Oil Mist Collectors

Every system we install is backed by our pass-or-free compliance guarantee. If your oil mist collection system doesn’t meet OSHA exposure limits, we fix it at no cost.

Operator Exposure

OSHA regulates metalworking fluid mist exposure under 29 CFR 1910.1000, with a 5 mg/m³ PEL for mineral-oil mist. NIOSH recommends 0.5 mg/m³ for thoracic particulate, ten times stricter. Chronic exposure to oil mist is associated with respiratory irritation, dermatitis, and occupational asthma.

Slippery Floors & Surfaces

Oil mist settles on floors, walkways, handrails, and every horizontal surface in the shop. The resulting film creates slip hazards and requires constant cleanup. Left unchecked, the residue coats electrical panels, lighting, HVAC ductwork, and the building structure—all of which increase maintenance costs.

Machine Electronics Damage

Oil mist gets into CNC control panels, servo drives, and electronic enclosures. The film attracts dust, creating a conductive layer that causes intermittent faults, premature component failure, and unplanned downtime. Shops that run without mist collection often see significantly shorter electronics lifespans on their CNC equipment.

Coolant Loss

Metalworking fluid that becomes airborne is metalworking fluid leaving your system. Depending on the operation, a CNC machine can lose a meaningful volume of coolant to mist every month. Oil mist collectors with drain-back systems recover captured fluid and return it to the machine’s sump.

Oil Smoke vs. Oil Mist

Mist droplets (1–20 μm) are generated mechanically by spinning parts and coolant spray. Oil smoke (0.07–1 μm) forms when fluid contacts hot surfaces— such as high-speed grinding, heat treating, or deep-hole drilling—using straight oils. Smoke is harder to capture and requires finer filtration media, typically a HEPA final stage.

Energy & HVAC Costs

Exhausting mist-laden air outside means losing conditioned air — heated in winter, cooled in summer. Oil mist collectors with HEPA after-filtration enable you to recirculate clean air back into the shop, keeping conditioned air inside and significantly reducing HVAC operating costs year-round.

Machine-Mount Units

A dedicated collector mounts directly on top of or adjacent to each CNC machine. Contaminated air is pulled from the machine enclosure through a short connection — no ductwork required. Each unit operates independently, so adding or moving machines doesn’t affect the rest of the system.

Best for: Small shops with 1–3 machines, job shops that rearrange frequently, or individual high-mist machines in a larger facility. Typical units: Micro Air OM600 (600 CFM) and Plymovent MistWizard (machine-mount with central-fan option).

Central Ducted Systems

One large collector connected to multiple machines through a ducted system. Each machine has a pickup hood or enclosure, with the connection ducted back to a central filter unit. Lower cost per machine than individual units, and easier to add HEPA for return-air recirculation.

Best for: Production shops with 4+ CNC machines, facilities operating multiple shifts, and operations seeking to recirculate conditioned air. Typical systems: Micro Air OM3510–OM6000 (3,000–6,000 CFM), Plymovent MistEliminator Banks (up to 8,750 CFM).

OM600

Compact machine-mount unit for individual CNC machines. Three-stage filtration with pre-filter, scrim-lined oil mist bag filter, and optional HEPA after-filter. Mounts directly to the machine enclosure—no ductwork or floor space required.

OM3510

Mid-range unit for single-machine or small-cell applications. Same three-stage filtration with HEPA option. Floor-stand or ceiling-mount configuration with multiple inlet connections for flexible layout.

OM6000 / OM6000DD

Large-capacity unit for central systems serving multiple machines. The DD (direct-drive) version adds a top-mounted motor with high static-pressure capability for longer duct runs. Both handle straight oils, water-soluble, and synthetic coolants.

MISTMAX® Cartridge Collectors

Heavy-duty cabinet with proprietary 8-layer, high-efficiency cartridge filter technology. The multilayer cartridge design achieves 99.98% efficiency without requiring a HEPA after-filter, with filter life of 1–5 years depending on the application. All MISTMAX units use Micro Air’s Roto-Pulse® cleaning system — a rotary pulse method that cleans cartridge filters more effectively than traditional reverse-jet systems, reducing maintenance frequency and extending media life.

