Air filters help keep facilities clean and safe by reducing the dust, gases, and other air pollutants circulating throughout your facility. They are particularly effective in removing solid particles from gas streams, improving air quality, and protecting workers from respiratory problems. A proper industrial air filtration system can protect employees’ health, prolong machinery lifespan, and boost production efficiency.
Reduces Health Risks
Many industrial facilities have equipment that emits harmful particles into the air. These particles can affect the health of employees, the longevity of machinery, and the quality of end products. Industrial air filters Richmond, VA can help reduce these issues by extracting and filtering impurities in the air. These filters can be mechanical, electrostatic, or electronic. Automatic filters use a grid with fibers that can trap pollutants by catching them on the surface of the fibers. Electrostatic filters have electrodes that charge the particles when they contact them. Electronic filters are more effective than mechanical or electrostatic filters but are more expensive and require regular cleaning and maintenance. Certain industries have specific needs requiring a different industrial air filter type. For example, the pharmaceutical industry has workflows that reach very high temperatures. This requires special industrial filters that can withstand these extreme temperatures. These are known as high-temperature air filters. These are designed to withstand temperatures of up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reduces Maintenance Costs
High-quality filters improve HVAC system performance and reduce maintenance issues like clogged blowers and fans. This allows for less frequent and lower-cost filter changes, resulting in significant energy savings. Almost every industrial business needs some air filtering. For example, pharmaceutical manufacturers use depyrogenation ovens to create completely sterile vials for medical products, which require very high temperatures and strong filters that can withstand extreme conditions. Manufacturing tasks such as welding, sanding, painting, and coating can produce toxic dust and fumes that pose serious health risks for workers and can disrupt workflows. Investing in an air cleaning system helps ensure worker safety, prevents costly equipment breakdowns, and decreases the need for unproductive sick days and on-the-job injuries. Choosing suitable filters and ventilation solutions also helps keep indoor air quality (IAQ) at acceptable levels to meet regulatory requirements.
Reduces Energy Costs
A filter’s resistance to airflow directly impacts the facility’s energy consumption. A higher resistance requires the HVAC system motor to operate at a more incredible speed to overcome it, which can significantly increase electricity costs. Using filters that offer lower resistance to airflow can dramatically reduce this cost. Rigid cell filters are box-style filters containing synthetic or fiberglass media surrounded by a galvanized metal frame. They are commonly used in commercial and industrial applications that require high heat. These include industrial kitchens, pharmaceutical depyrogenation ovens, and other processes that reach incredibly high temperatures to ensure sterilization. While they are initially more expensive than flat pads, they significantly save initial and long-term energy costs. In addition, they are typically electrostatically enhanced to prevent clogging and maintain their efficiency over time. This helps reduce maintenance and operating costs. Moreover, they can be easily incorporated into existing ventilation systems to improve efficiency and lower energy costs.
Increases Productivity
Increasing productivity is a priority for all businesses. An industrial air filter system will reduce equipment downtime, staff sick days, and on-the-job injuries. It will also lower energy costs by recirculating clean air throughout the facility. Filter systems vary depending on the type of airborne contaminants that need removal. A fiberglass filter made from woven cotton and polyester fibers bonded with ethylene vinyl chloride or polyvinyl acetate is the most common. Other filters may contain activated carbon which is effective in trapping smoke, odors, and chemicals. The working principle of an industrial air filtration system involves pushing the dirty air through a compressor, then to a dryer where it passes through a particulate filter that captures debris, oil, and dirt before it goes into another dryer to dehumidify the resulting cleaner air. It then passes through a coalescing filter to eliminate oil aerosols and water impurities before going into a final particulate filter for the final stage of filtration.
