Industrial Air Filtration Systems for Manufacturing Environments

These two systems are designed for different types of airborne contamination.  

An oil mist collector captures liquid aerosols generated by metalworking processes that use cutting fluids or neat oils during machining.  

An industrial dust and fume collector captures dry particulate and fumes generated by processes like grinding, welding, abrasive finishing, or thermal cutting. 

Many manufacturing facilities run both types of processes and require separate collection systems for each contaminant type.  

Get your process assessed, no obligation, to determine what system or combination of systems is appropriate for your facility. 

Both General Motors and Ford operate formal qualification programs for equipment used in their manufacturing facilities and the plants of their direct suppliers.  

These programs involve testing and evaluation to confirm that the equipment meets their specific performance, safety, and reliability standards before it can be approved for use in production. 

Filtra-Systems' STEALTH mist collectors and replacement filters have passed those evaluations and carry formal approval from both manufacturers.  

For a supplier facility, this can be a requirement written into their program specifications.  

For facilities outside the automotive sector, it provides a stringent third-party benchmark for system performance that carries more weight than internal testing alone. 

In a ducted system, each machine or collection point connects to a shared duct network that routes captured air to a central filtration unit.  

In a non-ducted system, the filtration unit sits at or near the machine and processes air locally without connecting to a duct network. 

Non-ducted configurations are typically preferred in facilities where duct installation is impractical due to ceiling height, structural limitations, or frequent changes in machine layout.  

They are also common where the capital cost of a central duct system is not justified by the number of machines involved. 

Central ducted systems become more practical as machine count increases, since the cost of individual units at every machine can exceed the cost of a single central system at higher machine densities. Our engineering team evaluates both options against your specific facility conditions before making a recommendation. 

Oil mist forms when cutting fluid or neat oil is atomized by the cutting tool during high-speed machining. The mist becomes airborne and can travel beyond the immediate work zone if it is not captured at the source. 

When oil mist accumulates in a facility, it settles on surfaces and creates slip hazards on floors and walkways. It deposits on machinery, electronics, and other equipment in the surrounding area.  

Prolonged exposure to airborne oil mist is also a recognized respiratory hazard and is regulated by OSHA, which sets enforceable concentration limits for occupied workspaces.  

Capturing mist at the source prevents these downstream effects and keeps the facility within compliance. 

A variable frequency drive controls the speed of the blower motor rather than running it at a fixed speed regardless of production conditions.  

When production demand is lower, such as during shift changes or machine setups, the VFD reduces motor speed to match actual airflow requirements. 

Motor energy consumption rises sharply at higher operating speeds, so reducing blower speed during low-demand periods can produce meaningful reductions in electricity use over a full production year.  

The VFD is an available option on our STEALTH systems, and our engineering team can help assess whether the projected energy savings justify the added cost based on your production schedule and facility operating hours. 

The starting point is identifying what types of contamination your processes actually generate: 

• Oil mist from CNC machining 

• Dry particulate from grinding 

• Fumes from welding or thermal cutting. 

Each require different equipment and filter media. A system designed for one contaminant type will not perform correctly on a different one. 

After identifying contaminant types, the next consideration is volume. How much air needs to be processed and how many machines or collection points are involved determines whether individual machine units, a central system, or a combination of both is the most practical configuration.  

Call and get your free system design process assessment and applicable OSHA or customer-specific air quality standards relevant to your process.