Dust and Fume Collection for Welding

Worker safety is critically important in welding applications. A huge priority should be placed on clean air when welding, since welding smoke has been linked to a variety of illnesses. A well designed and maintained dust and fume collection system is needed to prevent respiratory problems and keep facilities in compliance with current air quality requirements. In some cases, a good dust collection and ventilation system can eliminate the need for personal respirators and the challenges of getting employees to wear them.

Also, the equipment currently used in fabricating plants has reached a new level of sophistication. Robotic welding and other computerized systems are more sensitive than machinery was 10 or 20 years ago. If dust is not collected properly from welding stations or similar areas, a million-dollar investment can be ruined in no time. Several photos of dust collector installations on welding applications can be viewed here.

FAQ: Can I recirculate the air from the dust collector back into my shop?

The answer is yes in almost all cases. It make sense to save on energy costs by returning heated or air conditioned air back into the workspace after it exits the dust collector. When using recirculating dust collection systems, special safety and performance concerns must be addressed. Often, a secondary bank of filters acts as a 'safety filter' to prevent collected dust from re-entering the workspace should there be a leak in the dust collector's primary filters.

Read the online article, Recirculating Air From Dust Collectors. It discusses benefits, safety issues, meeting OSHA IAQ standards, filter media and monitoring, and explores fire and explosion concerns. Also, here is a case study on a dust collector installation where cleaned air was recirculated back into the workspace, allowing considerable savings in heating costs during the long and cold New Hampshire winters. This is a woodworking application. The same principle could be applied to recirculated cooled air on a hot summer day in Texas!

In The News: Chemical Safety Board Releases Video on Combustible Dust

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent federal agency, has released a new safety video entitled, "Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard." It features outstanding animations that recreate the events and conditions leading to three major industrial dust accidents involving combustible dust. You can watch the YouTube video here.

The issue of combustible dust must be addressed when considering the installation of an industrial dust collector. Please watch this video to learn of surprising dangers that you probably don't realize exist. For further reading on all aspects of combustible dust, be sure to visit http://dustexplosions.blogspot.com/. This blog site offers extensive and resources on the subject. Always feel free to contact us here at Farr to answer your questions regarding your particular application.

Case Study: Sink Manufacturer's Dust Problems Down the Drain

Sink Factory, Inc. (SFI) is a manufacturer of cast polymer products. In 2004, they started their business in a facility that already had a baghouse dust collector in place. However, the volume of dust generated by the grinding and sanding of thr cast sinks proved to be too great a challenge for the undersized collection system. Employees with protective masks worked in an environment of dust laden air and thick layers of settled particulate.

Sound similar to your situation? Read the solution to this challenge and learn how a unique installation of two dust collection booths handled the massive dust loading in this case study. Great photos here.

Employee Safety, Equipment Protection or Code Compliance: Why do manufacturers install dust collection equipment?

Just about every type of manufacturing process generates some sort of dust or fume. At what point(s) does dust-laden air become a nuisance? ...a health hazard? ...a safety hazard? ...an equipment liability? ...illegal? Are manufacturers aware of such conditions in their businesses? One would certainly hope so. What motivates a manufacturer to install dust or fume collectors?

In our experience, most companies buy dust collectors because they have to, not because they want to. Of these, the majority are trying to comply with codes to keep their operation running. The second largest group who buy industrial dust collectors are those concerned with the detrimental effect that fugitive dust has on capital equipment. Finally, there's a small percentage of manufacturers who install dust or fume collectors primarily for the sake of health and safety for their employees.

All the above are valid reasons. Is one more important than the other? To whom? What can be done to help/educate manfacturers on this issue? Please feel free to comment here and express your opinion.

Safely Applying Dust Collectors to Thermal/Flame Spray Applications

Because of the various types of thermal spray applications and their effects on the operation of dust collectors, it's important to identify your specific thermal spray operation. Each process involves different shaped and sized particles along with varying loads. Additionally, strict safety procedures need to be addressed as almost all thermal spray applications can be explosive and/or flammable. Types of thermal sprays include Electric Arc Wire (EAW) spraying, powder spraying, electric arc spraying, HVOF and plasma spraying.

