When Stacy Ames, president of 50-year-old Falmer Thermal Spray moved to a new facility in Salem, MA to increase capacity, create a greener manufacturing process and streamline production, she wanted state-of-the art equipment that would help the company meet her 5-year growth plan. She chose Donaldson® Torit® Downflo® Oval (DFO) dust collectors with Ultra-Web® cartridge filters.

Thermal spray processes use a heat source, like electric arc spray, plasma or flame spray, to melt metallic or nonmetallic materials and propel them onto a substrate. Managing the overspray in the spray booth is challenging because the particulate is very small—typically less than a micron in size—and is not captured by ordinary filters.

Donaldson Torit Ultra-Web® cartridge filters have a layer of fine fibers that capture particles in the submicron sizes down to 0.3 µm. The fine fiber layer also enables surface-loading, so the self-cleaning compressed air pulse of the DFO dust collector is able to clean the filters effectively—keeping pressure drop low over the life of the filter and extending filter life.

“We took the time to engineer the dust collection systems right,” Stacy said. “They must accommodate our needs now and through our business expansion. We are known for our agility in terms of fast delivery and varying quantities and didn’t want to lose that during this growth phase. The Donaldson Torit Downflodust collection systems have everything we need: longer filter life, lower energy usage, and reliable operation enabling us to minimize maintenance downtime and cope with the varying costs of energy.”