Pleated Baghouse Filters: A Smarter, More Cost-Effective Solution!

, ,
what is cheaper: a filter bag or a pleated filter?

Traditional Filters vs. Pleated Filters

fiberglass baghouse filter

Made from a variety of materials, filter bags can be used in high temp, high dust loading, abrasive, corrosive and high humidity applications

Traditional baghouse filter bags have been the standard in dust collector for nearly 100 years and they continue to be the most common type of filter used across nearly all industries and applications. Their wide use, and simple construction means they present the lowest cost per filter option.

However, when the time for your next filter replacement comes, are traditional baghouse filters always the most cost effective option when all cost factors are considered? In many applications this is not the case. One choice that should be given more consideration is to replace your existing traditional filter bags and cages with pleated filters.

This article will examine exactly what are pleated baghouse filters and what are their advantages over traditional bags and cages. 

What are Pleated Baghouse Filters

pleated filter design

Pleated filter elements have many folds of the fabric that provide a greater surface area of filter cloth in a shorter length, allowing for improved air-to-cloth ratios in the same space

As one of the latest technologies in industrial dust collection, pleated filters improve on the design of traditional bags by packing more filter fabric into a smaller space. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additionally, the shorter overall filter length also creates additional space underneath the bottom of the filters, keeping the filters above the dirty inlet gas stream.

traditional filter bags versus pleated filters

Shorter filter length reduces abrasion problems caused by incoming dust particles striking the filters and further slows the incoming air, which improves filter dust cake release when the filters are pulsed

Another advantage over traditional filters is that they do not require separate cages, as the bag and cage are combined into a one-piece construction. This means no more separate cage purchases and easier storage of filters. Due to these reasons, they  are more efficient at removing particulate than traditional bags and last longer, sometimes up to 2 times as long. Pleated filters are designed to operate with today’s high demand production demands and can replace existing bags and cages in most standard pulse jet baghouses without any modifications required. 

Why use Pleated Filters Over Traditional Bags and Cages

pleated filter graphic

As noted, there are compelling operational and performance benefits to switch from traditional filters to pleated filter elements. But there are also significant financial advantages. The use of pleated filters in today’s high production demands can reduce costs by up to 60%. How is this the case? Let’s examine some of the benefits of switching to pleated filters. 

 

  • — Reduction in Total Number of Filters:

    The total number of filters required is reduced due to the overall filter cloth area being increased when using pleated filters. Less filters are required for the same filtering efficiency. 

 

  • Pleated-Filters-Install-Step-1

    Installation can take 50% less time than it takes to replace traditional filters

    — Easier Installation:

    The reduction in the number of filters being installed results in faster changeouts, less downtime and lower installation costs. Also the one-piece unitary design means there is no cumbersome operation to remove and reinstall the cage and bag together, therefore installation can take 50% less time than it takes to replace traditional filters. 

 

  • — Reduction in Compressed Air:

    With less physical filters and an improved filter area, pleated filters load dust better and are easier to clean. This leads to a significant reduction in the use of compressed air during the cleaning cycle.

 

  • — Increased Lifespan:

    Shorter length of filters and a reduction in cleaning, results in pleated filters experiencing less wear and tear during operation. This means pleated elements commonly last from 25 to 75% longer than filter bags. Sometimes as much as 2 to 3 times longer. Longer lifespan means replacing filters less often.

 

  • — Improved Operation and Greater Capacity Through Increased Filter Area:

    Pleated Filter elements can dramatically improve operation costs by increasing capacity, by decreasing emissions, reducing electricity usage. Pleated elements can effectively increase the amount of filter media inside a collector by as much as 700%.

bag filter square feet area versus pleated filter square feet area

With the greater amount of filter media, operators can either:

  1. Keep the airflow the same and thus increase the air-to-cloth ratio for improved performance and filter life
  2. Increase airflow to have a greater baghouse capacity of a baghouse, possibly allowing for the combination of several dust collection systems into one larger unit and in turn reducing operation costs. 

Read Article: Pleated Dust Collector Filter Conversion: Cost-Benefit Analysis

Conclusion - Pleated Filters Provide Significant Advantages In The Right Application

what is cheaper: a filter bag or a pleated filter?

Traditional filters usually mean lowest cost per filter, but with pleated elements the overall short term and long term cost of replacing and maintaining your baghouse can be dramatically reduced

There are many advantages to switching from traditional to pleated filters.

In certain cases however, switching to pleated filters will not be a viable option. For example, pleated filters are not advisable for high temperatures or  when the airstream contains highly corrosive gases. Higher temp versions do exist, but they have significantly higher costs per filter and may only be viable in applications where improving dust collector performance will provide significant financial upside and with few to no other options available to do so.   

