Choose the capture method that matches your process, pickup point and dust behavior.
Start with the process, pickup point and dust behavior.
These determine the airflow, filtration and collection method required.
| Process or Dust Source | Common Materials | Typical Solution Path |
|---|---|---|
| Grinding, Deburring & Polishing | Metal, composite and coating dust | Extraction arm, capture hood or point-of-source vacuum; dry or wet collection based on the hazard review |
| Sanding, Routing & Cutting | Wood, plastic, fiberglass and composite dust | Machine connection, mobile or stationary collector, or high-vacuum on-tool extraction |
| Mixing, Bag Dump & Powder Transfer | Flour, sugar, ingredients, chemical and pharmaceutical powders | Enclosed capture hood with a dust collector or engineered central extraction system |
| Concrete & Stone Surface Preparation | Respirable crystalline silica and mineral dust | Tool-connected high-vacuum HEPA dust extractor with contained collection |
| Additive & Battery Manufacturing | Polymer powder, metal powder, graphite and carbon black | Contained source capture with conductive, wet or inert handling when the application requires it |
| Fixed Machines & Multiple Pickup Points | CNC routing, packaging and production-line dust | Stationary dust collector or engineered central extraction system |
Application note: Material names are only the starting point. Final equipment selection must also consider particle characteristics, combustibility or reactivity, process heat and sparks, operating time, capture geometry and the facility’s hazard assessment.
Housekeeping removes dust after it settles. Source capture intercepts it before it spreads through the workspace.
Flexible source capture for changing workstations, extraction arms and processes where permanent ductwork is not practical.
Continuous extraction for fixed machinery, production lines and permanently connected process points.
Higher static pressure for grinders, saws, tool shrouds and narrow machine connections requiring contained dust collection.
Engineered suction, piping, filtration and discharge for multiple machines, workstations or fixed pickup points.
Conductive, classified-location or application-specific equipment selected around the material, process and facility hazard assessment.
Cyclones, separators and wet systems for high material loading, sparks or reactive dust when the application requires them.
An airborne dust collector is best when lightweight particulate escapes into open air during grinding, sanding, cutting, mixing, bag dumping or material transfer.
Higher-volume airflow draws the dust through an extraction arm, capture hood, enclosure or machine connection before it migrates into surrounding work areas.
If the material has already settled, contains heavier chips or liquids, or must be extracted through a narrow tool connection, an industrial vacuum or high-vacuum dust extractor may be more appropriate.
Many facilities use both: source capture during production and industrial vacuuming for equipment and floor cleanup.
Flour, sugar, wood dust, polymers and certain metal powders can introduce ignition, explosion or reactivity concerns. The correct solution depends on the material, process and operating environment.
No vacuum or dust collector makes a facility NFPA compliant by itself. Final selection should consider the SDS, available dust-test data, Dust Hazard Analysis, area classification, process conditions and disposal requirements.
High-vacuum HEPA dust extractors support localized control when fine particulate must be captured through a grinder shroud, saw connection, enclosed machine port or other narrow extraction point.
Applications can include silica and mineral dust, lead-containing dust, pharmaceutical powders and other exposure-controlled particulate. HEPA filtration supports the control strategy, but effective capture, equipment sizing, filter maintenance, disposal practices and exposure assessment must work together.
When multiple processes generate dust around the clock, a single high-power hub feeding a steel duct loop keeps 4,000 + CFM available at 20–30 pick-ups—no portable units to shuffle, no airflow dead-spots.
A central extraction system can connect multiple machines, workstations or pickup points to one stationary suction and filtration unit. Dust is captured through defined machine ports, hoods, enclosures or cleaning drops before being conveyed through fixed piping.
Central extraction is not automatically the best answer for every large facility. Moving sources may be better served by mobile collectors, while individual high-loading processes may require dedicated equipment.
Watch the DF 22 collect airborne particulate close to its point of release using an articulated extraction arm.
Depureco DF 22 source-capture dust collector with an articulated extraction arm. The video shows a European ATEX configuration. U.S. projects should be reviewed for ORD LOC or classified-location requirements based on the application.
Share the process, material, source photos, operating hours, pickup-point dimensions and any available SDS or dust-test data.
Our team can help compare mobile and stationary collectors, high-vacuum extractors, central systems, pre-separation and combustible-dust configurations around your actual application.
Helpful details include the number of simultaneous pickup points, available power, desired collection method and whether the material will be recovered or discarded.
