Maintaining industrial dust collectors is crucial to ensure peak performance and safety. One question that frequently arises is whether the cartridge filters used in these systems are washable. While the concept of washable dust collector filters might seem cost-effective at first, there are several important factors to consider before purchasing. Washing your filters might end up costing you more in the long run and even compromise the functionality of your dust collection system.
Why Washable Dust Collector Filters Are Problematic
System Design Limitations – Your dust collection system was designed with specific filter specifications, including air-to-cloth ratio, surface area, and airflow requirements. Washable filters typically have less surface area than standard filters. Using them alters the airflow dynamics, which can affect the system’s performance. This could result in reduced dust collection efficiency and potentially harm your equipment.
Reduced Filtration Efficiency – Washable filters often have a lower MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating compared to standard industrial filters. A lower MERV rating means these filters are less effective at capturing fine particulates. Over time, more dust may bypass the filters, leading to issues with air quality, equipment performance, and safety compliance.
Limited Wash Durability – Although marketed as washable, these filters are not designed for repeated washing. After one or two washes, the material often begins to degrade, causing holes and tears. Using high-pressure cleaning methods can further damage the filters, reducing their lifespan and efficiency. Essentially, you’ll still need to replace these filters sooner than expected, nullifying any cost-saving benefits.
Inaccurate Differential Pressure Readings – Damaged filters from repeated washing can lead to inaccurate differential pressure readings. Differential pressure is a key indicator in monitoring the health of your filters and system. If using compromised filters, the readings may fail to alert you to necessary maintenance, potentially leading to system malfunctions or unsafe operating conditions.
The Better Alternative
Instead of using washable filters, invest in high-quality filters designed specifically for your industrial dust collection system. These filters are engineered for optimal performance, providing effective dust capture and maintaining system efficiency over time. Regularly replacing filters with the correct type ensures compliance with safety standards, protects your equipment, and minimizes downtime.
While the idea of washing industrial dust collector filters might seem appealing, it’s not a practical or cost-effective solution. The potential risks to system performance, filtration efficiency, and safety outweigh any perceived benefits.
Always use filters that are compatible with your dust collection system and replace them as needed to ensure optimal performance and long-term savings. Be sure to select high-quality filters with a good efficiency rating. By sticking to proper maintenance practices, you’ll keep your operations running smoothly and efficiently.
Welding and grinding are two essential processes in many industrial operations. Both generate dust and fumes that must be safely controlled. A common question in these environments is whether the same filtration system can be used for both processes. It is technically possible to use a single dust collection system. However, there are several critical considerations to address to ensure safety and efficiency. Simply combining welding fumes and grinding dust without proper design could lead to significant risks.
Understanding the Differences Between Welding Fumes and Grinding Dust
Welding and grinding produce very different types of contaminants:
Welding Fumes: These consist primarily of fine metal oxides generated as a result of the welding process. Welding fume particles are typically very small (sub-micron size). Inhaling them is hazardous as they often contain materials such as iron oxide, manganese, or chromium, depending on the welded metal.
Grinding Dust: Grinding produces larger particulates and can include a mix of materials. This dust may contain metal shavings, abrasives from grinding wheels, and other byproducts. The composition and size of grinding dust can vary significantly. It depends on the materials being worked on and the tools being used.
Mixing these two types of particulates in the same dust collection system can lead to unintended consequences. For example, combining metal fumes with abrasive grinding dust may alter the dust’s characteristics, potentially making it more combustible or flammable. This risk is amplified because sparks are often present in both processes.
Fire and Explosion Risks in Combined Systems
Sparks are a major fire hazard when combined with combustible dust. Both welding and grinding produce sparks that have the potential to travel through the extraction system and ignite flammable particulates.
If mixing welding and grinding dust, the potential for combustion increases because the dust characteristics are unpredictable. This requires careful design of the dust collection system to include features like spark arrestors and fire suppression systems. Ignoring these precautions could lead to catastrophic fires or explosions in the workplace.
Sizing the Dust Collection System Properly
Another important consideration when using the same system for welding and grinding is the sizing of the dust collector. The efficiency of a dust collection system depends heavily on the air-to-cloth ratio—the volume of air passing through a square foot of filter media.
Welding fumes, being fine and lightweight, allow for a higher air-to-cloth ratio. In contrast, grinding dust, which includes larger and heavier particles, requires a lower air-to-cloth ratio to ensure proper filtration. If using the same system for both processes, it’s critical to size it conservatively to accommodate the demands of grinding dust. A system designed solely for welding fumes may not effectively handle grinding dust. This leads to reduced efficiency, increased filter wear, and higher maintenance costs.
