Woodworking power tools, such as planers, routers and saws, can create an obscene amount of debris and dust particles. Woodworkers often use regular shop vacuums or portable specialised dust extractors to help in managing this. However, the filters will clog up quickly, the dust bags fill up fast and the canisters will require frequent emptying.

A filled bag or a clogged filter will also lead to loss of suction power. The answer to this problem is by using a cyclone dust separator.

What is a cyclone separator?

Working with wood will produce a variety of coarse medium-sized particles, fine dust particles and large debris including wood shavings and chips. Cyclone dust collectors will separate and collect a large proportion of large and medium-sized debris and dust, preserving the suction performance and power.

Cyclones will still eventually require filter maintenance and need a fresh bag every now and then. More higher-end dust separators come with built-in 2-stage filtering and cyclone dust separators generally work in the same manner as those that you add to portable vacuums.

How do they work?

Typically, all cyclone separators feature an indirect path from the hose outlet to the hose intake. That is, particle and airflow travel is not a short distance from outlet to inlet. Airflow starts at the inlet and then travels along a downwards ‘helical path’ until it reaches the bottom of the conical section. The vertical upwards return flow towards the vacuum outlet starts at the cyclone’s centre near the bottom.

The heaviest debris, such as shavings and wood chips, quickly fall down towards the bottom of the cyclone dust separator. These larger particles will collide with the cyclone walls, lose their speed, and then gravity helps to pull them down towards the collection container.

Medium and lighter-sized particles will continue on the helical airflow path along the walls of the separator or cyclone. At the bottom of the cyclone, the conical section assists to further separate the medium-sized particles apart from the airflow.

Some of the lighter particles can remain in the helical airflow, while most will be separated with the medium-sized particles. The smaller radius of the taper will result in a greater wall-hugging force which will keep the smaller particles away from the centre.

At the bottom of the cyclone taper, a portion of the lighter particles will then drop to the collection container while some particles will be drawn up towards the vacuum source. Usually, it is only some of the finest particles that get carried through to the vacuum or cyclone dust collector. However, if the intake rate is too fast, then more dust will make it into the vacuum.

Cyclone separators may lead to a slight reduction in vacuum power, but even if by a small noticeable amount, this factor is largely outweighed by the benefits they provide. The amount of reduction would be certainly less than the drop that would be caused directly by a quickly-clogged filter or collection bag.

Search online for a leading pipework systems supplier in the UK that can supply you with a cyclone dust separator and save yourself time and money today!

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