Industry / Process | Typical Airborne Dust | Go-to Depureco Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Grain | Flour, Sugar, Spices | DF 40 cart + Extraction Arm |
| Wood & Furniture | Fine sawdust | PUMA hub + Cyclone |
| CNC & Metal Fab | Aluminium, Titanium Fines | BL PRO ATEX + Wet Separator |
| Concrete / Stone | Respirable Silica | XM35 JC LP HEPA |
| Additive Manufacturing | Nylon 12, Metal AM Powder | DF 40 mobile + Inert-Gas Kit |
| Battery / EV | Graphite, Lithium Dust | HF hub + Isolation Valve |
Food powders do not all behave the same. Use this guide to compare vacuum selection paths for flour, sugar, starch, cocoa, spices, crumbs, and allergen dust in food processing, bakery, ingredient, and packaging environments.
A practical NFPA 660 housekeeping review for EHS, maintenance, and plant teams: measure dust layers, check area classification, review conductive accessories, and match the vacuum to the application.
NFPA 660 vacuum guidance for combustible dust cleanup, including ordinary vs hazardous locations, dust collectors vs industrial vacuums, HEPA filtration, ATEX/Class II Div 2, grounding, and dust hazard analysis.
Customized vacuum solutions for the extraction of straw and lime dust. Read the full case study!
Selecting a combustible dust vacuum starts with the material, pickup area and cleanup method, not horsepower alone. Use this guide to compare ordinary and classified locations, conductive-path requirements, filtration, sizing, collection and disposal before choosing a housekeeping system.
See how an ATEX-certified centralized vacuum system with a CVS 150 Z22 unit, DV AIR 800 Z22 pre-separator, and 12 suction points safely vacuums fine peat dust and organic compounds across three floors in a pharmaceutical plant.
An airborne dust collector uses higher-volume airflow to capture lightweight particulate through an extraction arm, hood, enclosure or machine connection before it spreads through the workspace.
Use one when grinding, sanding, cutting, mixing, dumping or transferring material releases dust into open air. Source capture does not replace general ventilation or settled-dust cleanup, so many facilities also use industrial vacuums for equipment and floors.
A dust collector captures airborne particulate using higher airflow through a hood, arm or machine connection.
An industrial vacuum uses stronger vacuum pressure to recover settled dust, heavier solids, liquids and production debris through a hose.
A HEPA dust extractor combines higher vacuum pressure with fine-particle filtration and may include contained collection for tool-connected or exposure-controlled dust. The correct choice depends on where the material is located and how it must be captured.
Use an extraction arm for open or changing work areas where the pickup must be repositioned.
Use a fixed hood or enclosure for predictable release points such as bag dumping, mixing, filling and transfer operations.
Use a machine connection when dust is generated inside enclosed cutting, routing or processing equipment.
Use a tool shroud with a high-vacuum extractor when the dust must be pulled through a narrow grinder, saw or handheld-tool connection.
The correct solution depends on the material, tool, spark generation, dust volume and capture geometry.
Open benches and changing work areas may use a mobile DF collector with an extraction arm. Fixed grinding cells can use a stationary DF FIX or AF collector. Shrouded handheld tools usually require a high-vacuum dust extractor. Combustible or reactive metal dust requires application review before choosing dry, wet or inert collection.
Open hoods and extraction arms generally depend more heavily on sufficient CFM to move contaminated air into the collector.
Tool shrouds, narrow hoses, long runs and restrictive machine connections require stronger static pressure to overcome resistance.
A system must provide the required airflow at its actual operating pressure after accounting for the hood, hose, duct, filters and fittings. Free-air CFM alone does not determine capture performance.
Place the pickup as close as practical without interfering with the process. Capture effectiveness falls quickly as the distance between the emission point and hood increases.
Cross-drafts, operator position, moving equipment and obstructions can also pull dust away from the collector. Final placement should be verified under real operating conditions. This follows established NIOSH source-capture guidance.
Use a mobile collector such as the DF 22 or DF 40 when the process moves, workstations share equipment or permanent ductwork is impractical.
Use a stationary DF FIX or AF collector for fixed machinery, production lines, continuous processes and permanently connected capture points.
The final choice also depends on operating hours, dust loading, available utilities, filter cleaning and collection capacity.
Yes, but the system must be engineered around the number of simultaneous capture points, required airflow at each point, pressure loss, pipe layout, dust loading and discharge method.
A multi-point project may require a stationary collector or central extraction system rather than one portable unit. Materials that are incompatible, contamination-sensitive or handled under different hazard requirements may need separate systems.