To safely extract both welding and grinding contaminants, the dust collector should have a low enough air-to-cloth ratio to handle the larger grinding particulates without compromising on the capture of fine welding fumes.
Designing a Safe, Effective Solution for Welding and Grinding Dust and Fumes
While using a single dust collection system for both welding and grinding is feasible, it must be carefully designed to address the specific challenges of each process:
Dust Hazard Analysis: Conduct a thorough analysis to understand the composition, combustibility, and volume of the dust and fumes produced.
Proper Filtration: Select filter media that can suitably handle both fine welding fumes and larger grinding particulates.
Spark Control: Incorporate spark arrestors, fire suppression systems, and explosion vents to mitigate fire hazards.
Sizing and Airflow: Design the system with an appropriately low air-to-cloth ratio to accommodate grinding dust while still effectively filtering welding fumes.
Segregation (Optional): In high-risk environments, consider separate extraction systems for welding and grinding to minimize safety concerns.
While welding and grinding can share the same dust and fume extraction system, it is not always the recommended solution. Mixing welding fumes with grinding dust poses risks related to combustibility, fire hazards, and filtration efficiency. If you choose to use a common system, it’s essential to design it with care—accounting for the specific needs of both processes, ensuring proper sizing, and implementing safety features like spark control systems.
Ultimately, a well-designed dust collection system will not only keep your facility safe and compliant but also improve air quality, protect equipment, and enhance overall productivity. If you are unsure whether a shared system is appropriate for your operation, consulting with dust collection experts can help you make the best decision for your facility’s needs.
When it comes to industrial operations, air quality management is a crucial aspect of maintaining compliance with environmental regulations and protecting the surrounding community. A common question arises for facility managers and safety coordinators: Do I need to filter air before ventilating it outdoors? In most cases, the answer is yes—but the specifics depend on the type of operation, the nature of the contaminants in the air, and regulatory requirements in your region.
Understanding Emissions Regulations
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) agencies regulate air emissions to ensure that pollutants released into the atmosphere do not harm human health or the environment. For many industrial facilities, exhausting air outdoors requires obtaining an emissions permit from the DEP. These permits outline specific conditions under which air can be discharged. These include limitations on the types and amounts of contaminants present in the exhaust air.
If the air your facility exhausts contains harmful particulates, fumes, or chemical vapors, filtration will likely be required to meet regulatory standards. But failure to comply with these standards can result in hefty fines, legal consequences, and potential harm to the environment or nearby communities.
Why Filtration Is Necessary
Ventilating air outdoors may contain a range of contaminants, depending on your industrial processes. These can include dust, smoke, fumes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Releasing unfiltered air can pose serious risks to both public health and the environment. For example:
Public Health Risks: Harmful particulates and chemical fumes can cause respiratory issues and other health problems for people living or working near your facility.
Environmental Impact: Airborne contaminants can contribute to smog, acid rain, and other environmental issues.
Odor Control: Even if the contaminants in your air do not pose a direct health risk, strong odors can be a nuisance to the local community.
By implementing proper filtration systems, you can significantly reduce these risks while also ensuring compliance with emissions regulations.
When Filtration Is Required
The following situations typically require filtration::
Presence of Harmful Contaminants: If your operations generate pollutants like dust, fumes, or chemical vapors, filtration is necessary to remove or reduce these contaminants before the air is released.
Permit Requirements: Most emissions permits issued by the DEP will specify allowable levels of contaminants in exhausted air. Filtration helps ensure your facility meets these thresholds.
Community and Environmental Impact: Even if your facility is not strictly required to filter air under specific regulations, doing so can help maintain good relationships with the surrounding community and minimize environmental harm.
Choosing the Right Filtration System
Selecting the right filtration system depends on the type of contaminants present in your air stream. Common solutions include:
Dust Collectors: These systems, such as baghouses or cartridge collectors, are effective at removing particulate matter from exhaust air.
Fume Extractors: Ideal for capturing welding fumes, smoke, and fine particulates.
Activated Carbon Filters: Used to capture VOCs and other chemical vapors.
HEPA Filters: Provide high-efficiency filtration for very fine particles, ensuring clean air discharge.
Benefits of Filtering Air Before Ventilating It Outdoors
Filtration not only ensures regulatory compliance but also offers several additional benefits:
Avoiding Fines: Compliance with emissions permits prevents costly penalties for violations.
Protecting Public Health: Proper filtration minimizes the impact of harmful air contaminants on nearby communities.
Reducing Environmental Damage: By filtering pollutants, your facility contributes to cleaner air and a healthier planet.