The potential for fire and explosion is very real when dealing with thermal spray and dust collectors. It is imperative that proper explosion venting and other safety concerns are addressed. Explosion vents, sprinkler kits, flame retardant cartridges and possibly spark traps all need to be addressed during the application process. Continue reading about Dust Collector Sizing Recommendations for Thermal/Flame Spray.

FAQ: What is a "gold cone."

In the industrial dust collection business, a "gold cone" refers to a unique filter cartridge manufactured by Farr Air Pollution Control in Jonesboro, AR. It refers to an inner cone of filter media within the outer, cylindrical pleat pack. This inner cone of media provides expanded capacity, uniform dispersion of back-pulsed air and opens up more usable space for airflow in the dust collector.

This additional use of wide-spaced media pleats also permits collected dust to be dislodged easier from between the pleats during the cleaning cycle, unlike typical industry packed media pleats. The Gold Cone® media has the same filtration efficiency as the outer media pack at 99.999% separation efficiency down to 0.5 micron by weight. Data sheets on the various Gold Cone filters offered can be requested/downloaded here.

Case Study: Body Parts Processed with Clear Lungs in Dust Booths

Ogihara American Corporation is a manufacturer/supplier of automotive body parts for Mercedes-Benz. The sanding and grinding operations in this plant caused a dust cloud that drifted across the whole plant, settled on the floor (and everything else) and was swept up daily. Without a dedicated dust collection system in place, workers wore respirators for safety. However, when the air conditioning filters began to require change-out during sanding operations, the maintenance crew knew something had to be done. Further compounding the problem was the limitation of space which the 10 workstations already occupied.

Continue reading of how the solution to the problem was designed and implemented at Ogihara here. If you have an application where a dust collecting booth that encapsulates the dust generating processes makes more sense than a central dust collection system, talk with your supplier about these types of systems.

FAQ: Can I place a dust collector inside the facility if we are handling a material with a high Kst?

Yes, a dust collector can be placed inside the confines of a facility even though it may have a relatively high deflagration index (Kst). Both explosion venting and chemical suppression may be options depending on the location of the collector within the facility and its vicinity to an outside wall or ceiling.

Explosion venting can be selected if the dust collector's locale in the facility is within acceptable ducting distance limits as dictated by NFPA 68 calculations. Venting can be accomplished either horizontally or vertically depending on existing space restrictions and utility obstructions that may exist. There is also a flameless venting option available that allows the deflagration to vent inside the facility. This method extinguishes the flame from the vented explosion not allowing it to exit the device.

Chemical suppression (and chemical isolation for the ducting) is the preferred method of deflagration protection for hazardous materials. Explosion suppression systems are designed to detect and chemically suppress an explosion in its earliest stages - before an explosion can cause a disaster or become catastrophic. This prevents the flame and material from being released from the collector into the surrounding environment, protecting personnel and property.

- For more information, read the informative article, Asking the Right Questions About Cartridge Dust Collection. Another relevant article is Five Ways New Explosion Venting Requirements For Dust Collectors Affect You.

Video: Containment Dust Collectors for Pharmaceutical or Hazardous Dusts

For safety, some dust collection applications require isolation of the collected dust from contact with workers. This may be from processes involving pharmaceutical dust like table presses, table coating, fluid bed drying, spray drying, blending, granulation and especially general room ventilation. Containment dust collectors have special features and methods to replace the dirty filter cartridges and dispose of the collected, potent/hazardous dust being discharged. This video demonstrates these safe-change methods:

As you see, the cartridge filters are safely replaced by a two-person crew with the bag-in/bag-out (BIBO) safe-change replacement system. At the discharge of the colletor, the dust is contained within a continuous liner. For more information go to Dust Collection for Pharmaceutical Solid Dosage Manufacturing.

FAQ: Which dust collectors are the easiest for changing the filters?

Now here's a great question - usually from the maintenance guy, not the purchasing guy. In reference to cartridge filter style dust collectors, you're going to run across several different configurations for opening/closing the access points as well as removing/installing the filters. Let me briefly address what is typical, what is unique and let you decided for yourself.

Most horizontal cartridge style dust collectors have multiple, roundish covers that separate from the collector housing. Of these, different manufacturers offer varying methods for attaching the covers. Some are cover assemblies that must be oriented and navigated back on in a specific way so components behind the cover line up and lock. Other cover designs with a locking procedure that is visible use threaded rods, knobs or nuts. All these loose items are retained atop an elevated access platform while the horizontal cartridges are removed and replaced with new ones.

