Why Cartridge Filters are not suitable for Wood Dust

Increasingly Airtight is being asked for assistance from owners of cartridge filters who want the cartridge filter to work better on wood dust. The solution we are usually forced to put forward is ‘Throw it out and start again’.

The Blocking Mechanism

Wood dust is usually a mixture of fine particles and of bulky material. The mechanism that blocks the filter is that the bulky particles wedge into the pleats and prevent the fine dust from being dislodged. The fine dust packs in ever more tightly thus restricting the airflow, causing rapid and dramatic performance drop.

The Airflow

Airtight has audited some 15 cartridge filter systems in the last 12 months. In all cases the extraction airflow was 35-45% of what the extraction system was rated to do. It is not a good deal when you get less than 50% of what you paid for.

The Fix

Really there is no fix. We can make your cartridge filter work better. This may involve changes to the cabinet/hopper, it may involve larger pulse valves/air reservoir. There will be improved performance but it will still be sub-standard and costly to run.

The Solution

Don’t purchase a cartridge filter for your wood dust application.