Cartridge Dust Collection Design for Sandblast Operations
Many steel fabrication facilities have a dedicated bay for sandblasting and painting that requires capturing and filtering particulate, smoke, and fumes. The sandblast material is often an abrasive silica that will pulverize upon contact with the metal surface and create thousands of fine dust particles that will cloud the air and fill the room.
Cartridge Media Selection
Cartridge Media Selection
Proper media selection is critical to ensuring a successful long term operation for any dust collection system. The characteristics of the air stream as well as the particulate to be collected need to be considered including:
- Physical characteristics – abrasive, sticky, tacky, etc.
- Particle size (mesh, micron size, etc.)
- Particle size distribution
- Temperature
- Moisture content/humidity
- And others
For an abrasive dust such as blast sand, strength of the media is of critical importance. A high strength composite of cellulose and polyester fibers is often selected in order to withstand the rigors of the application. For operations where sparks may be present, a flame retardant coating can be applied to the filter.
Cartridge Filter Orientation
The configuration of the filters also affects their performance and life cycle. A vertical orientation is optimal to ensure that when collected dust is pulsed from the cartridges, it falls to the bottom of the collector and can be removed or recovered. A horizontal cartridge configuration is is inferior because pulsed dust falls onto the cartridges below which reduces filtration capability and requires additional maintenance for rotating cartridges.
Sandblast Dust Collector Case Study
A high production fabrication facility required needed to upgrade its dust capture system in order properly vent and purify the contaminated work area. Monroe designed and installed a 6,000 CFM Cartridge Dust Collector to capture the exhaust from the sandblast and painting bay. The system effectively exhausts the sandblast room and provides for a cleaner work environment. Reverse pulse cleaning of the vertical cartridges allows for continuous operation as well as a long filter life.
