The DFT DownFlo patented dust collectors use round cartridges of Donaldson's patented Ultraweb filter media technology to allow large amounts of airflow through the collector without increasing the footprint size or damaging filters.
Donaldson's solution is a multi-stage one.
The first section uses a DownFlo pre-separator (cyclone) to take out of the filtration equation the largest particles, therefore acting as a Stage 1 screening device.
Once passing through the cyclone stage, smaller particles transfer through the DFO system which now has a secondary filter box installed, providing two levels of filtration.
The secondary filter box provides a pre-filtration stage and catches most of the remaining small dust running through the system.
Finally, the near-microscopic dust left as a final residue is captured by a HEPA filter, recognised by industry as capable of producing as close as physics will allow to a ‘no-dust' solution.
"The slight potential of sparks going into the dust collector was why we added the cyclone and separator," Donaldson Engineer Dominique Ollitrault said.
"When the dust and particles go through the cyclone, it gives the system a method by which it gets rid of any sparks before they reach the dust collector.
"With a high-efficiency cyclone, it also gives a chance to collect much more dust than the system had before.
"Now, only about five per cent of the total amount of particles ends up in the dust collector - just the very fine particles - which means all the pre-stage work is doing most of the job."