The easiest industrial dust collectors for changing the cartridge filters are those that offer quick access, require no tools and have no loose hardware to get lost. Look for a minimal quantity of access doors that are permanently attached and securely seal against the collector housing. Also, unless you want to be covered in dust when removing dirty filters above chest height, look for collectors that allow removal at a comfortable, safe level. More information and a video on easy changing of filter cartridges can be viewed here.

Case Study: Hay Exporter Reaches Last Straw with Dust Issues

As an exporter of timothy hay and alfalfa to the Far East, Ward Rugh, Inc. in Ellensburg, WA generated much fugitive dust in their operation as they compacted bales for shipment. Expansion to the operation contributed to the housekeeping challenge and the increased processing of hay, a common allergen, contributed to worker discomfort.

Hay dust presents challenges for dust collection similar to many fibrous dust types. It's lightweight and consists of a wide range of strand lengths and thicknesses. A low air-to-media ratio is called for to allow pulsing cleaning of the lightweight dust without re-entrainment back onto the filters. Nylon overbags on the filters prevent the strands from getting wedged in the pleats and bridging across. Read the full story of how Ward Rugh solved their dust issues, keeping the process area clean and letting everyone breathe easier.

FAQ: What are the main differences and benefits between dust collectors with vertical cartridges vs. horizontal cartridges?

The reason that some collectors had filter cartridges laying horizontally on their side was to overcome the upward can velocity effects that occured in traditional baghouses and early cartridge collectors. Air would enter the hopper and flow up into the filter housing. The dust could only be cleaned off the filters if the up flowing air was slow enough to allow the dust to fight back down through the air stream. This system worked well on heavy dusts, but not on light dusts like weld smoke and fumed silica. It was devised that if you laid the filters horizontally, moving the clean air plenum to one side of the collector, you could expose the dirty air plenum to the top of the collector and thus bring the air into the top of the dust collector. This resulted in a down flow effect helping overcome the upward can velocity issue.

However, the down flow style collector presented many limitations in its inherent nature of laying a filter on its side. The biggest problem is that the dust does not get cleaned off the top of the filter. The dust blinds at least 1/3 of the entire filter because it cannot be cleaned off. This increases the air to media ratio in the collector and has caused premature failure of the filters in many instances. Many operation and maintenance manuals from horizontal cartridge filter manufacturers recommend opening up the collector and rotating the filters monthly to overcome this problem. See figure 1 here. Another major issue with horizontal cartridges is that 100% of the incoming dust is dumped on top of the filters.

Vertical cartridges allow you to overcome upward interstitial can velocities without turning the filters on their side and wasting much of the filter. You cross flow the air into the side of the collector. This is achieved with a high entry inlet that brings the air into the dust collector at the same height as the cartridges themselves. The air is first sent through a series of staggered channel baffles that distribute the air and also act as a classifier, separating out the larger particles and dropping them straight into the hopper without ever seeing the filters. Since the air is brought into the collector at the cartridge level, there is no longer air flowing upward towards the filters. This system combines the benefit of the old down flow style air pattern without turning the filters on their sides and wasting a large portion of the media. For more information, continue reading here.

Keeping Your Seed Processing Plant Clean and Safe

Industrial dust collectors are used in a variety of agricultural seed processing applications such as corn shellers, seed cleaning, seep preparation, seed coating, seed hybrid development and general facility ventilation. Challenges like "bee's wings" and corn silks must be considered. In some cases, nylon overbags can be installed on the cartridges to prevent them from bridging across the cartridges.

Explosion vents manufactured in accordance with NFPA standards should be used on all flammable applications. The collector should be located outside whenever possible or near an exterior wall with the explosion vents ducted per NFPA standards outside the building.

Related blog on a seed processing case study here.

Case Study: Vitamin Manufacturer Takes Double Dose of Dust Collectors and Safety Precautions

Some would say that two identical dust collection systems on a single, centralized vacuum system is redundant, redundant. One vitamin manufacturer who wanted non-stop dust collection on a '24/7' basis would agree! But he'll also tell you that he replaced 10 small dust collectors of different types that were scattered throughout his manufacturing plant, resulting in filter inventory, maintenance and dust disposal that were time consuming and complicated.

