Understanding Oil Mist Collectors

How Mist Collectors Work and Why They’re Important

In industrial environments, maintaining clean air is crucial for the health and safety of workers, as well as the longevity of equipment. One significant challenge in many industries is the presence of oil mist, which can lead to a host of problems if not properly managed. This is where oil mist collectors come into play. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the basics of oil mist collectors, how they work, and why they’re essential in industrial settings.

What is Oil Mist?

Oil mist consists of tiny droplets of oil suspended in the air, generated by various industrial machining processes such as turning, grinding, and milling. These processes use metalworking fluids for cooling and lubrication, which can become aerosolized, creating a mist. If not adequately controlled, oil mist can accumulate on surfaces, equipment, and in the air, posing several risks.

The Risks of Uncontrolled Oil Mist

Health Hazards: Prolonged exposure to oil mist can lead to respiratory issues, skin irritation, and other health problems for workers.
Safety Concerns: Accumulated oil mist on floors and equipment can create slippery surfaces, increasing the risk of slips and falls.
Equipment Damage: Oil mist can infiltrate machinery and electronics, leading to malfunction, corrosion, and reduced lifespan of equipment.

How Do Oil Mist Collectors Work?

Oil mist collectors are designed to capture and remove oil mist from the air, ensuring a safer and cleaner work environment. The operation of an oil mist collector generally involves the following steps:

Capture: The oil mist collector draws in contaminated air from the industrial process using a powerful fan or blower.
Filtration: The contaminated air passes through a series of filters designed to trap oil droplets.
Drainage: In some mist collectors, the collected oil is drained from the filters or collector plates and can often be recycled or disposed of safely.
Clean Air Discharge: The cleaned air is then discharged back into the workspace or exhausted outside, significantly reducing the concentration of oil mist in the environment.

Why Oil Mist Collectors are Important

Health and Safety: By removing oil mist from the air, oil mist collectors help protect workers from respiratory issues and skin irritation, while also reducing the risk of accidents due to slippery surfaces.
Regulatory Compliance: Many industries are subject to strict regulations regarding air quality and worker safety. Using oil mist collectors helps ensure compliance with these standards, avoiding potential fines and legal issues.
Improved Equipment Performance: Keeping oil mist out of machinery and electronics prevents damage and downtime, leading to improved performance and longer equipment lifespan.
Environmental Protection: By capturing and properly disposing of oil mist, companies can minimize their environmental footprint contributing to cleaner air.
Cost Savings: Investing in oil mist collectors can lead to significant cost savings over time by reducing health-related absenteeism, maintenance costs, and environmental impact.

Choosing the Right Oil Mist Collector

Selecting the appropriate oil mist collector for your facility depends on several factors, including the type and volume of mist generated, the size of the workspace, and specific industry requirements. Consulting with a professional supplier can help you determine the best solution for your needs. Contact our office today to speak with an experienced representative.

Oil mist collectors play a vital role in maintaining safe, healthy, and efficient industrial environments. By understanding how they work and the benefits they provide, companies can make informed decisions to protect their workers, equipment, and the environment. Investing in a quality oil mist collection system is not just a regulatory necessity but a commitment to workplace excellence and sustainability.

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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