In summary, from cost savings to improved efficiency and longer lifespan, pleated filters can be a game-changer for your dust collection system.

To find out more information on the pleated filters and to discuss the option of converting  your baghouse to pleated filters, please contact us at Baghouse.com

Can I Install Pleated Filters in My Baghouse?
/by

Should I Change My Filters on a Schedule?

, ,
Quite often a decision to replace the filters occurs after some kind of safety hazard becomes evident (e.g. elevated ambient dust levels or combustible dust hazards, etc.) or when the filters have literally fallen apart and they can no longer function without replacing them.

All Industrial Baghouse filters require periodic changing to new filters. But the question is, when?

Quite often a decision to replace the filters occurs after some kind of safety hazard becomes evident (e.g. elevated ambient dust levels or combustible dust hazards, etc.) or when the filters have literally fallen apart and they can no longer function without replacing them.

The time to change filters on an industrial dust collector is not by any means uniform across all industries. Many times it’s not even entirely clear who has the responsibility to make the necessary changes, maintenance planners, operators, plant management, production staff, compliance engineers, etc. 

How Most Plants Decide When to Change Filters

Pleated filters blinded by a dust cake

Ignoring the signs of blinded filters can lead to costly fines

Regrettably, most plants conduct filter changeouts quite haphazardly and randomly, having have no plan whatsoever. Some just pick a moment and decide to replace them without any particular reason other than a “feeling” that they are old. Others ignore all signs of degrading capacity and efficiency until they receive notice after an inspection finding them well in violation of emissions limits. Quite often a decision to replace the filters occurs after some kind of safety hazard becomes evident (e.g. elevated ambient dust levels or combustible dust hazards, etc.) or when the filters have literally fallen apart and they can no longer function without replacing them. On other occasions it only comes to the attention of the decision makers when the boss finds her car covered in dust in the parking lot. 

Obviously, such an approach has serious drawbacks. These include the potential for fines and sanctions for elevated emissions. Besides the obvious effects on production performance, worn out filters can also directly contribute to safety hazards from combustible dust and excessive ambient dust levels.  Additionally, this kind of approach makes it impossible to plan and budget for filter replacement, meaning a large capital expenditure occurs without warning. This can lead to an unexpected shutdown that could involve significant downtime. 

The Fixed Scheduled Method 

It does not take a business genius to realize that the approach outlined above is not feasible and far more costly in the long run than being proactive about filter replacement. For this reason, a good number of plants instead decide to go a different route and in their minds “play it safe” by scheduling their filter change outs at fixed intervals. Usually they will get an opinion regarding the “recommended service life” of their particular filter from the bag supplier or an outside air pollution control consultant. These so-called “experts” may recommend a replacement schedule of anywhere from 1 to even 6+ years. 

How Long Should My Baghouse Filters Last?

By scheduling the changeout in advance these facilities think they are avoiding the mistakes of the others, namely the unexpected shutdowns, the possibility of exceeding emissions limits, controlling dust hazards, etc. While this is true to an extent, it makes no allowance for the fact that filter failure does not occur in exactly the same way in every application. The causes of filter failure are complex and involve more than just time under use. Process conditions, upset events, weather, maintenance, capacity, manufacturing, cleaning settings, operation parameters and other factors all affect how long a set of filters will last. By arbitrarily setting a date for changeouts and not basing it on actual bag performance they will replace the filters sooner than needed or risk running the filters too long.

The Better Way - Replace Only When Needed Using Triboelectric Monitoring

Our stack emission monitoring devices are tailored to integrate into your specific application, regardless of your industry or application

Our stack emission monitoring devices are tailored to integrate into your specific application, regardless of your industry or application

In contrast to the above methods, many facilities have realized the benefit of basing this decision on actual performance data from their baghouses. In this regard, no other monitoring device comes close to the capabilities of a triboelectric dust monitoring system such as the Auburn TRIBO series. Armed with trending emissions data gathered in real time, maintenance planners can accurately predict when filters will begin to fail (i.e. no longer capable of meeting emissions limits), thus allowing them to plan ahead for filter replacement and avoid unexpected shutdowns. 

"Before we started using a triboelectric monitoring system, filter changes were a guessing game. Now, we can precisely plan replacements based on actual collected data, and it's saved us both maintenance man hours and money."

M. F - Plant Manager at a Cement Facility

This predictive maintenance approach saves money on filter change outs by allowing planners to beginning sourcing quotes for filters in advance and lining up labor for change out thus avoiding additional charges for expedited delivery and rush mobilization. It also allows for the shutdown to be scheduled at the most opportune time, such as during a quarterly maintenance outage. 

