Reasons to use Pleated Filters in a Dust Collector

More and more manufacturing facilities are being made in Australia and industrialisation has reached even the remotest of areas. These facilities have upgraded themselves to meet the new technological standards and have included new age equipment and instruments, efficient speedier processes and improved throughput. No longer can these manufacturing plants afford to have consistent problems due to dust collector. There are multiple problems which can hamper production goals. Some of these problems include inadequate collection at pickup points, baghouse leaks and short filter bag life.

Tubular bags having holes in the bottom

When a baghouse design does not provision for or leaves the bottom portion of the bag exposed, this problem is caused. These holes make the bags susceptible to highly abrasive dust stream due to exposed dirty air inlet. The advantage of pleated filters is that they are significantly shorter when compared to standard filter bags and also have more than twice the filtering cloth area – thus being more useful. The benefit of increased cloth area is that they permit considerable greater open area under the filter in the shorter pleated element. Consequently a drop out chamber area is created by the open area which allows the air to expand and slow down. Due to this the abrasive dust is able to drop out before it can reach to the surface of the filter media.

Baghouse size

The advantage of pleated filters is that they can replace the standard filter bags and also the pulse jet baghouse cages with no prior need to change the current configuration of the baghouse. The need for a cage is eliminated with one piece element and also provides increased i.e. 2 – 3 times more filtration area over the conventional bag filters. Thus, with no need of any structural modifications, an upgrade to pleated filter can result in an increase of the airflow capacity of the collector. Pleated filters can specifically in case of increase in production or addition of more pick up points can alter the airflow amount handled by the collector to lower the air to cloth ratio.

Increased life of filter bag

A slowing down of air velocity is achieved as it enters the collector with the use of shorter pleated filter design which creates a drop out area under the filters. Thus a reduction in velocity is able to allow time to the dust particles that are heavy to naturally fall out. Thus a decrease in the amount of dust which reaches the filter media is achieved and it directly impacts the cleaning cycles required to clean the filters or the number pulses. Consequently, there is an increase in the life of the filter. Moreover, the pleated filter can be washed by taking it out and reused in most of the installations. Pleated filter cloth in Australia is increasingly used to make custom bags.

Today when manufacturing technologies are on an all time high, it is important for plant engineers to know when it is necessary to switch from using tubular filter bags and change to using pleated filter bags. It is an important consideration, when one is looking at the issues and problems with industrial filters like inadequate collection at the pick-up points, short life of filter bags and baghouse leaks.

To minimise plant production problems, complications and risks from dust emissions and reduce cost to the plant, it might be the best solution to switch from tubular filter bags to pleated filter bag.

Australia based New Bridge Services is a licensed manufacturer and direct supplier of a wide range of industrial and construction- support products. These include skip bins, hook lift bins, and scaffolding equipment.