Cartridge Dust Collectors, 500 to 60,000 CFM
You get 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 microns for welding fume, fine dust, and crystalline silica capture, in a continuous-duty unit custom-designed to meet OSHA and NFPA 660 requirements.
Equipment from $9,936 · Installation by an independent ICAP Certified crew or your own contractor
- 99.97% at 0.3μm
- Specified to NFPA 660
- Continuous-Duty
- MicroAir Systems
- 500–60,000 CFM
If you’re capturing fine, dry dust at moderate volume, a cartridge dust collector is usually your most cost-effective option. Pleated filter cartridges pack far more media into a smaller footprint than a baghouse collector, which buys you higher efficiency on fine particles, lower pressure drop, smaller fans, and lower energy bills, all in a unit that fits where a baghouse can’t.
That makes them the right call for most welding and metal fabrication shops, CNC machining operations, pharmaceutical facilities, and any continuous-duty process generating fine particulate. Every system we deliver is custom-designed with proper explosion protection when NFPA 660 requires it.
Capturing respirable crystalline silica from concrete cutting, stone fabrication, or foundry work? A cartridge collector’s 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 microns, with an optional HEPA after-filter, is designed for OSHA’s tight 50 µg/m³ silica limit. See our concrete & silica dust collection approach for the full picture.
One thing most buyers underestimate: ductwork typically runs 30–50% of your total project cost. Read our industrial ductwork cost guide before you finalize a budget so there are no surprises in the proposal.
For a full breakdown of what these systems cost, see our 2026 cost guide.
DustHog cartridge collectors
Six DustHog builds, and what each one is actually for
Cartridge media handles most fine dry dust. What changes from shop to shop is your volume, your dust, and whether the process moves. Nobody here ships you a box and wishes you luck, and the certified crew logs airflow readings at every pickup when the install is done. Three of these you can price and buy right now. Three are built to your duct run, so they are quoted.
We design and specify every DustHog build we sell, then back it with startup support and performance verification.
DustHog VF Fixed Ducted Collector
A ducted cartridge unit for a fixed process that runs every shift.
Full VF specsDustHog PNP Plug-N-Play Collector
Arrives wired and ready to run, so the electrical scope on your end stays small.
DustHog rates the PNP for non combustible dry dust
PriceQuoted to your build
See the PNP pageDustHog MCB Cross Ventilation Collector
Cross ventilation for a bay or a booth rather than a ducted pickup at the tool.
Three models at 4,000, 9,500 and 11,500 CFM. DustHog rates the MCB for non combustible dry dust.
PriceQuoted to your build
See the MCB pageDustHog SFC Modular Cartridge Collector
The one that scales with the plant, and the only cartridge build here DustHog rates for combustible dust.
Twenty builds from 1,275 to 102,000 CFM. DustHog rates the SFC for combustible and non combustible dry dust.
PriceQuoted to your build
See the SFC pageIf cartridge is not your answer. Heavy shavings, hogged material and high bulk loading usually want a baghouse instead, and a self contained shaker build is the DustHog SDC. The rest of the line, portable benches through 102,000 CFM modular, sits on the full DustHog page.
Not sure which of these fits your floor? Tell us what your process puts into the air and we will size it against your actual conditions, then say plainly if none of the six is the right answer.
Get your free system reviewWhat a system costs
Three lines, and only two of them are ours
A complete cartridge system typically lands between $21 and $36 per CFM. That number is not one invoice. It is three, and knowing which is which is the difference between a budget you can defend and a number you are guessing at.
Ours
Equipment
From $9,936
Published on every V Series page, down to the filter media and the drive. Larger builds are quoted because the configuration changes with the application.
Ours
Duct
Quoted with the system
Hoods, main, branches and blast gates, sized for transport velocity so the dust reaches the collector instead of settling in the run.