In addition, this installation is user-friendly and safer for his employees. An OSHA compliant railed service platform and caged ladder between the two collectors gives his crews easy access and keep his workers safe during filter change-out. Since the dusts being captured are potentially combustible, a chemical suppression system for fire protection, as well as explosion vents in the collector were installed. Read more and view photos of this case study here.

FAQ: Are dust collector filters washable?

In reference to pleated filter media cartridges for industrial dust collectors, the answer is yes...and no! It mostly depends on the filter media that is used or required for a given application. Filters cartridges that are made of spun bond polyester can be washed - that is, removed from the dust collector and washed down with low pressure water. Once completely dry, they can be reinstalled in the collector. Filter cartridges that are made of untreated (cellulose) paper should not get wet at any time.

So when would you use washable filters in a dust collector? These are ideally suited to tough applications including heavy dust loading conditions, hot/moist air streams, high levels of fine particulate, and/or hygroscopic dust properties which may limit performance of cellulosic type filters. In many food/beverage applications, equipment is often required to be washed - inside and out - periodically. Of course, if a filter cartridge is claimed to be washable, be certain that the end caps and any integral metal components are treated to be in contact with water as well. Be sure to ask the filter cartridge supplier (you'd be surprised). Learn more about pleated cartridge filter media types here.

Dust Collection for Hazardous Rubber Grinding

Common rubber grinding dust generating processes include tire manufacturing, retreading and recycling as well as the production and recycling of appliance moldings, rubber gloves and various automotive parts. Rubber dusts in these types of applications pose challenges for industrial dust collection systems as well as potential health hazards for workers.

Oils in rubber are the biggest problem for dust collectors. In horizontal cartridge collectors, the filters get saturated and the pleats fail. Heat is also an issue as hot pieces of materials can lay into the horizontal cartridges and burn the filter media. Rubber grinding dust has an explosive nature since rubber products in these applications are largely made up of petroleum based products. Explosion vents on the dust collector should be considered as a minimum requirement.

Rubber grinding dust poses serious health hazards to workers. Rubber compounds are full of fumed silica, plasticizers and elastomers that give off unhealthy fumes. Oily smoke has hydrocarbons that can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Read more about Dust Collectors for Rubber Grinding.

Case Study: Nuisance Limestone Dust Cleaned Up for Employees

Got quarry dust? Then read on. Indiana Limestone Co., Inc. (ILCI) of Bedford, IN, needed to find a way to clean up massive amounts of dust generated in its limestone cutter's bay. Though limestone dust is completely non-toxic - being classified by OSHA as a nuisance dust - the word "nuisance" describes it well. The fine powdery material hinders visibility in the work area, permeates sensitive tools and machinery, and creates continual cleaning headaches. To solve the problem, the company invested in a high efficiency cartridge dust collection system.

"We wanted to solve these problems and create a more comfortable and pleasant environment for the 17 to 25 employees who typically work in this area," said ILCI General Manager George James. Continue reading this limestone dust collection case study...

FAQ: How often will I need to change my cartridges?

The frequency of filter cartridge replacement in industrial dust collectors is affected by many factors and is different for every application. So, this frequently asked question is a tough one to answer. A properly sized collector with careful consideration to the type of dust and the appropriate air volume per cartridge for the application is crucial to long filter life.

If a dust collector is poorly designed, the dust hitting the filter will abrade it in a short amount of time, ultimately resulting in a leak. This happens frequently with horizontal cartridge designs. Vertical cartridge designs prevent the uneven build-up of dust on a cartridge, which blocks usable filter surface area and increases the likihood of the filters plugging sooner. Continuous pulse cleaning of the cartridges also contributes to wear, typically causing a rip at the edge of a pleat on some inferior quality filters. Smart 'on demand' cleaning systems that only pulse the cartridges when they reach a predetermined 'dirty' point (measured by pressure drop) greatly extend the cartridge life.

All filter cartridges will eventually plug up beyond a usable point, again, for a given application. Operating conditions, dust loading, the physical properties of the dust particles and the velocity at which they hit the filter media all play a role in the life expectancy of a filter cartridge. The bottom line is that your dust collector supplier should be able to give a good estimate of cartridge life, whether it be months or years. Ask for a documented performance guarantee. If the dust collector supplier won't give you one, take your business elsewhere.

