Fortunate or unfortunate, with the number foundries going out of business there is a large number of used dust collectors on the market.  Some are only a few years old, others are decades.  You must do a thorough evaluation of a used dust collector to be certain it will be a wise investment for the particular process in your facility.

Not all dust collectors are the same and you really have to know what you are buying.  The most important thing to look for is the air to cloth ratio (the ratio of the system volume to the total square foot of fabric) as this is the data used to determine the size of the dust collector.  The cloth area is what you want to know, because the volume at its old location many not apply to the location in your facility, depending on the process.  Collection systems are sized by the air to cloth ratio.  Collectors are also sized to a process!  A 150,000 CFM dust collection system for a sand system may only provide 100,000 CFM for melting operations.

So once you know the baghouse will fit your application then it’s time to visit and look at the collector in person.  This may be the right time to hire an engineering firm that specializes in air pollution control and dust collection systems.  They will be able to do a dust collector inspection and provide accurate data in the actual condition of the collector.  Here are a few things to look for:

Thoroughly inspect the housing integrity, check for any thin spots that can start to cause problems in the future.

Then check out the pulse cleaning system, if possible get compressed air to the system to see how many diaphragm valves are bad and are in need of repair.

Inspect the inside of the clean air plenum, are the cages in good shape?  You will probably want new bags, so measure the tubesheet holes to make sure you can order the correct bags.

Then inspect the hopper, screw conveyor and/or rotary airlock to make sure everything is in good condition.

If possible , run the conveyor and airlock equipment to check mechanical soundness.

If you are also buying the fan and motor you will really need to know how you plan on installing at your facility.  You will need to estimate a static pressure and have the fan manufacture run up a fan curve based on your new location with elevation, temperatures, new static pressure and volume.  Fans and motors are sized with regards to temperatures, altitudes, static pressure and volumes.  You may have to buy a new fan and motor if the process is different than the original .

Also look over the fan housing, bearings and wheel to  make sure everything is in good condition.

Critical measurements are important to the layout at your facility if you find the dust collector, fan and motor will fit your application and is in sound condition.  This information will be important when you hire a local contractor to take down the dust collector and when you hire a shipping company to load it on trucks to ship to your facility.

All costs to remove, repair, update, ship, install, balance and test need to be evaluated against building a brand new dust collector made to order for your facility.

Call ETA Engineering today 800.988.2656 to help you make the right decision for your facility.  If it makes sense to move a used dust collector – ETA can make it happen.  If it makes sense to build new – ETA can make that happen too!

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