Maintaining Reputation: Proactive air quality management demonstrates your commitment to responsible operations, fostering trust with regulators and the public.
In most cases, filtering air before ventilating it outdoors is not just a good idea—it’s a necessity. So whether required by an emissions permit or driven by a desire to protect public health and the environment, filtration systems play a critical role in responsible industrial operations. But are you unsure about your facility’s specific requirements? Then consult with an air quality professional or the DEP as a prudent first step. Investing in proper filtration ensures compliance, reduces risk, and helps create a cleaner, safer future for everyone.
Conducting a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) is a critical safety step for any facility handling potentially combustible or explosible materials. The process, outlined in NFPA 654, Chapter 7, involves a detailed examination of fire and explosion risks. This includes assessing potential consequences and identifying mitigation measures. A DHA has been required for any facility that may have combustible dust since September 7th, 2020. Many facilities 4 years later still have not conducted a DHA. However, a common question arises: Who is qualified to conduct a DHA?
The Role of a Qualified Individual
NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) guidelines require that a qualified individual conduct or oversee the DHA. But what does “qualified” mean in this context? While NFPA 654 itself doesn’t explicitly define the qualifications, NFPA 652 provides helpful guidance. A qualified person or team should have expertise in the following areas:
Familiarity with Processes and Operations – They should understand the facility’s operations, including handled materials, equipment, and the specific risks associated with these processes.
Knowledge of Process Equipment and Safety Systems – Understanding how the machinery operates and how safety systems function is crucial for identifying and mitigating risks.
Emergency Procedures – A qualified individual should also be familiar with the facility’s emergency protocols to recommend enhancements, if needed.
Material Properties – A deep understanding of the physical and chemical properties of the handled materials —including their combustibility and explosibility—is essential for accurate risk assessment.
Who Can Be Considered Qualified?
Based on these criteria, several types of individuals or teams could potentially conduct a DHA:
In-House Experts – Facilities with experienced safety professionals or engineers may conduct the DHA internally. However, these individuals must have a robust understanding of the guidelines and all relevant aspects of the operation.
External Consultants – Many companies choose to hire third-party experts who specialize in dust hazard analysis. Consultants often bring broad experience across various industries. This can be beneficial for identifying risks that in-house teams might overlook.
Interdisciplinary Teams – Combining expertise from different areas, such as process engineering, maintenance, safety management, and emergency planning, can create a comprehensive approach to the DHA.
When Should a Dust Hazard Analysis Be Conducted?
The NFPA mandates that facility owners ensure a DHA is completed in the following situations:
For Existing Facilities – Even if a facility has never experienced an incident, this is not a valid reason to avoid conducting a DHA. It serves as a proactive measure to prevent potential disasters. If a facility has never had a DHA completed, NFPA mandates that they get one.
For New Installations or Upgrades – Any new installations, expansions, or upgrades to existing systems require a fresh DHA to assess potential risks introduced by the changes.
Periodic Reviews – Review and update a DHA at least every five years, even if no significant changes have occurred.
Documentation and Action
Thoroughly documenting the results of the DHA is mandatory, along with actionable recommendations for improving safety. This may include changes to process materials, operational practices, or facility layout.
While NFPA guidelines don’t dictate a specific individual for conducting a DHA, the emphasis is on expertise and thoroughness. Facility owners must prioritize this critical safety measure by involving qualified personnel—whether internal or external—to ensure the long-term safety and compliance of their operations.
Back at Fabtech Donovan sits down with Chris Phillip from AKS Cutting. Chris gives us the rundown on how the show is going. Chris talks about new features and programs being offered at AKS to help with your maintenance and service on your cutting tables.
Narrator: Welcome to the Dusty Jobs podcast from Imperial Systems. Industry knowledge to make your job easier and safer.
Donovan: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dusty Job podcast. We’re sitting now with Chris from AKS. How’s it going, Chris?
Chris: Good, it’s going well. Day three of the show and we’re about wrapped up and I’m excited to get back home, honestly.
Donovan: There you go. Have you guys had a good show so far?
Chris: Yes, so far we have had almost 200 leads scanned.
Donovan: Oh, wow.
Chris: A lot of people interested in self-cleaning systems, tube systems, bevel cutting, and really I think it’s cutting out the shell and making sparks that just attracts a crowd.
Donovan: There you go, making sparks but not making any smoke.
Chris: You got that right.
Donovan: ‘Cause we’re helping you out with that.
Chris: Yeah, you got that right.
Donovan: So there you go. But, so one of the things you said people are interested in is, did you say self-cleaning system?