Explosion Protection and Dust Collectors for the Paper Scrap Industry

Companies that handle paper and scrap are among the businesses heavily impacted by the explosion venting requirements outlined in NFPA 68 Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting. In the process of making paper or paper products, dusts are generated during cutting, slitting, scoring, shredding and other processes - and these dusts are potentially combustible.

The PDF article, An explosive situation: New explosion venting requirements have a major impact on the paper industry, provides a discussion of NFPA 68, how it applies to the paper industry, and identifies specific actions that you must take to ensure compliance. If your business is a printing facility, uses industrial paper shredders, generates corrugated box scraps or has a similar application, read this informative article. Taken from Dust Collectors for Paper Scrap Systems.

FAQ: How do these things work?

This is an honest and candid question we often get, referring to our industrial cartridge dust collectors. Click this image thumbnail to view the full-size illustration. It shows and explains the basic operation.

Related to this, there is an earlier post on this blog regarding the Anatomy of a Dust Collector. Additionally, Wikipedia has a page on dust collectors that includes illustrations on how other types of dust collectors work.

Download: Unit Conversion/Calculation Utility

We distribute a unit conversion utility program to our dust collector sales engineers. Someone suggested that I post this handy program on this blog, so here you go. When sizing dust collection equipment in metric, we often convert values in cubic feet per minute (CFM) to cubic meters per minute. But that's a mere fraction of what this non-invasive little conversion program can do. (Click the thumbnail image to see a full size screen shot.)

Just enter the value you wish converted into the 'From' edit box. Pick the tab (Temperature, Distance, Mass, Area, Volume, Pressure, Velocity, Acceleration, Force, Energy, Power, Fuel Consumption, Flow or Torque) relating to the type of conversion you wish to do. Then pick the units for the 'From' value and the 'To' value. It's easy and many find it convenient, saving it to their desktops for quick access.

To download, click the following link and choose to SAVE the single file to your computer. Then use it! It's self-contained and does not need to be 'installed.' Download and SAVE file now.

In The News: OSHA Inspections/Citations for Combustible Dust Hazards

OSHA compliance officers have identified 3,662 violations where employees may be exposed to potential combustible dust hazards on the job. This report comes after the agency conducted 813 inspections at companies during the last 16 months. These visits are part of OSHA's ongoing National Emphasis Program (NEP) that it says is designed to reduce workers' exposure to combustible dust hazards.

OSHA also sent out a letter to over 30,000 facilities last year to bring attention to this issue. Did you receive one? If so, they have identified your company as being in an industry that faces this deadly hazard. If not, make sure you are not putting yourself, your business and your employees at risk anyway. OSHA wants to help and offers a free, confidential on-site consultation through a program designed for small companies (250 or less employees). There are some helpful insights and links regarding combustible dust (ComDust) Enforcement/Inspections here.

UPDATE (6/22/09 1:10pm):
Case in point: Serious citations issued to whey processing plant in Wisconsin. View the OSHA Inspection Detail.

Case Study: Seed Company Turns to Cartridge Dust Collectors for Efficiency, Safety

Each year, farmers plant and grow soybeans, summer wheat, or winter wheat. After the harvest, they transport the seeds to production facilities, where the seeds are conditioned for later use. The seeds are cleaned, then coated with herbicides and insecticides before being packaged and distributed to various outlets for sale. This conditioning process generates a significant amount of dust with multiple challenges for collecting it as well as minimizing the hazard potential.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont company develops, produces, and markets a full line of top-quality seeds, forage, and grain additives, providing services to customers in nearly 70 countries. They faced these challenges, unsatisfied with their existing cyclone dust collectors. If you are a seed processor, read this case study on how filter media cartridge collectors provided the high efficiency that Pioneer Hi-Bred needed to meet EPA dust emission standards and improve the working and safety conditions inside the facility. Full case study here...

Dust Collectors for Mining

Controlling dust from mining equipment at excavation sites, mill transfer points and similar locations is a difficult challenge. The EPA has strict limits on annual emission amounts. If emissions are too high, production schedules may be curtailed. That's why proper selection of dust collection equipment (including pleated baghouses) is such an important concern. Minimizing emissions allows production of more product.