Consider pre-separation when the process generates heavy dust loading, abrasive material, recoverable product or more material than the collector bin can practically hold.
A cyclone, interceptor or filtering pre-separator can reduce loading on the primary filters, increase collection capacity and reduce bin changes. It does not replace required filtration or convert standard equipment into a combustible-dust system.
No. HEPA requirements depend on the material, exposure hazard, process, applicable regulation, disposal method and facility control plan.
The primary filter, optional HEPA stage and collection method must be selected together. For silica work, OSHA requirements vary by task: certain systems require filters rated at 99% efficiency with filter cleaning, while other tasks or cleanup methods specify HEPA-filtered vacuuming. Review the applicable task rather than applying one universal rule. See OSHA 1926.1153.
No. Material name alone does not determine the collection method.
The SDS, particle characteristics, dust-test data, process, heat or spark generation, Dust Hazard Analysis and area classification determine whether the application needs dry collection, a source-capture wet collector, immersion separation, inert handling, classified-location equipment or another engineered approach.
Conductive hoses, grounding or antistatic filters are important system components when required, but they do not make otherwise unsuitable equipment safe for every combustible dust.
Airborne particles reach the lungs, can form explosive clouds, and spread contamination plant-wide.
No dust collector makes a process or facility compliant by itself.
Equipment can support an exposure-control, ventilation or combustible-dust program when the hood, ducting, filtration, discharge, work practices and safety systems are selected for the application. Compliance also depends on exposure assessment, the facility’s hazard analysis, area classification, maintenance and operating procedures.
Use application-specific language instead of claims such as “OSHA-approved dust collector” or “NFPA-certified facility.” OSHA describes source capture as a complete ventilation system, while NFPA 660 addresses facility and process-level combustible-dust hazards.
Provide:
These details help determine whether the application fits a mobile DF collector, stationary DF FIX or AF collector, high-vacuum HEPA extractor, central extraction system, pre-separator or application-specific wet system.
Use a real-time particulate monitor or collect a gravimetric sample and compare to mg/m³ limits.
5 mg/m³ for general industry per Table Z-1.
A systematic review that identifies combustible-dust risks, required by NFPA 660 every five years.
Within five years of the previous study or sooner if you change processes or materials.
Yes—typical K<sub>st</sub> ≈ 100 bar·m/s, classified St-1.
Yes—any combustible organic powder requires conductive, brushless equipment with bonding and isolation.
Stay below 5 : 1; derate further if relative humidity exceeds 60 %.
Vertical orientation sheds dust evenly, reducing blinding and lowering pulse-cleaning frequency.
Yes—Pneumatic Venturi vacuums have no electric motor, so they’re accepted in Zone 1 provided all contact surfaces are conductive and the air supply is oil-free and grounded.
For reactive metals like aluminum, titanium, or magnesium that may spark or ignite in dry filters.
High CFM clears room air; high static pressure (> 7 000 Pa) powers long hoses or on-tool capture.
Yes—size duct diameters and blower power so each pickup stays above minimum conveying velocity.
2–6 in w.g.; a rising trend without recovery signals filter loading.
For continuous processes, start at 30-second intervals and adjust to keep ΔP stable.
Continuous measurement of pressure drop across filters—used to schedule cleaning and predict cartridge life.
Yes, if duct diameter is ≥ 6 in or if dust K<sub>st</sub> exceeds 200 bar·m/s.
Typically < 5 mJ—static discharge can ignite it.
Yes, if upstream explosion protection prevents flame propagation into the HEPA stage.
A well-tuned pulse manifold consumes ≈ 0.3–0.5 ft³ per pulse; at 30-second intervals that’s 0.6–1 CFM—roughly 30 % less than legacy pulse jets.
Arms capture near the cloud; shrouds capture inside the tool enclosure. Choose based on accessibility and airflow.
Yes—removing 95 % of mass before cartridges lowers pulse frequency and air consumption.
Typically annually, or sooner if ΔP remains above 6 in w.g. after cleaning.
Use sensors that export ΔP, airflow, and runtime to CSV or cloud dashboards.
Cartridges offer larger media area per footprint and capture sub-micron particles more efficiently.
Bonding, grounding (< 1 MΩ), conductive hoses, and antistatic cartridges.
Yes—ensure high vacuum capability and use spark arrestors to protect filters.
Maintain conveying velocity (≥ 4 000 fpm for dust) and limit total pressure drop below blower capacity.
Early alerts on rising ΔP let you clean or change filters before airflow is compromised.
