000 USD.

Custom Dust Collector Cost

Custom turnkey, dust collection systems that require complete engineering can range between $50,000 – $1 million USD or more. These systems can include one more pulse jet baghouses, multiple modular bin vents, or several cartridge collectors.

What Goes into the Price of Your Dust Collector

The price of your dust collection system is also determined by several variables outlined below.

Dust Load

Dust load is the amount or volume of dust in your work environment that must be cleared within a given time period.

Applications with higher dust loads require more filter media to remove airborne dust particulate.  This means you’ll need a dust collector with a larger footprint. This can drive up the overall cost of your dust collection system.  Applications that generate less than one or two 55 gallon drums of dust per day are usually good candidates for a small cartridge collector or bin vent.

Type of Dust

The properties of your dust particulate play an important role in the following:

  • Size of your system
  • Number of filters
  • Type of filter media
  • Filter treatments your application will need.
  • Air to Cloth Ratio
  • Fan Size
  • Temperature
  • Material Handling and Conveying

To understand the characteristics of your dust particulate, you can ask yourself the following questions.

Product

What is being filtered?  Does your product contain moisture or oil?  Products with moisture content greater than 25% are not suited for a dry dust collection system. Products containing hydrocarbons, including oils, may require the application of a special treatment to get optimal filtration.

Chemistry

Does your airstream or dust contain chemicals that could damage filter media?  Are there also acids or alkaline in the airstream?  When certain compounds are combined during processing, a chemical reaction can occur. This may require additional media treatment or coating to protect the filter bags from accelerated wear.

Abrasion

How abrasive is the dust that’s being filtered?  Consider the hardness of the material along with the shape of the dust.  The velocity of your airflow can also make your dust more abrasive.  Highly abrasive dust may require your housing be fabricated in stainless steel, titanium or other costly materials that are able to withstand long term wear.

Particle Size

What is the size of the dust particulate are you collecting? Depending on your emissions requirements, your application may require a special membrane. This would apply if your particulate is very fine.

Is your dust combustible?

Combustible dust can be defined as any fine material that has the ability to catch fire and explode when mixed with the proper concentration of air.  Examples of combustible dust include:

  • Wood
  • Food products such as grain, sugar, flour, starch, metals
  • Rubber
  • Chemicals
  • Pesticides
  • Plastics, and more.

OSHA and NFPA have created guidelines to protect your plant and employees from the risks of a serious explosion.  Also, be sure to review your state and local regulations for proper identification and management of combustible dust.

Applications filtering combustible dust will also need an explosion venting strategy. Explosion vents or Brixton latches are two common strategies that help reduce this risk. You may also need explosion isolation valves in the dust collection line. This helps prevent a deflagration from travelling back to the equipment should an event occurs inside the dust collector.

Dust Collector Filter Media

The type of filter media you choose impacts your system startup and long term maintenance costs. Polyester filter media is an ideal for applications with temperatures below 250°.  Polyester is affordable, highly efficient and readily available.

Other common filter medias include Aramid (Nomex©), Fiberglass, PPS, P84 and Teflon.  You can add treatments to  filter media to enhance it’s efficiency and performance. Treatment for your filter is dependent on your dust characteristics.  In addition, treatments can drive up the cost of your filter bags but also extend it’s life, reduce changeout’s and drive down long term maintenance costs.

Air to Cloth Ratio

Air to cloth ratio, also known as air to media ratio, is a measurement of the amount of cubic feet per minute of air passing through one square foot of filter media.

You can calculate air to cloth ratio based on the size and type of dust particulate you are filtering. It’s an important element in the design and size of your dust collection system.

Generally, the lower your air to cloth ratio, the better your system is at removing dust from the work environment.  However, if your air to cloth ratio is too low it can place unnecessary strain on your dust collector.  Systems that operate at a higher air to cloth ratio have a smaller footprint, size, and price than dust collectors operating at a lower air to cloth ratio.

Fan Size

Your dust load, CFM requirements, and static pressure measurements will determine the size of the fan that will pull dust through the system and turn the air.  Your dust collector’s location is relative to the work environment being ventilated and also impacts the size of your fan.  Systems installed close to the work environment can reduce the length of ducting and static pressure. As a result, a smaller fan may be required. The cost of a fan can vary depending on each of these factors.