Rock crushing, coal mining dust processing, and bin venting of quarry storage are mining applications. Some are really tough on dust collection equipment and call for custom components. Stack test results of less than .0005 grains per cubic foot of emissions can be achieved with the right configuration and filter media. One of the main concerns with pleated filter media is how well they hold up against moisture. Read more at Dust Collectors for Mining...

In The News: Imperial Sugar Reopens GA Refinery

Factory dust explosions are real. On February 7, 2008, a massive explosion killed 14 workers and injured dozens more at Imperial Sugar's Georgia refinery plant when accumulated sugar dust ignited like gun powder. Sixteen months later, Imperial has rebuilt their plant and just reopened.

Dust explosions and fires in factories occur frequently, though you don't often hear about them. (try this: Google "factory dust explosion"). The more catastrophic ones like at Imperial make national headlines. Don't minimize or dismiss this risk factor. If you are considering the purchase of an industrial dust collector from any manufacturer, please have your dust tested and your application carefully reviewed. Don't rush just to get any dust collection system installed to get OSHA off your back. You likely already have some idea if you have combustible dust. Do some homework. Please prevent another tragedy.

FAQ: Who is the NFPA?

The NFPA (in regard to industrial dust collectors) is the National Fire Protection Association, a U.S. organization that creates and maintains minimum standards and requirements for fire prevention and suppression activities, training, and equipment, as well as other life-safety codes and standards.

NFPA 68 is one of the standards that affects you if you're in the market for a dust collection system. It is the Standard on Explosion and Protection by Deflagration Venting. It applies to the design, location, installation, maintenance, and use of devices and systems that vent combustion gases and pressures resulting from a deflagration (explosion) within an enclosure so the structural and mechanical damage is minimized.

It's technical! To ensure compliance, work with a trained expert who knows these standards well, keeps up with the latest revisions, and how they apply to industrial dust collectors.

Case Study: Dust Collection in Plasma and Wire Spray Operations

Read about one company in Atlanta, GA that was experiencing problems collecting metal dusts from a plasma and wire spray operation that produces metal coatings for rolls used in the printing industry - and how switching to the right type of cartridge dust collector reduced downtime and disposal costs.

This type of application can be very challenging. Various types of wires made of 316 stainless steel, Monel® alloy, zinc, and other materials are fed into the spray gun two at a time. The wire spray gun is fed with a compressed air line. The compressed air blows through these wires as they cross, creating an arc that blasts the wire onto the roll to form the coating. The wire spray is very fine, mostly submicron particulate and is inconsistent in shape, causing a difficult challenge for the dust collector.

This published article can be very helpful if you have a similar application. Read the entire case study Dust Collection in Plasma and Wire Spray Operations.

Dust/Fume Collectors for Laser/Plasma Cutting

CNC plasma tables and laser tables generate molten metal and smoke that is pulled down through the grate. The smoke is then removed through the duct work and filtered through the dust collector.

In these applications, a channel baffle inlet should be used to help deflect any sparks that make it to the collector. For safety, spark detection and suppression should be considered in extreme cases. Fire retardant cartridges should always be used in this application, as well as sprinkler heads in the collector itself.

Explosion vents should also be included when cutting aluminum. The collector should be located outside. It is best to check with your insurance carrier and follow the NFPA 654 Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particle Solids. Continue reading here...

Understanding Your Dust: Six Steps...

Almost every piece of process equipment in a powder and bulk solids handling plant depends on a dust collector to safely control dust or to reclaim valuable product. So why do most users treat dust collector selection as a mysterious art rather than scientific process, without considering exactly what kind of dust they need to collect and what performance they need?

The article Understanding Your Dust: Six Steps to Better Dust Collection helps take the mystery out of the process by explaining how to analyze your application needs and dust characteristics as part of choosing a dust collector. Sections detail the six steps in this process.

Combustible Dust Training Videos

The NADCA (North American Die Casting Association) has posted a series of informative training videos on YouTube regarding combustible dust. These cover a variety of subjects from fire prevention to employee evacuation to controlling ignition sources.

