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How to choose the right sawdust extractor?
How to choose the right extraction device for your plant and what should you pay special attention to when purchasing? We will try to help you get answers to the above questions.
It is known that a dust collector is an essential, or even necessary, device that should be equipped in every carpentry workshop, both large and small. Local extraction systems can be used - at each machine or one extraction system for all machines. Thanks to proper removal of chips, work in the carpentry shop will be more effective and, most importantly, failure-free. Unfortunately, many companies struggle with the problem of choosing the wrong vacuum cleaner. Improper ventilation in the woodworking area may cause dust accumulation, which may result in the so-called dust cloud. High dust concentration is dangerous both for the employee's health, as the resulting dust settles in the upper respiratory tract, and for the efficiency of machines - a contaminated machine will not work properly and may even stop working.
What issues should you pay attention to when choosing a fan?
The most important factors include:
- number of machines,
- square footage of the plant,
- distance of machines from extraction,
- ventilation and its efficiency,
- sawdust moisture etc.
What is extraction efficiency, air demand and how to calculate it?
Extraction efficiency and air demand are two separate issues. Dust collector manufacturers usually specify their maximum efficiency, but in practice this does not always work. The efficiency is influenced by the engine speed, the type of pipes used and their length, the number and shape of branches and the type of waste transported. All these factors influence the real parameters, which in reality may be much lower.
Air speed is measured in m/s and depends on the fan output and duct diameter. For wet sawdust, the air velocity is different than for dry sawdust and for dust it is also different due to the possibility of explosion.
What are the most common mistakes?
- Wrong selection of diameters – with small diameters, the installation will become clogged, while with too large diameters, the flow rate in the installation will be too low, which means that the extraction will not be fully efficient,
- 90 degree equal tees – when extracting wood dust, shavings and sawdust, the installation of equal-flow tees should be avoided, as this may cause blockages in the installation. A good solution will be the use of eagle reducing tees (45 degrees), which will ensure a smoother air flow, less resistance, a drop in speed and limited congestion,
- Knees with a small radius – wherever possible, segment bends with larger radii – 2D – should be used to ensure smooth flow,
- Straight sections near the devices not preserved – for the device to operate in accordance with the declared efficiency, it is required to maintain a minimum distance from elements disturbing the air flow, such as: tees, dampers, reduction elbows, etc. The minimum distance is 2,5x the nominal diameter. The cyclone should have a straight section and a straight pipe should be used, as immediately installing a reduction, tee or 90-degree elbow will generate resistance and turbulence, which will cause the transported material to remain in the installation, which in turn will reduce the efficiency of the device. Additionally, it is important to maintain the diameter as long as possible, e.g. if the extraction pipe has a spigot diameter of 180 mm, use a pipe with a diameter of 180 mm and run it as long as possible before it is reduced to a smaller diameter at the machine. Thanks to this solution, the duster's efficiency will not be reduced and it will be fully utilized. If we use a larger diameter than the spigot, it will not increase the air flow,
- Too many flexible hoses – it is recommended to use only enough hose to connect the extraction tool with the dropping pipe. Flexible pipes cause high resistance, so their number is kept to a minimum,
- Poorly selected dust removal system – due to occupational health and safety regulations, steel pipes are recommended. These lines should be smooth to minimize resistance, ensure airflow and maintain optimal speed. The thickness of the sheet should also be taken into account, as properly selected will ensure a long service life of the installation, impact resistance, protection against corrosion and excessive abrasion of the zinc layer,
- Installation sequences too long – it is recommended to use the shortest possible lengths of ventilation ducts, as too long a duct reduces the air speed and causes the risk of dust accumulation. It is recommended to install a shorter main cable with a branch to individual machines.
- Incorrectly selected ventilation dampers – an incorrectly selected valve will cause material to accumulate on the blade and create blockages. The most frequently used are guillotine and shut-off dampers. Closing gate valves are installed in the system for returning purified air to rooms, and guillotine gate valves are used to transport contaminated air.
We hope that thanks to this article we managed to dispel any doubts regarding the selection of the appropriate dust collector.
