Questions we hear most often about Oil Mist Collection
The first consideration is wet vs. dry operation. A dry oil mist collector consumes single-use filters and when they’re saturated, you replace them. Operations and disposal costs are high, and continuous. A wet oil mist collector has cleanable filters that won’t degrade over time. Also, look for an oil mist collector that allows you to re-use the oils or coolants collected, and seek out a low-pressure design (10" or less w.g.) to minimize energy use.
A dedicated stage to handle smoke is important: this is best accomplished with a DOP/HEPA filter on the final stage. If you don’t need this capability now, find an oil mist collector that will accommodate a retrofit later.
99% efficiency at 2 microns is the benchmark for an oil mist collector because it addresses the vast majority of air quality regs, and is applicable to oils, synthetics and semi-synthetics.
Where flexibility is important, make sure the oil mist collector can be used anywhere there’s a water source by simply putting it on a castered frame.
The most effective filter for an oil mist collector is a Kimre 13-layer polypropylene mesh filter media. It withstands 180 degrees, is chemically inert, and won’t degrade from exposure to jagged fines and other contaminants. Maintaining the stage 1 filter allows the 2nd stage “workhorse” filter to perform at extremely high efficiencies, for long periods of time.
Cartridges provided in the OM-1 oil mist collector are durable, easily accessible for cleaning, and have performed for 20 continuous years – and longer.
Indexing fabric is useful where there’s one oil mist source, and mist quantity is small. For multiple sources, a commercial oil mist collector is recommended.
Yes – and this is important, because in additional to initiating the cleaning cycle, it will indicate when the lead pad (stage 1) should be removed and cleaned. The 2nd stage is where the serious work is done in an oil mist collector; keeping stage 2 at optimum efficiency is most important.
It depends on the installation. 85 dba at 5 ft. is the requirement. Tri-Mer engineers its mist collector to 80 dba. The key is fan design. 7500 cfm at 12" of pressure produces 95 dba at 5 ft. and if this is the cfm required, it’s easily dampened with a sound attenuator on the outlet side of the oil mist collector.
A good oil mist collector accommodates many sources with just a simple ventilation configuration, providing all mists are either water-soluble – or none of them are.
This information is for general information purposes only. For specific applications, please consult Tri-Mer.
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