Paper or…Polyester? A Guide to Air Filter Media Selection

Yes, we’re all used to that question in the supermarket checkout line: “Paper or plastic?” We may mindlessly answer one way or another, just hoping to get home in time for the evening news, or we may think it over for a second, weighing a number of factors: How strong are the bags? How much can each one carry? Will I want to reuse them? Do I care about the environmental impact? Choosing air filtration media entails a similar analytical process, though some of the questions may be a little different. Read on for a few of the main concerns to take into account during your selection process:

Particle Size Ratings: This is probably the first thing to think about when choosing an air filter. Where will the filter be used, and what is it meant to remove from the air? For coarser material like, for instance, sawdust or pollen, filters rated to 100 microns or even more might do the trick (for reference, a human hair is 150 microns wide). Finer materials like dust would bring you down around the 50 micron range, and fume and smoke filtration requires a rating of 1 micron or less.

Efficiency: Also a primary concern in terms of maintenance and effectiveness. A filter’s efficiency is the percentage of particles that it traps and holds as air passes through it. For instance, Dynamic Filtration’s heavy duty industrial thermoset paper filters have a 98%+ efficiency per the SAE fine dust test (for particles of 75 microns or more). Even more impressive, our polyester cloth filters are rated at 98% efficiency for 10 microns.

Material: Back to the original question: typically, options will be either paper or synthetic (polyester) media. The above questions will factor into your decision, as polyester can typically be engineered to capture finer particles. Cost is also a consideration: paper filters are generally less expensive than synthetics. Keep in mind, however, that synthetic filters are washable and reusable, up to 15 times or more. This can drive down the overall cost to less than that of paper filters, over a period of months of years.

Our experts are always ready to answer any additional questions! Contact us for more information.

Vacuum Trucks, Leaves, and Fall Safety

Who doesn’t enjoy seeing the leaves on trees change colors as the weather starts to turn in the fall? And who doesn’t dread the idea of raking all those leaves a few weeks later, when, shed by the trees, they gather on lawns, sidewalks, and streets. Typically, we rake our leaves, bag them, and leave them by the curb on garbage pickup day. Vacuum trucks used by many cities in the fall and winter months have changed this equation a bit – and made the work just a little easier for homeowners.

In a very informal survey of several people at Dynamic Filtration’s facility, we heard tales of fifty, sixty, or even more bags of leaves gathered at peak foliage time. The use of municipal vacuum trucks can eliminate this costly, wasteful, and, let’s face it, just plain annoying step. Towns are now directing residents to rake their leaves in piles near the curb, for direct pickup by a vacuum truck. Even when this method is used, there are still a few safety measures to keep in mind:

• Keep leaves out of the street – wet leaves are one of the biggest driving hazards.
• Don’t rake leaves near fire hydrants.
• Make sure that drains and sewers are also clear of leaves until pickup occurs.

As you might imagine, leaf pickup also includes lots of other debris – dust, dirt, tree branches, and more. Filters are an important part of vacuum truck construction, as they keep this foreign material from encountering the truck’s pump, wearing down the components and reducing efficiency and speed, which is important when you’re picking up 1,591 tonnes of leaves, as the city of Cambridge, ON did last year!  In the meantime, try and enjoy that crisp fall air, and look forward to some piping hot cider at the end of your yard work.

On the Road Again: Our Fabtech 2011 Recap

Dynamic Filtration had quite the week in Chicago! After a few days at Filtration 2011, our next stop was not too far down the lake shore, at the annual Fabtech expo and conference. From filter frames to vacuum equipment, the metalworking show housed an unparalleled level of expertise, knowledge, and cutting-edge technology, and we had plenty to see. One of the developments that we were most excited about, though, was a new line of portable welding smoke extractors by a longtime partner for whom we provide filter media.

Portable welding smoke extractors are an indispensable and ingenious creation that make workplace – and worker – safety as easy as plugging in a lightweight and moderately sized unit. Rather than installing an integrated, unwieldy, and costly extraction system, these units ease that burden, allowing for much greater flexibility to protect welding personnel. Like any suction system, filtration is important in keeping the vacuum chamber just that – a vacuum. Taking a look at these newer lines of portable smoke and fume extractors enables us to keep building the most effective filters possible, maintaining the highest level of operation for these machines.