Not ours
Installation
$6 to $14+ per CFM
This is typical. Site conditions and safety equipment can change it. Your installer owns this line, and we hand them a spec they can bid without calling us first.
| System size | Installation, typical | Total, all three lines |
|---|---|---|
| 750 CFM, one or two drops | $4,500 to $10,500 | $15,750 to $27,000 |
| 1,500 CFM, small cell | $9,000 to $21,000 | $31,500 to $54,000 |
| 5,000 CFM, ducted shop | $30,000 to $70,000 | $105,000 to $180,000 |
| 10,000 CFM, plant line | $60,000 to $140,000 | $210,000 to $360,000 |
| 30,000 CFM, multi module | $180,000 to $420,000 | $630,000 to $1,080,000 |
Run the arithmetic on your own airflow, or read the 2026 dust collection cost guide, where every line comes apart including financing and payback.
Before you compare quotes
What the equipment price does not include
Installation labor. We do not install. An independent ICAP Certified crew or your own contractor installs and warrants their own workmanship.
Ductwork, hoods and gates. Quoted with the system, not carried in the equipment price.
Electrical and compressed air. Disconnects, conduit, and the air supply the pulse valves need.
Dust hazard analysis. Priced per node, typically $400 to $700. Completed by you or a qualified third party. For your DHA, go straight to DHA Report Group and request the intake form.
Permits and structural work. Roof penetrations, curbs, pads, and anything your jurisdiction wants drawn.
Explosion protection, where the standard calls for it. Sized against your own dust testing, quoted as its own line.
If a competing quote comes in materially cheaper than ours, one of these six is usually missing from it. Worth finding out while you are still comparing, and we will walk any quote with you line by line, ours or theirs.
Why Cartridge
When a Cartridge Collector Is the Right Choice
Cartridge collectors aren’t right for every application. Heavy dust loads and high temperatures still call for a baghouse. But for these situations, a cartridge collector is usually the smarter investment:
Fine, Submicron & Silica Dust
Welding fume, laser smoke, plasma particulate, grinding dust, pharmaceutical powders, and respirable crystalline silica, any application where you need to capture particles down to 0.3 microns. Pleated media delivers near-HEPA filtration at a fraction of the cost, and a HEPA after-filter takes you the rest of the way for silica.
Continuous-Duty Operation
On-demand reverse-pulse cleaning lets a cartridge collector clean its filters while it’s still running, so it holds airflow through a full production day without shutting down. For shops running 10–24 hours, a continuous-duty cartridge unit keeps capture steady shift after shift.
Limited Floor Space
Pleated cartridges pack 10× more filter media into the same footprint as bags. A cartridge collector rated for 10,000 CFM takes about half the floor space of an equivalent baghouse, which is critical in tight manufacturing environments.
Energy Efficiency
More filter area means a lower air-to-cloth ratio, lower pressure drop, smaller fans, and lower electricity bills. For operations running 10–16 hours a day the savings compound. Add VFD controls and save further.
Quick Filter Changes
Cartridges swap out in minutes with no special tools. Baghouse bag changes can require entering the collector and take hours. Less downtime, less labor cost per filter change.
Return Air Applications
When you want to recirculate filtered air back into the facility instead of exhausting outdoors, cartridge collectors’ superior fine-particle efficiency makes them the preferred choice, especially in climate-controlled plants.
Configurations
Cartridge Collector Configurations
Three primary configurations. The right one depends on your ceiling height, dust type, and filter change frequency.
Downflow
Dirty air enters the top and flows down through vertically mounted cartridges. Gravity assists dust release during pulse cleaning. Best all-around configuration, and what we specify for most applications. Top-access filter removal.
Horizontal Cartridge
Cartridges mounted horizontally with side-access doors. Lower ceiling-height requirements and easier filter access. Well-suited for retrofit situations and facilities with height restrictions.
Vertical Cartridge
Smallest footprint option. Works well for lighter dust loads and applications where floor space is at an absolute premium. Bottom removal for filter changeout.
Honest Guidance
When a Cartridge Collector Is Not the Right Choice
We’d rather tell you this upfront than sell you the wrong system. Here’s when a different approach will serve you better.
Heavy Dust Loads or High Temperatures
Continuous heavy dust loads or operating temps above 250°F call for a baghouse collector. Cartridge media saturates faster under heavy loading and can’t match the temperature range of Nomex or fiberglass bag media.
