Industrial Cyclone Separator
Industrial cyclone separators come in a wide variety of options based on the applications for which they are being used. Whether it is water, solid bulk material, or compressed air that you are moving through your separator, custom metal fabricators can help you build a sturdy stainless steel unit that will serve you in the field.
Construction
Cyclone separators utilize the natural forces of physics to accomplish separation of dust and debris from your product. For instance, air forced around the outer rim of the separator spirals downward, and the dust particles are naturally drawn out to the side walls. As the air reaches the bottom, the cyclone draws the clean air back up the center and out an exit pipe. The dust along the sidewalls falls to the bottom to be disposed of.
While these principles work with nearly any application, there are a number of ways to improve the overall efficiency of a cyclone separator. For instance, a custom separator with a short body and a wide cone is perfect for first stage filtration that draws out large particles in the system. On the other hand, a longer body or a longer, narrower cone give the air more time to circulate in the system and increase the speed of the cyclonic action. In effect, this increases the centrifugal force on the air and draws out even finer particles with each revolution. The end result is increasingly cleaner air at the end.
Materials
The type of raw material you are working with ultimately determines what materials will be used in the construction of your cyclone separator. As with other components of your system, your industrial cyclone separator may need a specialty coating on the inside to protect against corrosion if you are working with water. Other coatings may be necessary if your separator will be in contact with other caustic liquids or gases.
However, stainless steel is almost always the choice material for construction due to its rigidity and strength, even allowing for thinner, lighter metal to be used in the construction. Large scale separators can be built in sections and bolted together to form a tight seal in order to maintain efficiency in the close loop.
Ducting
Depending on your application you may need to release the clean air back out into the atmosphere or you may be pumping the clean air back into a closed system. A metal fabricator can build the proper inlet and outlet ducting to work with your system to achieve the desired results. It is also possible to include backdraft protections in the design to ensure that dirty air is not flowing backward through the system from the separator.
Other Considerations
The size of the cyclone separator needed for your application will be determined by the amount of product you are pumping through the system and the desired efficiency and effectiveness. Conducting an optimization study on your plant in advance can give you insight into the minimum parameters needed to achieve the most filtration in the least amount of space at the speed you intend to work. There are a wide range of accessories that may also be used in conjunction with your industrial cyclone separator. Depending on your environment, rain caps and other protective add ons can keep your separator clean and free from flooding.
In addition, planning ahead for easy access to the bottom of the separator is imperative for easy cleaning of the unit. In most cases a trap door with a removable tray is simple enough for your metal fabricator to achieve. The advantage to having a separator built at a local custom fabrication shop is that you can control the placement of the inlet and outlet ports on the unit. Depending on the layout of your plant, some prefabricated separators may not fit with your designs or they require significant modifications to your ducting to fit. By building your own separator from the ground up you have the ability to control the configuration and dimensions of your entire unit.
Budget Conscious
Before purchasing a ready made separator for your plant, consider whether a custom fabrication will better fit your needs. A local fabrication shop may be able to build a complete unit and have it delivered in pieces for less money than shipping one from elsewhere. By optimizing your design from the beginning and building your separator for peak efficiency, you may be able to earn a higher return on investment from your unit.
The key is to utilize a shop that specializes in industrial fabrication and understands the needs of your business for durable and reliable separators that can survive in the field under a variety of weather and internal conditions. Swanton Welding has the shop space and expertise to build industrial cyclone separators for you and your business based on your drawings or our own design expertise using quality materials and skilled fabricators.