Technology and Types of Mist Collectors

Finding the Best Mist Collector for Your Shop

At ITA, Inc., we take pride in our comprehensive range of mist collectors and are confident in our ability to deliver the ideal solution for your shop. Our commitment to satisfaction involves working closely with each individual customer to determine which of our mist collectors will best meet their specific needs. If you have made the critical decision to procure a mist collector for your shop, selecting the right type is essential to achieving your goals.

Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Mist Collector

source capture vs. ambient system
single unit, cellular system, or central system
type of mist collector
the number of machines that need mist collection and their layout
whether you need a post filter
maintenance, budget, warranties, and trial periods

This blog post focuses on the different types of mist collectors on the market. Read on to learn about four types of mist collectors: electrostatic, centrifugal, media type filtration and our hybrid solution.

Comparing Mist Collector Technologies

Choosing the right mist collector for your industrial environment is essential for maintaining air quality and ensuring the efficiency and safety of your operators. The three major technologies used in mist collectors are centrifugal, electrostatic, and media filtration. Each technology has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, making it crucial to understand their differences before making a decision.

Centrifugal Mist Collectors

Centrifugal mist collectors utilize a rotating filter drum, which doubles as a fan. The mist enters the rotating drum and is captured by a filter within it. The mist coalesces into larger droplets and is thrown onto the inner wall of the unit by the centrifugal force generated by the rotating drum, where it continues to a drain.
Pros:
• Source capture system that can be easily mounted on machines.
• Can be moved easily.
• No floor space required.
• Simple maintenance.
Cons:
• The rotating drum captures swarf and grit, leading to imbalance.
• This imbalance causes loud noise and vibration, which can be transferred to the machine tool, affecting the quality of the machined workpiece.
• Requires frequent maintenance due to the inherent out-of-balance problem.

Electrostatic Mist Collectors

Electrostatic mist collectors use a blower to draw mist past an ionizer, which electrically charges the mist particles. These charged particles then pass through collection plates, where they are removed from the airstream.
Pros:
• No replacement filters required.
• Efficient as long as the collection plates are clean.
Cons:
• Efficiency decreases as collection plates become covered with particles like oil and dirt.
• Requires frequent maintenance to clean the collection plates.
• Collection cell needs to be removed and washed regularly to maintain effectiveness.

Media Filtration Mist Collectors

Media filtration mist collectors use a blower to pass contaminated air through a series of filters that capture the mist. The mist eventually coalesces and drips to the bottom of the unit.
Pros:
• Effective at capturing mist.
Cons:
• Filters easily become clogged, requiring frequent replacement.
• Relies entirely on filters, which need regular washing or replacement.

The Noil by Coral: A Hybrid Solution

Our recommendation for a single source capture mist collector is The Noil by Coral. This hybrid unit does not have a rotating filter drum, eliminating the risk of imbalance and vibration. As a result, it operates very quietly. The mist is collected on the blades of the dynamically balanced impeller and slung to the internal body of the unit, where it liquefies and is returned to the machine. Essentially, the impeller collects the mist on the rotating blades, causing the droplets to grow larger and convert from mist to liquid, which then drains down and is recycled. The Noil also features two high-efficiency cartridge filters that are known to last for years before needing washing or replacing, much longer than its competitors.

Conclusion

Selecting the right mist collector for your shop involves understanding the different types available and considering factors such as pricing, maintenance, efficiency, and noise levels. At ITA, Inc., we offer a range of mist collectors tailored to meet the unique needs of our customers. To learn more about the types of mist collectors and other important considerations, we recommend you download our Free Guide to Mist Collectors. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us help you find the best solution for your shop.