Chris: Yeah, so it’s a new thing that other people have had it for many years and how we’re doing it is a little bit different. On our unitized system, our Accu-Kut, we put a motor with a drive shaft on one side, some chains and some blades that are made out of angle iron. And it just slowly scrapes out the inside of the table and it keeps all that debris from building up inside of the system.
Donovan: Right, so it just kinda pulls it all down to a trough?
Chris: Yep.
Donovan: So I, well, I can say from my side as more of the dust and fume collection side, that’s gotta help with the airflow through there as that happens.
Chris: It really does. It really does. We’ve seen that often people that have tables over the years, they slowly let it fill up more and more. You know, at the end of the first month, you clean it out. And at the end of the third month, you clean it out again. And then at the end of the first year, you clean it out. And it’s way too much, right? And it’s impeding your airflow throughout the system. And by continuously having this system clean out your table, you’re optimizing the airflow throughout the whole table. And you’re not relying on the operator to take the time to pick out all that debris themselves.
Donovan: Yeah, yeah. And that can get tricky. And honestly, you wanna be paying that guy to be cutting.
Chris: Yep.
Donovan: You don’t wanna be paying him to do the cleaning.
Chris: 100%
Donovan: So the fact that the machine does the cleaning for you, just, that’s just another time saver, money saver, money maker, really in the end, isn’t it?
Chris: It’s our leading idea right now with our new Cut Everyday campaign, that idea of keeping yourself up and running and cutting all day long.
Donovan: Say this again, Cut Everyday.
Chris: Yep.
Donovan: Okay, so what’s the idea behind this?
Chris: It’s a way to try to promote the integration of service, sales, and aftermarket support to our customers, and try to showcase in particular success stories that we’ve had with our service techs over the last six to 12 months, some special projects that they’ve worked on to really keep people cutting every day.
Donovan: So Cut Everyday means let’s eliminate downtime.
Chris: Right.
Donovan: What’s, when you’re talking about service, what’s some of the things we could expect from AKS service? What’s the number one thing you see people go down because of?
Chris: Well, the number one thing that I see people go down, it would have to be gas pressure.
Donovan: Really?
Chris:Yep, gas pressure. You need to have between 115 to 125 PSI. Consistent air flow, air O2, N2, Argon, whatever gas you’re using, and it’s a 10 PSI range. You go outside of that range, the Hypertherm XPR unit starts getting a little funky, it gets a little upset. And without a doubt, whenever somebody calls in, the first thing we ask them is, what’s your gas set to? And 80% of the time, that’s the fix.
Donovan: So we have a lot of things like that too. You got some go-tos in it. So part of the Cut Everyday campaign, you might get an email or a text message that says, hey, have you checked your gas pressure lately? Is that kind of what you guys are doing?
Chris: Exactly. –
Donovan: Other tips like that to help people just maintain their table.
Chris: 100%.
Donovan: So I’d look at that, you got another tip for anybody who’s listening out there on something that can help keep you running every day?
Chris: Yep, run your consumables longer.
Donovan:Your consumables? Okay, so what do you mean by that?
Chris: All the parts that go inside of the torch body themself. There’s a stack up of your electrode, inner cap, outer cap, and a couple others. A lot of people, I walk into shops all the time and I look at their bucket of spent consumables, and half of them aren’t fully spent. And that’s money right down the drain. We actually recommend using a pit depth gauge indicator, a little gauge that will–
Donovan: Okay, say this one more time, a pit depth gauge indicator.
Chris: Yeah, pit depth gauge or pit depth indicator. I combine the two, but yeah, pit depth gauge. And what all that does is it measures the top of the electrode, there’s a little indent on the top of there. And every time you turn on the torch, it liquefies, there’s a piece of material in there called hafnium. And every time you turn on the torch, it liquefies that hafnium. And then when you turn off the torch, it solidifies. And it spits out a little drop of the hafnium. So that pit gets deeper and deeper and deeper until it’s fully spent.
Donovan: Gotcha.
Chris: Well, a lot of people, they just look at that and they go, okay, my cut quality’s gotten a little bit worse. I should go ahead and change it. That’s not the thing to do. Take it out, check it with a pit depth gauge and see if it’s truly spent or not. And you can probably increase your consumable life by 20, 30%.
Donovan: Well, and then that just helps you make more money.
Chris: 100%.
Donovan: Right, and then we’re not throwing away things that are still good. We don’t wanna be doing that. Well, that’s, those are, so if you wanna learn more stuff about that, contact AKS for the next 60 days. It could be, I don’t know when you’re listening to this, but if you missed it, you can probably still get ahold of ’em, they’ll still give you a lot of tips.