One of these videos, specific to industrial dust collectors, can be viewed here: Combustible Dust Training - Section 3 - Dust Collection. Watch especially for the information starting about 1 minute into this video. The more informed you are about combustible dust when making a dust collector purchase decision, the better.

Dust Collectors for Food Processing

The type of dust collector suitable for food processing applications can vary. Dust collection applications include dried food ingredients from coarse grains to fine spices and additives. For sugars and other sticky dusts, specialized filter cartridges are probably necessary.

A clean food processing facility is vital for worker and visitor safety. Slips and falls are a constant concern for anyone running a food processing business. Flours, corn starch and other starches can be explosive. Read more on Dust Collectors for Food Processing...

Recirculating Air From Dust Collectors

Whether dust collectors are used in a plant to control indoor air quality (IAQ), keep equipment clean, and/or recover high-value process dusts, many plants are considering recirculating the air back into the plant downstream of collectors instead of exhausting it outdoors. When using recirculating dust collection systems, special safety and performance concerns must be addressed.

The article Recirculating Air From Dust Collectors is a classic composition that explores the benefits of recirculating indoor air as well as the safety issues.

Dust Collector Self-Cleaning Filters?... How?

Industrial dust collectors with media filter cartridges typically have a mechanism or system built in to keep the filters from blinding (clogging up with dust). Naturally, it won't keep the filters clean forever, but an efficient system will greatly prolong their life and keep the collector operating effectively.

Older technologies included vibration, shaking and even banging to dislodge accumulated dust from the filters. Most modern systems use air blown through the filters in the reverse direction of the normal airflow through the collector as it's collecting dust. This more efficiently dislodges dust from within the pleated media pack. Not all filters in the collector are reverse blown at the same time. This allows the dust collector to continue to run, doing its job of collecting dust while cleaning of the filters can occur at a continuous or intermittent interval.

In most cases, this reverse air is pulsed (a short blast like 0.15 second). Here is a video demonstrating the reverse pulse cleaning of filter cartridges inside a dust collector. (The filter access door, normally closed, was left open for this demonstration.)

Learn more here about efficient pulse cleaning inside a cartridge dust collector . Refer to figure 6 and the article text around it.

Dust Collectors for Chemical Processing

Pesticides, paint pigments, agricultural dry chemicals - from ingestible powedered drugs to mouse poisions, each dust collection application will present specific concerns. Filter media is especially important for chemical processing.

This web page focuses on collecting dust in chemical processing applications. Linked is an informative article on chem.info entitled "How to Tackle Combustible Dust With Successful Dust Control Systems."

Collecting and Testing Dust

Testing dust is beneficial in many ways. By identifying the dust characteristics properly, you can determine the right type of collector (such as baghouse or cartridge system) and filtration media for your needs and determine the size equipment you need for optimial energy savings and operational efficiency. By using the right equipment, you can minimize maintenance problems and reduce emissioins while extending filter life.

The article Collecting and Testing Dust emphasizes the scientific approach to dust and fume collection by using dust sample testing as the basis for sound and accurate equipment selection. More often than not, equipment decisions are based solely on guesswork, on previous experience, or on general recommendation from suppliers. Finding the right dust collection system is a complex task affected by dozens of variables. The situation does not lend itself to guessing games.

This article, Collecting and Testing Dust, is also downloadable as a PDF file.

Combustible Dust Policy Institute Blog

A great resource of information on the subject of combustible dust is a blog provided by the Combustible Dust Policy Institute. They site that in 2008, information obtained through media reports indicated 200+ combustible dust related fires and explosions in the grain, manufacturing, utility and non-manufacturing sectors. Their goal on this complex subject is to bring forth a situational awareness to all stakeholders, which will hopefully lessen the occurence and reduce the severity of future accidents.

If you need to get an industrial dust collection system for your shop or factory and suspect that your dust is flammable or explosive, visit and follow the Combustible Dust Policy Institute Blog.

Trends in Pleated Cartridge Filters

If you already own an industrial dust collector, choosing the right pleated cartridge filter can improve your cartridge collector's dust capture efficiency, help it operate more reliably, and reduce its energy and maintenance requirements. To help you make an informed choice, the article Trends in Pleated Cartridge Filters discusses some recent advances in pleated cartridge filter technology.

Captioned photos and illustrations of the filters enhance this article.