In addition, continuous monitoring with triboelectric systems means that if any unexpected problems do occur before the change out, such a leaking filter, or damage from upset conditions in the process, compliance engineers can immediately detect a problem quickly and arrange for repairs before it escalates. 

"Honestly, relying on 'gut feelings' to replace filters led us to costly mistakes in the past. With predictive data from our triboelectric system, we plan filter changes during regular maintenance, avoiding disruptions and unnecessary expenses."

S. L - Maintenance Coordinator at an Aluminum Foundry

Conclusion

Despite the wishes of many plant managers, filter changeouts do not go away if ignored. Neglecting to address the issue with a concrete strategy only causes more problems, some with the potential to force shutdowns or cause catastrophic damage. On the other hand, preemptively changing filters based solely on a rigid timetable, regardless of performance and actual operating conditions “leaves money on the table”, with the plant forced to purchase more filters and shutdown for changeouts more often than necessary. 

In contrast to these two extremes, with the help of triboelectric dust collector monitoring systems operators and maintenance planners can see exactly when the filters will need to be replaced and can plan accordingly. This will lead not only to direct savings on filters and changeout labor, but also better operation and more stable performance. 

Would you like to see how a triboelectric monitoring system could help you extend the life of your filters? Contact us today! 

Call us now!
/by

Hazardous Dust: Key Risks and Practical Management Solutions

, ,
In many industries, workers can be exposed to high levels of dust, causing breathing problems that could lead to life-threatening respiratory diseases.

How Harmful is Exposure to Dust in the Workplace?

In many industries, workers can be exposed to high levels of dust, causing breathing problems that could lead to life-threatening respiratory diseases. Most occupational lung diseases are caused by repeated, long-term exposure, but even a severe, single exposure to a hazardous agent can damage the lungs.

In What Industries is Dust a Hazard?

In many industries, workers can be exposed to high levels of dust, causing breathing problems that could lead to life-threatening respiratory diseases.

Manufacturing factories, processing facilities, and industrial sites all have the potential to emit dangerous dust.

Dust is a prevalent exposure at workplaces in various industries such as: 

  • — Mining 
  • — Foundries
  • — Chemical
  • — Food industries
  • — Stone working
  • — Woodwork

While many industries expose workers to dust, not all dust is equally harmful. Excessive exposure to some types of dust has been linked to the development of particular health problems, such as lung cancer or asthma. Different forms of the same substance may present different hazards. For example, a large piece of wood may be safe, but when ground into dust, it can become hazardous.

What Problems Can Exposure to Dust Lead To?

Exposure to any dust in excessive amounts can create respiratory problems. The harmful effects of dust can vary, from skin irritation to lung cancer, depending on the composition of the dust and the type and degree of exposure. Dust is not always an obvious hazard because the particles which cause the most damage are often invisible to the naked eye, and the health effects of exposure can take years to develop.

Safe Materials When Solid, Hazardous in Dust Form

As we mentioned, some materials that are generally safe in their solid form can become hazardous when they are ground into dust and inhaled over long periods. For example, Silica is found in materials like sand, stone, and concrete, silica is harmless in its solid state. However, when these materials are cut, ground, or drilled, they produce respirable crystalline silica dust. Prolonged exposure to this dust can lead to silicosis, a serious lung disease, as well as lung cancer and other respiratory issues.

Inherently Toxic Dusts

Exposure to any dust in excessive amounts can create respiratory problems.Other dusts are inherently toxic and should be avoided as much as possible due to their severe health risks:

  • — Heavy Metals: Dust from metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic can be extremely toxic. Inhalation of these dusts can lead to serious health issues, including damage to the nervous system, kidneys, and other organs.
  • — Asbestos: Asbestos fibers, when inhaled, can cause severe lung diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Even small amounts of asbestos dust can be dangerous.
  • — Mineral Acids: Dusts from mineral acids, such as sulfuric acid, can cause severe respiratory and skin irritation.

How Can We Prevent Dust-Related Diseases?

PTFE filters from Baghouse.com can easily reach sub-micron filtration ranges. In some applications efficiencies are high enough to allow for the recirculation of treated air back into the facility.

In some applications, PTFE membrane filtration efficiencies are high enough to allow for the recirculation of treated air back into the facility.

In normal situations with non-hazardous materials, a simple dust collector with basic filters is often sufficient to meet regulatory requirements. However, when handling hazardous dust, additional steps are necessary to comply with local regulations. For example, hazardous dust might require dust collectors fitted with high-efficiency filters, such as bags or cartridges with nanofiber or PTFE membranes. These filters capture a higher percentage of the smallest particles.

