A common goal shared by virtually all industrial manufacturing businesses is to assure safe and clean air quality throughout their production facilities. Using an inadequate air filtration system can result in unplanned interruptions in production and unsafe working conditions — which work directly against a company’s financial performance and brand image.
Filter media upgrade – an economical alternative
As an alternative to installing an expensive new baghouse, many companies are opting to use their existing infrastructure and upgrade their baghouse filter technology, with positive results. This strategy allows companies to reduce costs, lower routine maintenance and minimize unexpected production interruptions — without making a substantial capital investment.
Key goals in baghouse design and operation
Baghouse operators aim to meet the following goals while maintaining a constant inlet air load:
- Maximize total filtration area.
- Increase airflow.
- Reduce air to cloth ratio.
- Lower differential pressure.
- Reduce emissions.
A popular technology solution
One solution that is rapidly gaining in popularity is the transition from traditional filter bags used in baghouses to BHA® PulsePleat® filter elements. This state-of-the-art technology is being installed at manufacturing facilities across the globe and in a wide range of industries — with impressive results.
Featuring an increased surface area with a reduced footprint compared to traditional filter bags, the material and construction used in BHA® PulsePleat® elements offer the following benefits:
- Require less compressed air pressure to pulse clean.
- Operate across a wide range of temperatures and applications.
- Increase filtration area by 2-3 times.
- Dramatically reduce air-to-cloth ratios.
- Lower operating pressure differential.
- Reduce dust collection operational energy costs.
- Substantially reduce installation time.
- Shorter length keeps the elements out of the inlet gas stream, reducing abrasion.
- Significantly more efficient than standard felt media.
Case study: Pharmaceutical company gains filter capacity
The challenge
Production increases over several years had led to higher grain loading to the baghouse and to extremely high air-to-cloth ratios (10:1) in a tabulation and pill coating application at a pharmaceutical company.
Filter bags had to be replaced every 4-6 weeks due to the high differential pressure, and excessive blinding of polyester felt media. The frequent bag changes required constant maintenance and unscheduled production downtime.
The solution
Plant management was concerned that a new baghouse would be required. They contacted Parker Hannifin's environmental services team for advice. After reviewing the application, Parker's team recommended a retrofit of the existing dust collector with BHA® PulsePleat® filter elements.
Results
Improvement was noticed immediately after installation, with the following results:
- Pleated elements increased cloth area by 250% without any physical modification to the collector.
- No maintenance has been required - even after two years.
- The cleaning cycle now operates at 50 psi – a 50% reduction in compressed air usage.
- Differential pressure has been lowered to 2.5” – 3”, with a noticeable increase in airflow.
A solution partner
Parker Hannifin, a leader in filtration markets worldwide, offers the technical knowledge and product portfolio required to implement comprehensive measures to achieve productivity, efficiency and financial goals without capital investment. Parker engineers assist companies in identifying the areas of opportunity in their current air filtration infrastructure and make specific proposals to help the customer achieve their goals.
Can BHA PulsePleat Filter elements help you? To learn more about BHA® dust collection products, watch this video:
Read the full case study to learn how companies in three different industries - pharmaceutical, construction, and printing - upgraded their baghouse filter technology to significantly improve baghouse efficiency, minimize unscheduled maintenance and reduce costs
This article was contributed by the Filtration Team.
Related content
Filter Upgrade Improves Bin Vent Dust Collector Performance
Reducing Dust Collector Maintenance and Energy Costs in the Cement Industry | Case Study
BHA® Pleated Filter Elements Improve Dust Collection for the Foundry Industry
Foundry Eliminates Shutdowns and Extends Baghouse Filter Life
Connect With Us
Have a question about Parker products or services? We can help: Contact Us!
Comments for Filter Upgrade Improves Baghouse Performance in Industrial Manufacturing
Please note that, in an effort to combat spam, comments with hyperlinks will not be published.