Dust Collection for the Wood, Pulp & Paper Industries
Donaldson Powercore® CP Dust Collectors Are More Compact & Have Longer Life in the Plastics & Rubber Industry
Reliable Dust Collection for the Wood, Pulp & Paper Processing Industries
AST Canada supplies reliable dust collection and combustible dust mitigation solutions to fit a variety of woodworking, and pulp & paper processing applications.
With several decades of experience engineering dust collection systems, AST Canada is the name you can trust above all others for solutions to dust, mist & fume collection plus fire & explosion mitigation in industrial settings.
A Variety of Options for the Wood, Pulp & Paper Industries
The term “Woodworking” covers a very wide range of applications, dust types, and project sizes. These may range from small school wood shops, to cabinet and furniture manufacturing, all the way up to primary lumber milling and the manufacturing/processes associated with engineered wood products like plywood and MDF. Donaldson’s diverse product line (from 850 to 229,366.4 m³ /h / 500 to 135,000 cfm) provides for an ideal equipment selection in virtually every wood-related application.
Special Process and Material Property Considerations
Wood Dust Types
Wood dust or sawdust is a broad category, consisting of several types, sizes, and shapes of materials. Important variables include:
- Wood species (hardwoods have different characteristics than softwoods)
- Moisture content (‘green’ or dried)
- Presence of other materials (as in plywoods or particleboard, etc)
- Application or machinery that is generating the dust
Generally speaking, wood dust can be broken down into one of three basic categories:
Class 1 Wood Dust
Class 1 Wood Dust is light/fine dust, typically from sanding machinery and hand sanding.
Class II Wood Dust
Class II wood dust is medium sized, typically from saws, routers, jointers, molders and shapers.
Class III Wood Dust
Class III wood dust is larger more fibrous dust, typically from planers, edge banders, lathes, band saws and mills/hogs.
Sizing and Selecting A Dust Collector for Wood
Our team of experts can help you size and select the perfect dust collector for your wood application. We will survey your facility at no charge, and provide a prompt and technically reliable price quotation. Some of the key information we will need to accurately size a system include:
- Airflow Requirement in Cubic Meters per Hour (m³/h) / Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM):
- Dust and application characteristics
- Intermittent or continuous (production)
- Collector location (indoor or outdoor)
- The volume of dust discharge or takeaway
Dust & Discharge Disposal
A key part of the equation in selecting the right dust collector for wood applications is the consideration of how much material will be collected by the unit, and what size of storage device will be utilized for the collected dust. Donaldson offers the widest selection of options available, from small drawers or drums for light-loading applications, to medium and full-size bins and roll-off dumpsters.
Shown below are some typical discharge arrangements.
Simple Bag Discharge
Dumpster Discharge
40 Yard Roll Offs with Bin House and Transfer Screws
4 Yard Bin
55 Gallon Drum
Common Mistakes in Selecting a Dust Collector for Wood Dust
There are a host of inexpensive point-of-use simple dust collectors on the market.
These can consist of nothing but a blower/fan and a bag or drum. While these may have utility in a small intermittent ‘hobby’ type shop, they can present problems for any type of production environment. These are typically light-gauge construction, with filter media that is not very efficient, and without means to clean the bag or filter. These devices commonly have leaking and/or plugging issues. Additionally, these units may not be consistent with a combustible dust strategy as outlined by OSHA.Cyclones serve a valid niche in the woodworking market, but buyers should be aware of their limitations.
Cyclones do not have the filtration efficiency of a media-type device – if there is no ‘afterfilter’ bag or device, cyclones could be susceptible to some degree of ‘blow-by’ or fine dust passing out the discharge. If a cyclone is selected, an afterfilter should be utilized. If the cyclone is located outdoors (per OSHA recommendations), the afterfilter bag section should also have a weather enclosure to prevent the bags from being exposed to rain and the elements. Interestingly, a cyclone with afterfilter bags and weather enclosure often reaches or exceeds the price point of a fully-integrated baghouse or other device, so buyers should weigh several options.Given the wide range of dust collector types that could be suitable for wood dust collection, a buyer should be careful when working with a vendor who only manufactures a single type of system.
For example, a cartridge collector manufacturer might only be able to provide a solution that suggests a cartridge collector, when a baghouse or other device might be more suitable for fibrous or heavy dust.
Related Products
Baghouse
Rugged Pleat
The Donaldson Rugged Pleat (RP) Baghouse sets a new standard for baghouse dust collector performance, combining advanced collector design with superior filtration technology in our most maintenance-friendly design ever.
RF Series
The Donaldson Torit® RF baghouse dust collector handles heavy-dust loads and large volumes of air and offers a cleaning system that does not require compressed air.
LP Series
Donaldson Torit® LP Series baghouse dust collectors use reverse air bag filter cleaning to prevent air flow before and after cleaning, resulting in lower pressure drop.
Modular Baghouse
Donaldson Torit® Modular Baghouse dust collectors deliver reliable, efficient, continuous-duty, pulse jet operation in a compact design with easy maintenance.
IRD Series
Donaldson Torit® IRD Series baghouse dust collectors use a downflow air pattern and gravity to clean dust trapped on the filter bag and force dust into collection bins.
FS Series
The Donaldson Torit® FS Pulse Jet baghouse dust collector provides an economical solution for bin venting applications with increased durability and integrity.
FT Pulse
The FT Pulse Jet baghouse dust collector minimizes moisture and particulate issues in pulse valves in high-volume applications, with easy and dependable operation.
IoT Enabled with iCue™ Connected Filtration Service
This collector* is now enabled with Donaldson’s iCue™ connected filtration monitoring service. Designed to remotely monitor a facility’s dust collection equipment and provide operational insights directly to end-users, this information can help manufacturers reduce unplanned downtime, support efficient maintenance and operation, and automatically capture compliance data.
* may not be available on all models
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AST Canada has been helping clients find solutions for their unique Dust, Mist & Fume Collection needs for more than 40 years.
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