Combustible Metal Grinding (NFPA 660)
Aluminum, titanium, magnesium, and zirconium grinding: wet collection is the preferred approach under NFPA 660, with an outdoor dry collector as the recognized alternative. We recommend wet. An indoor dry cartridge collector is not the right fit for these reactive metal dusts.
Sticky or Hygroscopic Dust
Buffing compounds, polishing rouge, waxes, and moisture-absorbing materials blind cartridge filters too quickly even with PTFE membrane. A wet collector eliminates the filter-media problem entirely for these materials.
Your System Already Exists? Check This First
If your current collector never seems to keep up, the problem might not be the equipment type, it might be undersizing. Before buying new, read 7 signs your dust collector is undersized.
Budget Under ~$15,000
Equipment starts around $9,936, and at 750 CFM installation typically adds $4,500 to $10,500 through an independent ICAP Certified crew or your own contractor. If your all-in budget is tighter than that, a mobile unit may fit better. See our 2026 cost guide for real numbers by system type.
Not Sure What You Have?
Our free system review evaluates your dust type, volume, temperature, and layout, then recommends the right collector type with no pressure toward any particular system.
Applications
Industries We Size Cartridge Collectors For
Compliance
Cartridge Collector Compliance & NFPA 660
A cartridge collector handling combustible dust needs the same dust hazard analysis (DHA) and explosion protection as a baghouse under NFPA 660, enforceable since January 1, 2026. The smaller size does not change the requirement: a 5,000 CFM cartridge collector handling combustible dust falls under the same standard as a 50,000 CFM baghouse.
Your dust’s KSt value determines the protection needed. For outdoor units, deflagration venting per NFPA 68 is typically the most cost-effective option. Indoor cartridge collectors may need flameless venting or chemical suppression.
New to NFPA 660? Our plain-English NFPA 660 guide explains exactly what the standard requires for your facility, with no legal jargon and no sales pitch.
Standards We Design To
→ OSHA 29 CFR 1910.94 (Ventilation)
→ OSHA 1910.1000 (Welding Fume PELs)
→ OSHA 1910.1053 (Respirable Crystalline Silica)
→ NFPA 660 (Combustible Dust)
→ NFPA 68 (Deflagration Venting)
→ NFPA 69 (Explosion Prevention)
→ Local Fire Marshal Requirements
Filters & Ongoing Support
Cartridge Filters & Maintenance
You get replacement cartridge filters for all major manufacturers, in cellulose/polyester blend, spunbond polyester, PTFE nanofiber membrane, and specialty coated media. The right media depends on your dust type, particle size, and emission limits. Need filters for welding fume or metalworking dust specifically? Those call for fine-fiber or nanofiber media that releases sticky metal particulate cleanly. Browse all filter options here.
Not sure which manufacturer’s collector you have or which filters cross-reference to it? Our guide to top dust collector manufacturers covers every major brand so you can identify your unit and find the right replacement cartridge faster.
Regular maintenance is critical. Differential pressure monitoring, pulse cleaning system checks, and timely filter replacement keep your system efficient and your compliance documentation current. Filters and parts come from us, and hands-on work is contracted directly with an ICAP Certified crew. Need help with an existing system? Submit a maintenance request. For a complete guide, read Dust Collection System Maintenance, What You Need to Know.
Comparison
Cartridge vs. Baghouse: Which Do You Need?
For a full side-by-side breakdown, see our baghouse vs. cartridge comparison guide, or compare all industrial dust collectors to see where cartridge fits against every other collector type.
Choose a Cartridge Collector When:
→ Dust is fine and dry (welding fume, powder, silica)
→ Temperatures are under 250°F
→ Floor space is limited
→ Flow rates are under 60,000 CFM
→ You need highest efficiency on submicron particles
→ Quick filter changes matter to your operation
Choose a Baghouse When:
→ Dust loads are heavy and continuous
→ Operating temperatures exceed 250°F
→ Dust is coarse, abrasive, or fibrous
→ You need 50,000+ CFM capacity
→ Dust is sticky or moisture-absorbing
→ You need dust recovery for recycling
Not sure which is right? That’s what our free system review is for, with no bias toward one or the other.
