A complete overview of the issue
Wood dust can cause respiratory and skin disorders. It may lead to short-term illnesses (asthma, rhinitis, eczema, etc.) and to cancers, notably naso-sinus cancers, several decades after exposure. When it reaches the deep areas of the lungs, it can cause severe and irreversible damage, such as pulmonary fibrosis.
Wood dust is also a combustible material, likely to contribute to the development of a fire. Airborne dust can also cause explosions. Finally, its residual presence on machined wooden surfaces can compromise subsequent varnishing or lacquering operations. It is therefore essential to collect these wood particles.
In industrial processes involving metals (mechanics, machining, boilermaking, welding, foundry work, steelmaking, etc.), dust is also generated. Its collection is often complex, as these small metal fragments are frequently projected at high speed. Exposure to metals or metallic compounds in the form of fumes or dust is responsible for acute or chronic respiratory diseases and, in the case of certain heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, lead, etc.), for neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Allergic skin reactions are also observed with metals such as nickel or chromium.
It is therefore imperative to reduce the generation of wood and metal dust and employee exposure by implementing appropriate filtration solutions. In this case, the main challenge is to treat large volumes of air, loaded with particles of sometimes very disparate sizes, often within existing production lines.
In summary
Wood or metal dust is:
• a cause of acute or chronic human health disorders
• sometimes projected at high velocity during metal machining processes
• often of highly variable particle size within the same production line
• imperatively required to be filtered to protect operators and installations
Pemflow solutions
For industrial dust collection of wood or metal dust, a suitable option is to use bag filters.
Filter bags are dust collectors in which dust-laden air passes through a filter layer on which particles are deposited. Flexible and robust, they are capable of handling large volumes and a wide variety of dusts. By adjusting their dimensions and carefully selecting the filter media used, they can operate under very diverse service conditions. These filters operate under positive or negative pressure. By progressively reducing air velocity as it moves through the filter, a pre-separation is achieved. The heavier particles then fall into the collection hopper, while fine particles are either retained on the surface of the media or trapped within it, thereby extending filter service life.
Filter sleeves can be custom-manufactured by computer-assisted cutting and thermal welding to meet the requirements of your installation.
Depending on the intended application and the desired filtration quality, particular attention must be paid to the choice of filter fabric (needle-punched filter media, hydroentangled fabrics, etc.) as well as to coating and surface treatment techniques (antistatic, hydrophobic, oleophobic, etc.).
In practice, filter bags can be manufactured from polyester, polypropylene, polyacrylonitrile, meta-aramid, polyamide, cotton, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), depending on your needs.
Filter sleeves can be fitted with various types of support rings to stiffen them and facilitate installation on the production line: elastic ring, drawstring, metal ring, snap ring, felt gasket, or double band with or without reinforcement.
Unlike cyclone-type separators, in which particles are removed continuously, filter sleeves allow dust accumulation that must be periodically removed using a cleaning process (reverse air, vibration, etc.).
To learn more about industrial dust collection filters
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