The Different Types of Industrial Dust Collection Systems Explained

Thousands of industrial environments create airborne particles, ranging from sub-micron size smoke to large chunks of plastic, paper or wood. While some dust is hazardous and presents a safety issue, other dust reduces visibility and needs to be removed. Operations creating fumes and smoke use industrial dust collection systems to clear the air.

Not only do industrial dust collection systems clear the air, but they also improve employee efficiency, increase employee retention, help ensure a safe working environment and reduce equipment maintenance costs. This means keeping your facility clean can be good for your bottom line.

How do you know which system is appropriate for your needs?

In this blog, we’ll discuss the different types of industrial dust collection systems and the advantages of each.

Baghouse Dust Collectors

Baghouse dust collectors use long, cylindrical bags (or tubes) made of fabric to filter dust and particles. In many cases, the dirty air enters the baghouse. From there, the process air is drawn through the bags where the particulate is collected on the outside of the filter and clean air passes through the filter. A pressure differential switch will monitor filter conditions and activate a cleaning system as needed.

Advantages of Baghouse Dust Collectors

• High temperature: If your application requires temperatures above 250 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s often best to opt for a baghouse dust collector.
• Sticky materials: Sticky or adhesive particulates are better collected in a baghouse dust collector.
• Heavy dust load: The more dust you’re collecting, the more likely you are to need a baghouse dust collector.
• Durability: The bag filters are durable, flexible and typically have a longer service life than cartridges, reducing the frequency of filter replacements.

Cartridge Dust Collectors

Cartridge dust collectors use a pleated cartridge filter instead of bags. Because the filters are pleated, they have a larger total filtering surface area per cubic feet per minute (CFM), which reduces the air-to-cloth ratio and size of the dust collector. Cartridge dust collectors are cleaned by a pulse-jet method similar to baghouse dust collectors.

Advantages of Cartridge Dust Collectors

• Efficiency: With efficiencies reaching 99.97% at .3 microns, cartridge dust collectors are generally the choice for fine dust.
• Size: Because of their quality filtration in a compact size, cartridge dust collectors are ideal for indoor or small-space operations.

ACTion Booth Collectors

The ACTion Booth is one of the most versatile industrial dust collection systems for air filtration and can be used in sanding, blasting and many other applications where ambient dust is a problem. This dust collection booth comes with a 7.5 HP blower motor that is capable of 5,400 CFM. Featuring a heavily constructed louvered door, which is one of the largest in the industry, you get maximum dust collection at all working heights. Booth sizes can range from 8’x8’ to 48’x24’.

The Case for the ACTion Booth

• High-efficiency Nano-Elite cartridge filters: These feature a MERV 15 efficiency rating for effective collection of extremely fine dust, smoke and fume, removing 99.9% of particulate from the air.
• Ease of maintenance: Aside from changing the filters, there is almost no maintenance required on this dust collection booth.
• Installation: With space at a premium, the ACTion Booth can be serviced from the front and top, allowing installation against walls on the back or sides.
  

See what makes the ACTion Booth an effective dust collection system in our video demo.

LaserPack Units

Laser and plasma cutting processes generate dust, fumes and various oxides that are dangerous to breathe. Therefore, laser fume extraction is paramount for the safety of personnel and proper operation of expensive laser equipment. The LaserPack 4 and LaserPack 6 provide a unique, heavy-duty and effective solution for removing dust from your facility; ideal for fume or smoke where sparks are present.

Why LaserPack Collectors?

The LaserPack dust collectors feature:

• Controls that are mounted on the side of the collector and prewired for easy, on-site hookup
• An optional remote start to start the LaserPack from the main laser system controls
• A dust drawer base that makes for easy handling and disposal of the collected dust

Clear the Air With an Industrial Dust Collection System

No matter your application, A.C.T. Dust Collectors offers solutions for all dust collection needs and will assist in choosing the right industrial dust collection systems for woodworking, welding dust collectors or another system for your application.