Cartridge Dust Collector FAQs
What’s the difference between a cartridge collector and a baghouse?
Cartridge collectors use pleated filter cartridges that pack about 10× more media into the same space as bag filters, giving you higher efficiency on fine particles in a smaller footprint. They’re best for fine, dry dust and welding fume under 60,000 CFM at temperatures below 250°F. Baghouses use fabric filter bags and are better for high-volume, high-temperature, and coarse or abrasive dust. See the full comparison guide.
Do cartridge dust collectors need NFPA 660 compliance?
Yes. NFPA 660 applies to any dust collector handling combustible dust regardless of size or type. A cartridge collector may require a dust hazard analysis, deflagration venting sized per NFPA 68, explosion isolation, and anti-static media depending on the dust’s KSt value and installation location. We design all explosion protection into the design from the start.
Can a cartridge collector capture crystalline silica?
Yes. Cartridge collectors are well suited to respirable crystalline silica from concrete cutting, stone fabrication, and foundry work. Their 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 microns, paired with an optional HEPA after-filter, is designed for OSHA’s respirable silica PEL of 50 µg/m³ (8-hour TWA) under 29 CFR 1910.1053. See our concrete & silica dust collection approach.
Are cartridge collectors rated for continuous-duty operation?
Yes. A properly sized cartridge collector with on-demand reverse-pulse cleaning cleans its filters while it’s still running, so it holds airflow through a full production day without shutting down. For shops running 10–24 hours, a continuous-duty cartridge unit keeps capture steady shift after shift. The key is sizing the air-to-cloth ratio and pulse system for your actual run time, which we handle during design.
How much does a cartridge dust collector cost?
Equipment starts at $9,936 for a 750 CFM V Series unit, and larger custom-designed builds are quoted. Installation through an independent ICAP Certified crew or your own contractor typically adds $6 to $14 per CFM, and ductwork alone usually runs 30 to 50 percent of total project cost. All-in, a cartridge system typically lands between $21 and $36 per CFM. Our 2026 cost guide breaks it down by system type.
Can cartridge collectors handle welding fume?
Cartridge collectors are the preferred choice for welding fume. At 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 microns they capture the submicron particles welding fume is made of, helping you meet OSHA PEL limits for manganese, hexavalent chromium, and other welding contaminants. Pair them with source-capture fume arms for the most effective capture right at the weld.
How often do cartridge filters need to be replaced?
Cartridge filter life runs 1–3 years depending on dust type, loading rate, and pulse-cleaning effectiveness. PTFE nanofiber membrane cartridges typically last longer than standard cellulose-polyester blend because dust releases more easily during pulse cleaning. Watch differential pressure: when baseline pressure drop after pulse cleaning stays above about 6 inches water gauge, the filters are nearing end of life. Browse replacement cartridges.
Keep Reading
Related Resources
Keep reading
Before you buy a cartridge collector
Ready to Size Your Cartridge Collector?
Tell us about your operation: dust type, number of pickup points, and facility constraints. We’ll put together a custom proposal with design, pricing and a firm quote. No pressure, no runaround.
You’re working with a dedicated partner, not a call center. Here’s why that matters for your facility.
Serving manufacturing facilities nationwide.
Results from the floor
What a cartridge collector does on a real floor
You have read the specs. Here is what happened in three plants after the collector went in, two from Parker’s published DustHog case studies and one of our own.
Plastics fabricator, DustHog SFC
Your new equipment needs six times the airflow your old system was rated for. That was K&E Plastics. A DustHog SFC 48-4 took cleanup between cycles from 30 to 45 seconds down to 10, and dust unloading from about 3 ½ hours to under 15 minutes.
Source: Parker published case study
Food ingredient blender, DustHog SFC with cyclone
Mulligan Sales could not run dust collection and air conditioning at the same time. A DustHog SFC 12-3 with a cyclone pre-cleaner returns clean air to the plant, and the plant reported an 85 percent decrease in residual airborne dust.
Source: Parker published case study
Arizona plastics plant, second-stage cyclone
Holes and thin spots in molded bottles traced back to fines in the regrind. This one is ours: we designed a second-stage cyclone that pulled the fines out before they reached the mold.