Download our Free Guide to Mist Collectors

Request More Information

Comments are closed

Customer Testimonials

We purchased CFS Coolant Filter Model C7.15 from ITA, Inc. and we are very satisfied with its performance. We find it to be of good quality, designed very well, takes up less floor space than others, and it was the lowest price by far compared to all the other units that we looked at. A lot of bang for the buck.
Gary Cadman Maintenance Manager, Fairway Injection Molding Systems
We have six CFS Coolant Filters with and without magnetic separators. They have proven to be extremely reliable. They are heavy duty and built very well. We have benefited from owning CFS Coolant Filters and I would highly recommend them.
David Harner Owner, Radial Grinding Corp
We have been machining components on a Haas lathe utilizing high RPM. Whenever the operator opened the machine door there would be a cloud of mist. He would have to wait for the mist to clear before reaching into the work area. We purchased a Noil 08 Mist Collector and it solved our mist problem. It has been 2 ½ years and it has not required any type of maintenance.
Dan Betts Machine Shop Supervisor, Strathcona Manufacturing, Inc.
We have been purchasing Coral Noil Mist Collectors from ITA, Inc. for the past several years. We currently have 28 units in our facility, a mix of Models 08’s and 12’s. The units have resolved the various issues we were having and we find them to be reliable and run efficiently with no vibration. ITA’s customer service department keeps us well informed on shipping and delivery dates and they are responsive to our needs.
Mitch Faust Maintenance Department, Oberg Industries
We have a large lathe with high pressure coolant and it creates a lot of mist which was going all over the walls, floor and ceiling creating an unsafe environment. We were in the market to purchase a mist collector to take care of this problem and the Coral Noil was one of several that we looked at. The Noil was less expensive than the others by a few hundred dollars. It is doing an excellent job and has resolved our problem.
Ben Babb Senior Machinist, Michigan Scientific Corp
In our shop we have 3 to 4 different brands of mist collectors. When it came time to purchase another, I was looking for a mist collector that performed well and required less maintenance. I purchased a Coral Model Noil Mist Collector for our shop two years ago and besides its excellent performance, it has not required any maintenance or filter replacement during that period of time. Filter change is a very quick process, less than 5 minutes, and no tools are required.
Vince Cipriani Vice President, Porter Precision Products
We were having a problem with too much mist venting from our Mori Seiki and Okuma machines in our shop and I was concerned about the health and safety of our employees. We purchased a Coral Noil 06 Mist Collector and it performed very well and improved our air quality. It performed so well in fact, we purchased eight more for our shop; six Model Noil 06 and two Model Noil 08. They shipped according to my schedule and ITA’s customer service kept us well informed of product shipment and delivery dates.
Mark Castillo Plant Manager, American Punch
We do a lot of machining including a lot of hard turning and use high pressure coolant. This creates a tremendous amount of mist and we were very concerned about the operators breathing in the mist. We had a different mist collector in the shop already and it required frequent maintenance and caused a lot of vibration. We purchased our first Coral Model Noil 08 in October of 2012 and it was easy to install, it has low power consumption, quiet operation and causes no vibration. To date we have not performed any maintenance on the unit and we have not changed or cleaned the filters. In early 2013 we purchased a second Noil 08, then a Noil 15 in December. The Noil has taken care of the problems we were experiencing and we are very satisfied.
Eric Dishman Technology Manager, Reber Machine & Tool
We purchase PTM live centers and dead centers from ITA for a variety of reasons. Their centers with interchangeable point are an advantage for us, saving us money as well as saving us time. We find them to be high precision, high quality and they function very well. They manufacture special dead centers exactly to our specifications with a quick turnaround.
Mike Willman Process Engineer, Ace Manufacturing, Co.
We purchase PTM Dead Centers from ITA, Inc. and find them to be of excellent quality and accurate. We recently purchased a PTM Three Point Live Center and found it to be very rigid and accurate.
Tim Stump Production Manager, Eastern Drillers Manufacturing, Co.
We have a Blohm Planomat 412 Surface Grinder and purchased a Noil 20 Mist Collector to capture the mist. We purchased the Noil in 2015 and now almost three years later we have not performed any maintenance or replaced the filters. It runs very well, is quiet to operate and removes the mist very quickly. I would highly recommend a Noil Mist Collector to anyone having issues with mist in their shop.
Steve Pinick Production Manager, Surface Engineering
Oil mist was causing a problem in our shop. It was collecting on our ceiling and creating a mess and a slippery condition as well as other issues. After researching different types of mist collectors we decided to purchase two Coral Model Noil 20 mist collectors and after a period of time we purchased nine additional units (three Noil 08, four Noil 15 and another two Noil 20). After all the units were installed and operating we cleaned the ceiling and now more than nine months later the ceiling is still as clean as when it was first cleaned. There was no further accumulation of oil on the ceiling. The Noils solved our problem and I would have no hesitation in recommending them.
Ken Fleeman Plant Manager, Knott Brake Company
We purchased a Model ROLL 10.25 coolant filter from ITA, Inc. We find it to be user friendly, made of sturdy construction and it has great filtering capabilities. We like it so much we plan to purchase a second one. I would recommend it to anyone in the market for a new coolant filter.
Randy Pasko President , Equitable Engineering Company
We purchased a special PTM Live Center (manufactured to our drawing) from ITA, Inc. and found it to be very accurate (<1 micron roundness). The support we received from ITA was excellent and the Live Center was delivered on time as promised.
Steve Pinick Production Manager, Surface Engineering