Temperature

Applications operating above 250 degrees Fahrenheit may require more expensive filter media. These applications would need their filter to withstand long term exposure to high temperatures.

Material Handling & Conveying

Once your dust particulate has moved through your dust collection system and lands in the hopper, you’ll need to determine how to properly remove the dust. This ensures it doesn’t return into the airstream and plug up your system.  Drums are the most economical option. They perform well when handling waste material with light inlet dust loading.  Light inlet dust loading applies if you generate, at most, a one or two 55 gallon drum of dust per day.

Applications with higher dust loading requirements or those filtering non waste product, need an advanced system to convey material. This helps prevent the drum from overfilling, which can cause dust to back up or return into the hopper.  This can also result in a processing issue that will impact your dust collector’s performance.  In these situations you may need to upgrade from a drum to a larger dumpster, rotary or dump valve.

Rotary Valves

Rotary valves seal the bottom of your collector. They help prevent outside air from entering the system while allowing material to be continuously emptied from the hopper.  The cost to add a rotary valve to your dust collection system can vary between $3,000 and $5,000 USD

Pneumatic Conveying

Larger applications may also require a vacuum pneumatic conveying system. Their purpose is to vacuum material from the dust collector discharge to a common point.  For example, an application with five baghouses may include a common vacuum conveying system. It would help pull discharge material from all five baghouses to one common dust collector discharge area.

Paints, Coatings 

Applications with high moisture levels or chemical resistance may require an upgrade to epoxy paint. It can be applied to the interior and exterior of the dust collector. This helps to reduce long term wear of the system. Facilities located near an ocean, lake, or those that process caustic chemicals would use epoxy paint.

Unit Insulation

Insulation may also be required if you’re airstream temperature is high and must remain above the dew point in gas form. This eliminates the risk of moisture and condensation. Airflows with high moisture content can cause performance issues with your filter bags. This can include plugging of the system and inefficient filtration. Applications requiring insulation include ventilation of exhaust air coming off boilers, burners during metal forming, and similar processes.

Electric Controls or Accessories

Most baghouses, cartridge collectors, and bin vents come standard with an electrical control panel. This powers your pulse cleaning system and your fan separately.  Most experts recommend to integrate your control panel into a starter panel. This powers your pulse cleaning and fan at the same time.

Installation of starter panels can be done at any desired location in your plant regardless of the distance to the dust collection system. Starter panels protect your system from surges or motor damage.  While the addition of a starter panel can add to the initial cost of your system, the ease and added safety it offers make up for startup costs.

Is an OEM Dust Collector like Torit Right For Me?

We recently took a survey asking customers their attitude and preference towards OEM vs. aftermarket dust collection products. Here’s what we learned:

  • 15% of buyers prefer OEM dust collector parts and equipment exclusively
  • 85% of buyers like the option to purchase OEM or aftermarket dust collector parts and equipment
  • 65% of buyers who purchase aftermarket said they get the same performance as an OEM at a more affordable price and/or don’t care about having brand name components.
  • Another 50% prefer aftermarket products because they are more affordable
  • Of the 15% of buyers who only purchase OEM,  the most popular reason for choosing OEM is because they believe they can be trusted to perform long term (33%).

If budget is not a factor for you and you are willing to pay more for OEM then this may be the right solution for you.  However if you are looking to get the same long term performance from a dust collection system as an OEM and don’t want to pay a higher price for a brand name, then a U.S. Air Filtration system may be a fit.

Summary of Dust Collector Cost

Selecting and pricing out a dust collection system involves consideration of each variable above.  Understanding each of these variables is critical to ensuring your dust collector performs efficiently for many years to come while also creating a clean and safe work environment. Each dust collection application is unique so it is possible that applications with very similar product characteristics or volume may require a system that is different in price and size.

To ensure a successful solution, consult with a dust collection engineering and manufacturing company with extensive design and manufacturing experience.  An experienced dust collection engineering firm can help you engineer a system customized to your unique application requirements.

If you have any questions unique to your application, give us a call at 888-221-0312. You can also email info@usairfiltration.com. In addition, below are some related videos and resources that may help.

Dust Collection Resources

Get in Touch

 We understand that every dust collection project is unique and requires a specific approach. For help with your air pollution control needs, reach out to one of our knowledgeable team members below.