Filters and Filtration
WHILE dust collectors are an important safety tool for many facilities, they must be properly designed, installed and maintained to provide the air quality required for safety.
Here are a few common warning signs of an unsafe dust collector:
Improper vent design
If operations produce combustible dust, then dust collectors must be fitted with deflagration protection.
Vents and flameless vents are common, cost-effective methods to help keep your facility and workers safe in the event of a dust collector explosion.
Unprotected ductwork
Facilities producing combustible dust should also protect the ductwork and safety processes upstream of dust collectors.
Equipping the ducting with dampers and isolation valves minimise the risk of deflagration within these components.
Overfilled hoppers
The hopper is designed to funnel dust to a storage bin.
Dust should never be allowed to accumulate in the hopper as this creates a significant risk of fire and deflagration.
It may also diminish the collector’s performance by clogging the system and preventing the pulse cleaning from performing optimally.
Overdue filter replacement
Filters should be replaced when airflow through the system reaches a differential pressure limit as prescribed by the manufacturer.
Filter change-out is also necessary when the pressure drop across the collector is negatively affecting the ability of the system to capture dust, allowing it to escape into the facility.
Cumbersome filter change-outs
Workers should never have to enter the dust collector to change filters.
Cartridge dust collector filters are designed to slide in and out of the housing with ease.
Vertically mounted filters help to make both the pulse cleaning and change-out process easy and efficient.
To learn more about dust collector safety and maintenance, visit www.camfilapc.com. au or call 1300 733 277 to speak to Camfil’s dust collection experts.