Small Shop Dust Collection Best Practices

The importance of dust collection in a small shop is something that can easily be overlooked. Proper efficient dust collection enables the production process to continue without interruption.   Production leads to products being produced (then shipped) and that is what keeps your company’s bottom line healthy – that said, dust collection should be top of mind.

Why Is Dust Collection Important for Small Shops?

Particularly for small to medium production environments or plants, ensuring a dust collection system is in place is incredibly important. Excessive dust can lead to lower production or worse yet, potentially harmful work environments for your staff. Better work conditions have been proven to reduce employee turnover. This loss in productivity and increase in labor cost can be especially hurtful to the bottom line for manufacturers producing products with a high content of manual labor.

What Types of Dust Collection Systems Should Small Shops Look For?

There are quite a few different types of dust collection systems on the market, and each has its own pros and cons. However, the biggest determining factor should be the capacity needed. We recommend taking the cross-sectional area of the location and multiplying it by the required air speed. 

Another criterion that should be considered is the type of dust you need to filter. Cartridge dust collectors are typically best suited for finer particulate and applications such as welding, plasma, laser and other fume or smoke applications. For larger or heavier particulates and applications such as wood or grain dust, we recommend baghouse dust collectors.

If you are unsure about what type of dust collection systems are available for your production environment or plant, our team is always available for a discussion. Contact us today and let our team help you find equipment for your unique needs.

The Benefits of Buying Used Dust Collectors for Small Shops

While not always true, it is often the case that small to medium shops or plants have smaller budgets for equipment such as dust collection systems. For that reason, these facilities can maximize their CAPEX budgets by purchasing a used and refurbished dust collection system. On average used dust collectors can cost 30% – 50% less than buying a comparable system new. Furthermore, used collectors can still be financed, as well as depreciated and written off – just like a new system.

While there may be cons to purchasing used – we haven’t found many – one would be the lack of a multi-year warranty. At AM Industrial, all of our used dust collectors are rigorously tested to ensure they still perform at the highest of standards, while still ensuring you are paying 30% to 50% less than the cost of a new dust collector.