Chris: Yeah, we’ve been around for 120 years, so at least another year or two. We’ll be around.
Donovan: So, but when you’re listening to this podcast or watching us on YouTube, if it’s past 60 days, past Fabtech, you can still reach out to AKS. They’ll still give you a bunch of tips on how to keep your table running, keep it going good.
Chris: 100%.
Donovan: And then, if you’re really having some issues, you guys got service teams, right? Come out, help you out.
Chris: Yep. We have third party techs across the country, another seven out of Cleveland, Ohio. And also, we have several that are across the country as direct employees as well.
Donovan: Now, Cleveland, Ohio, that’s where you guys are based, right?
Chris: Yes.
Donovan: Now, I’ve been reading a little bit, and I guess there’s a lot of industry starting to move into Ohio.
Chris: Yeah, yeah. In particular, the Intel plant in Columbus.
Donovan: Oh yeah.
Chris: That’s a big deal.
Donovan: Yeah.
Chris: That job right there, we have several customers in the structural steel space in particular, that are prefabricating the entire modules of buildings for Intel. And they’re fabbing those up, out of structural components, welding them together. And then shipping them to the job site to be installed as a modular construction of the factory.
Donovan: Well, that’s great. I mean, that’s all that’s great. You know, that’s great for you guys. That’s great for America. It’s great for our workers. We’re bringing some of these jobs back.
Chris: Definitely.
Donovan: Which is, which is just gonna be good all around. And so, you guys are helping build some stuff. We’re trying to help you guys make sure that those guys are going home healthy and safe to their families.
Chris: You got that right. The smoke is a big deal. It’s, I see it every day, walking into a shop, but there’s little plumes of smoke coming off their table and people look at it and say, ah, what can you do? You can do something about it with good techniques, a clean table.
Donovan: Right.
Chris: And making sure that you’re a properly sized dust collector as well.
Donovan: Yeah.
Chris: That’s, that a lot of people have undersized dust collectors. That’s for sure.
Donovan: Yeah, yeah. And there’s some, yeah, if you’re having issues with your dust collector, you can reach out to AKS. We’ll help you support you guys in that. You guys have a wealth of knowledge in that field too. So if you don’t know the answer, you’d get ahold of us.
Chris: A hundred percent.
Donovan: Yeah. But, so Chris, you guys have anything, you got your cut everyday campaign coming up. You guys have, do you guys have anything else coming up down the line that we should be looking out for?
Chris: We’re always looking for new things. We’re always on the search for new products to innovate on. In the last year, we’ve released a small drill to go on our Accu-Kut and Dura-Kut.
Donovan: Oh really?
Chris: Yeah, for small holes in plate. We’ve integrated the Telesis pin stamping system.
Donovan: Wait, you’re gonna have to say that one more time.
Chris: Sure. Telesis, that’s a company.
Donovan: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chris: And they have a pin stamper, a high speed pin stamper. That you position it and then it can scribe and to steel letters and numbers and lines. It’s a good way for, especially if you have to keep track of heat numbers or something by the part. It’s a really good way to make sure that you can do that effectively.
Donovan: So the machine will just do it for you there so you don’t have to rely on somebody else to do it after the fact.
Chris: Exactly.
Donovan: Oh, that’s great.
Chris: It can be right on the program, right on a scribe layer in the program. And it’ll operate the Telesis and mark your parts for you.
Donovan: Oh, that’s awesome. So you guys have been around for a long time, innovating for a long time, you’re still doing it. And yeah, like you said, you guys aren’t going anywhere. So, and we’re gonna be here to help you out. Keep partnering with AKS to make sure everybody goes home healthier and safer. And I’ll tell you what, I don’t know if we have anything else to talk about right now. I can’t think.
Chris: Yeah, I think we’re good.
Donovan: It’s been a long show. It’s been a good time.
Chris: Yeah.
Donovan: We’re glad to have you guys as partners.
Chris: Definitely.
Donovan: And if you have a question about tips, need a table, you can check out AKS.com. You guys have a YouTube page. You guys have LinkedIn and all that, right?
Chris: Yep.
Donovan: Yeah. And same with us, come check us out on our social media, on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook. And until the next time we get to talk to you guys, stay healthy and stay safe out there.
Chris: You got it. Thank you, Donovan.
Donovan: Yep.
Narrator: Thanks for listening to the Dusty Drops podcast. Breathe Better, Work Safer. (upbeat music) [MUSIC PLAYING]
Why Washable Dust Collector Filters Are Problematic 