Using HEPA Filters for Extra Safety

Different stages of a HEPA after filter

HEPA after-filter serves as a powerful ally when searching for cleaner indoor air quality, particularly in industrial settings

If the dust is particularly hazardous, local authorities or safety regulators may require an extra set of filters known as after-filters or HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters. These are usually placed after the primary filters, either before or after the fan. HEPA filters act as a fallback safety measure. In normal operation, the primary filters capture all the dust. However, if there’s a hole or damage to the primary filters, the HEPA filters will capture any escaping dust, preventing it from being released into the environment or recirculated back into the building.

Conclusion

This guide aims to promote safety by educating company owners, managers, environmental personnel and workers about the dangers of hazardous dust and advocating for effective prevention strategies. Remember, a little awareness and action can go a long way in keeping your team safe and healthy.

Would you like to talk to a dust collection expert to determine if you are working with hazardous dust?

Are you wondering what measures should you take to keep your facilities safe?

Talk To A Dust Collection Expert
/by

Should I Buy a Used or New Baghouse?

,
Key Considerations for Buying Used Baghouse Systems
Key Considerations for Buying Used Baghouse Systems

Key Considerations for Buying Used Baghouse Systems

When businesses look for ways to save money, one option is to buy used equipment instead of new. At first glance, purchasing a used baghouse system may seem like a great deal. The lower upfront cost and quick availability are tempting. However, before jumping into a decision, it’s important to consider more than just the initial savings. There are hidden factors that could make a used baghouse less economical in the long run. Let’s break down the pros and cons to help you make the best decision for your operation.

Key Considerations for Used Baghouse Systems

While a used baghouse may come with a lower price tag, here are a few critical factors you need to evaluate:

  1. Age and Condition

    How old is the equipment? It’s common for used systems to need replacement parts such as filters, cages, valves, and gaskets. Depending on how much needs to be replaced, a used system could quickly become more expensive than it first appeared.

  2. Compatibility with Your Needs

    Is the system designed for your specific dust collection requirements? Consider:

    • The air-to-cloth ratio
    • The temperature and pressure it can handle
    • The physical and chemical properties of the dust. An improper match could lead to inefficiencies, higher operating costs, or worse—contamination risks.

  3. Unknown History

    Before buying a used dust collector, make sure you get a full report of what kind of process it was used for

    Before buying a used dust collector, make sure you get a full report of what kind of process it was used for

    You might not know what the baghouse was exposed to before. If it handled hazardous or incompatible materials, you could face contamination risks in your own operations, which could harm your products or create a dangerous environment.

  4. Compliance

    Does the used system meet today’s OSHA and NFPA standards? Regulations are frequently updated, and an older system might need costly upgrades to comply with current rules.

  5. Transport and Assembly Costs

    Large used baghouse systems may need to be disassembled for transport, which can require specialized equipment and labor. Reassembling it at your site could also incur additional costs, potentially outweighing the initial savings.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

Used systems often come with more than just the visible costs of parts and transport. You might also encounter:

  • — Structural issues: Outdated control systems or worn-out motors could add to your expenses.
  • — Environmental concerns: Older systems may not include modern technology for efficient dust collection or emission control.
  • — Higher maintenance: Older systems generally require more frequent repairs and servicing, which increases downtime and operational costs over time.

Benefits of Buying a New Baghouse System

Baghouse.com personnel unloading a dust collector and installing it

A new system offers customization, compliance, low maintenance, and the security of a warranty

While buying a used baghouse system may seem cheaper upfront, purchasing new equipment often saves more in the long run. Here’s why:

  1. Customization: A new system is designed specifically for your operation. Experts take into account the dust properties, airflow needs, temperature, and pressure to create a system that runs efficiently and meets all your requirements.
  2. Compliance and Safety: A new system will meet current OSHA and NFPA regulations right from the start. This helps you avoid fines, legal issues, and costly modifications.
  3. Lower Maintenance Costs: New systems are less likely to break down and come with modern cleaning mechanisms that extend filter life and reduce operating costs.
  4. Warranty and Support: A new baghouse comes with a warranty and the option for ongoing technical support, giving you peace of mind that any issues will be promptly handled.
  5. Higher Resale Value: A new system, when well-maintained, will retain more of its value, making it easier to resell if your production needs change.

Conclusion: Used vs. New—Which is Right for You?

If you’ve evaluated a used baghouse system and determined it can meet your needs, considering factors like disassembly, transport, and the cost of necessary upgrades, it might be a good option. However, keep in mind the potential hidden costs and long-term maintenance issues.

On the other hand, a new system offers customization, compliance, low maintenance, and the security of a warranty, which often makes it a better investment over time.

 

Before making your decision, we recommend speaking with a dust collection expert at Baghouse.com. Our specialists can help analyze your specific needs and guide you toward the best option for your facility.

Call us now!
/by