Our week on the road was, as always, eye-opening, educational, and fun! Any other Fabtech attendees out there? Please share your stories with us!

Our Kind of Town: Chicago Winter Conferences 2011

Dynamic Filtration hits the road this week, traveling to Chicago, IL, for not one, but two big industry events: Filtration 2011 at the Navy Pier, and Fabtech, occurring at McCormick Place. Next week, we’ll have a look back at Fabtech, but after a slice of deep dish pizza or three, our first stop is the Filtration event. Fabtech, a massive show, focuses on metal forming processes and products of all types. Filtration 2011, on the other hand, provides us with an opportunity to be around more specialized companies just like us.

We’re looking forward to all of the resources available at Filtration 2011, but a few aspects of the conference are especially appealing to us:

• It addresses all industries that use filtration: automotive, HVAC, home, retail, cleanroom, and more
• Cutting-edge topics, including eletrostatically charged filters vs. mechanical filters, will be discussed.
• It’s a two-way conversation. Panels always devote plenty of time for Q & A.
• Although we focus primarily on air filtration, it's a great opportunity to stay abreast of developments across the industry, in both air and liquid filtration media.

 Check back next week for our Fabtech recap!

A Look Inside Our Filter Reclamation Process

Filter reclamation, at first glance, seems like an almost too-good-to-be-true service. It cuts down turnaround times enormously for our customers, providing like-new filters in a fraction of the time that it would take to order and deliver them from the factory. Reclamation and recovery also benefit the environment greatly, and not just from a simple reduction in overall filter use. An important step, following the cleaning process, is the proper disposal of oil, dust, or other material. Often, filters are just disposed of without proper contaminant removal, leading to extremely environmentally-unfriendly waste material.
Because so many of our filters are used for applications like oil, it’s important that our recovery process properly accounts for transport and disposal.

• Step one: Ensure that our customer has the proper packaging, including labels for shipping hazardous material.
• Step two: Separate the filter from the housing.
• Step three: Put the filter through multiple scrubbing and cleaning cycles.
• Step four: Visually and mechanically test that the filter is fully cleaned.
• Step five: Ship to the customer, again with proper packaging and shipping methods.

The benefits of filter reclamation make this involved process more than worth it to carry out. For more details, get in touch with Dynamic Filtration today.

The Benefits of Agility: Fast Turnarounds for the Oil Industry

In an ideal world, our industrial filters would operate at perfect efficiency: operating to just their rated capacity, never failing unexpectedly, and generally staying unnoticed. Unfortunately, this kind of predictability just can’t be counted on, especially in high-intensity operations like oil and petroleum drilling and transportation. When equipment malfunctions do occur, it goes without saying that replacements and repairs should happen as quickly as possible, minimizing downtime for equipment and personnel.

With a roster of several large, national customers, it may come as a surprise that Dynamic Filtration maintains the flexibility and first-class service of the job shop next door. This is one of our great strengths, and a reason why our high-profile clients have continued to come to us when they need our products the most. We’ve had a longstanding relationship with one of Canada’s largest oil corporations, providing vacuum truck filter recovery and replacement services immediately – within a day or two – when typical turnarounds for other companies run to two weeks or more. Large or small, our expertise allows us to handle any filtration job, so contact us with any questions!

This Week's Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show

This week brings the annual Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show to Toronto, and it promises to be as educational and exciting as ever. From innovative exhibitors to informative panelists, there’s always something to see and learn over the four-day event. Dynamic Filtration will be in attendance at the show, as it’s important to us to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and news across all the industries that we work with.

With so many great speakers and events, it’s going to be a difficult decision as to how to spend our time at CMTS2011. A few of the most interesting options include:

• “Gain Competitive Advantage by Re-Using Existing Equipment for the Manufacturing of New Products”  As a company well-versed in filter refurbishment for many of our clients, we have a special interest in this area.
• “Beyond Energy Efficiency to Net Zero Energy (NZE) Buildings” Filtration can make a huge difference in efficient operation of any product where filters are used. Net-zero energy is a fascinating topic, and this session is sure to feature lots of great examples. 
• Exhibitors from industries including automation, EDM, material handling, plant engineering, and energy efficiency.

 Check back with us for more information on the CMTS!