Dust Collectors for Blasting

Dust collection in blasting applications varies from the types of blasting such as wheel blasters, air blasters and cabinet blasters to the blasting media itself like sand, steel, plastic, slag and various shot.

There are special safety considerations for aluminum blasting and blasting with silica sand. When recirculating air, precautions should be taken to meet all OSHA and government guidelines...

Read more on Dust Collectors for Blasting.

New Explosion Venting Requirements

The article Five Ways New Explosion Venting Requirements For Dust Collectors Affect You tells you what you need to know about the new NFPA 68 standard on explosion venting for combustible dusts. This information can help you better understand what's changed in this revised standard and how it will affect your dust collection choices today and in the future.

Lunch-n-Learn Events Provide On-site Education

Companies who need an industrial dust or fume collector can greatly benefit from a "lunch-n-learn" event. This is when a dust collector manufacturer brings an actual dust collection demo unit to a customer location, meets with all the involved company personnel at the same time to address issues, answer questions - and eat lunch!

Companies invest very few man hours because there's no travel involved to meet off-site. Everyone from the plant manager to the maintenance guy to the company president can participate together, learning and asking questions from their point of view. All can experience a hands-on demonstration of the dust collector and address their particular dust or fume collection challenge.

Read more at: Lunch-n-Learn Events

Dust Collector Filter Change-out

When shopping for an industrial dust collector, one of the considerations should be the maintenance involved. You can't "set it and forget it." Those filter cartridges will need to be changed eventually. Most industrial collection systems on the market have doors, knobs and other hardware that must be removed and put aside (read: lost) during the changing of the filters. Tools for clamping/unclamping for a good seal are often required as well.

Here's a short video on how the Farr APC Gold Series® dust collector filters are changed out:

No tools required. No knobs to lose or drop. No binding threads. Read more about this here on the website.

How a Cyclone Dust Collector Works

Cyclones are often used as prefilters to industrial cartridge dust collectors to remove larger particles of dust. But there is no filter media in it - so how does it work? Answer: Centrifugal force. Read the explanation here.

Cyclones are often used in woodworking applications as the primary dust collector. Wood "dust" can consist of everything from very fine power from sanding to chips and shavings from routers, jointers, molders, etc. But they are not just limited to woodworking.

Go to: How a Cyclone Dust Collector Works

Testing Your Dust

In today's regulatory climate, having your dust tested is not only good practice, it has become a necessity. How well do you know your dust? is an in-depth article that reviews two separate types of testing:

• Explosibility Testing - Used to determine whether a dust is combustible.


• Bench Testing - Pinpoints numerous physical properties of a dust type.

This article also discusses specialized testing, which may be dictated for highly unusual or trouble-prone applications. Finally, a summary on the proper collection of a dust sample is provided.

Read the article here.

Anatomy of a Cartridge Dust Collector

All those technical terms! There can be many components to an industrial cartridge dust collector system. This web page has a large photo with call-outs illustrating the basic components of a dust collection system.

Go to: Anatomy of a Dust Collector.

Choosing the Best System

Asking the Right Questions About Cartridge Dust Collection is a great article to start with if you are newly faced with buying an industrial dust collector. Choosing the best cartridge collection system for a given application involves research and attention to detail. This article reviews four key areas of investigation:

• Will the dust collector ensure compliance?
• Will it fix the problem?
• Will it perform reliably?
• Will it provide the best possible return on investment (ROI)?

Read the article here. It's also available as a download in PDF format.

Welcome!

Greetings! Farr APC understands its customers. No one every buys an industrial dust collector because they want to. They buy because they have to. Worker safety, equipment protection, not to mention tough new NFPA regulations and (OSHA) compliance with them to avoid factory dust explosions are some very important reasons to buy. (Do you have a choice?!)

But which dust or fume collection system should you buy? And from who? How are these things sized? Which are the most efficient, reliable and easiest to maintain? What are the regulations that I have to meet? All these are common questions that this blog was created to answer. In addition, our intent is to share relevant industry news that might be helpful to you if you are researching and gathering information about industrial dust collectors.

Here's a video about Farr APC and the growing concerns about industrial dust and fumes:

Thank you for following this blog.

Farr Air Pollution Control

www.farrapc.com