By Karen Wear, Torit Product Manager
Do you own or are you considering the purchase of a mist collector with either no filter or a washable filter? Consider this: sometimes the product that is purported to be “low maintenance” can actually be a significant hassle over its lifetime, so it may not be the best solution for your facility.
Mist collectors with no filters or washable filters typically must be disassembled for cleaning and maintenance, and this process can be messy and very slow. Some systems sold as “uncomplicated” require over 10 steps for maintenance and cleaning! Maintenance and cleaning steps include: disassembling, cleaning, washing, drying, and then reassembling layers of filters in several steps – and everything must be carefully realigned for the system to work correctly after the maintenance and cleaning. Plus, you are required to dispose of all the dirty wash water in an appropriate manner. In addition, some of the mist collection units claiming they have “no filters to dispose” still require HEPA filters to achieve their stated efficiency levels. Since HEPA filters cannot be cleaned, they become a disposal item.
Mist collectors with washable filters typically require the collector be checked and cleaned on a set schedule, often requiring partial or total disassembly and cleaning as often as every six months. This maintenance and cleaning interval is often set regardless of whether the system requires it or not because there is no indication of collector condition. During the maintenance and cleaning process, your machine is down, meaning the loss of valuable production time and dollars.
Why not simplify maintenance plans by using a mist collector designed to reduce downtime? A high-efficiency cartridge mist collector is often the better solution for your facility. Mist collector media technology has been engineered to enhance wet collection with high-performance media that leverages resin-free binding fibers to increase efficiency while maintaining clear drainage channels in the media. Filters are developed specifically for each coolant type – water-soluble or straight oil – and are targeted to those challenging applications that produce smoke.
The maintenance steps to service a cartridge mist collector are straight forward and simple. The primary cartridge is held in place by a simple retention mechanism and, once released, the cartridge can easily be removed. The dirty cartridge is discarded, and a new clean cartridge installed – no messy washing or drying needed. Because a differential pressure gauge can identify when the cartridge needs to be replaced, you only perform maintenance on your mist collector when it is necessary. No guessing needed with this type of system. A simple quick look at the gauge, and you know if your mist collector needs servicing.
Some cartridge mist collectors also include reusable first stage filters that can be cleaned by tapping them gently over a waste container. If the first-stage filter becomes extremely plugged, it can be washed, but this step is not required for regular maintenance. An optional third-stage filter (such as a HEPA filter) may be available to provide even higher confidence in filtration performance if it is required for your facility. Typically, this final filter is attached to the housing after the primary cartridge for a final polishing of the air before it is discharged. All three filters can be quickly and easily changed in just minutes.
Do you want less downtime from your mist collector maintenance process? If so, then an easy-to-maintain cartridge mist collector with the latest high performance media is exactly what you need for uncomplicated maintenance on water, smoke or oil mist applications.