Available in sizes from 600 to 3,600 CFM with multiple pre-filtration combinations and an optional HEPA after-filter. Can be configured as single or dual units for higher-volume applications — a Dual MM2400 configuration provides 4,800 CFM from a single installation footprint. Ideal for high-speed machining centers, heat treating, cold drawing, and wet grinding.

MISTMAX® Highlights

MistWizard™

Self-contained mechanical filter designed to mount directly on a CNC machine tool with no ducting or floor space required. Captures coolant mist and smoke from the machining process and returns recovered metalworking fluid back to the machine’s coolant sump. Works with both water-soluble emulsions and straight oil metalworking fluids.

MistWizard units can also be paired with a remote central fan (Plymovent TEV series) to create a multi-machine system — up to 9 MistWizard units on a single TEV-985 fan providing 5,824 CFM total system capacity. This hybrid approach gives you the flexibility of individual machine filters with the simplicity of centralized air movement.

Central Fan Options

ME-3 Series

The 3-series uses 4 or 5-step filtration. The ME-31 single unit handles up to 1,750 CFM. Add the HEPA stage (ME-32) for return-air recirculation. Bank configurations (ME-31/32 Banks) range from 3,500 to 8,750 CFM and include single- or dual-base filter banks.

ME-4 Series

The newer 4-series adds filtration stages (5 or 6-step) for demanding applications. The ME-42 HEPA with integrated fan is a self-contained unit with a sound-absorbing enclosure—no external fan or ductwork is required on the exhaust side.

MistEliminator Features

CNC Turning & Milling

The most common oil mist source. High-pressure coolant on spinning workpieces generates heavy mist, especially at higher RPMs and with through-spindle coolant delivery. Water-soluble and straight oil applications.

Swiss Screw Machines

High-speed Swiss-type lathes running on straight oil generate dense mist and smoke from the small enclosed work zones. Machine-mounted collectors such as the OM600 or MistWizard are common here.

Grinding & Honing

Surface grinders, cylindrical grinders, and honing machines produce both mist and smoke as coolant contacts hot metal surfaces. Oil smoke requires finer filtration; HEPA final stages are typically required.

EDM & Wire EDM

Electrical discharge machining with dielectric fluid generates fine mist from the EDM process. While typically lower in volume than turning operations, mist still needs to be captured, especially in enclosed shops.

Heat Treating

Quench tanks and heat-treat operations generate oil smoke when hot parts contact quench oil. This is primarily a smoke application (submicron particles) that requires high-efficiency media or HEPA filtration.

Cold Drawing & Forming

Metal forming operations using lubricants generate mist as material is drawn or stamped. High-volume production lines typically require central collection systems to manage continuous mist emissions.

Aerospace Machining

Machining titanium, Inconel, and other aerospace alloys with high-pressure coolant. Many aerospace shops require clean return air for temperature-controlled environments.

Automotive Parts Production

High-volume CNC production of engine components, drivetrain parts, and fasteners. Central collection systems handling 10–20+ machines are typical for Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers.

Impaction Pre-Filter

Large mist droplets (10+ μm) hit baffle plates or mesh screens and coalesce, draining back to a collection point. This stage protects the primary filters and recovers the greatest amount of fluid.

Coalescing Media

Fine mist droplets (1–10 μm) pass through coalescing filter media, where they merge into larger droplets and drain by gravity. This is the primary collection stage in most oil mist systems.

High-Efficiency Final

Sub-micron smoke particles (0.07–1 μm) are captured by high-efficiency bag filters, cartridge media (MISTMAX), or multi-layer cassettes (MistEliminator). This stage handles the smoke component.

HEPA After-Filter

Optional 99.97% HEPA stage for return-air applications. Required when recirculating filtered air back into the shop instead of exhausting outside. Eliminates visible smoke from the exhaust.

Coolant recovery: Most oil mist collectors include drain-back systems that return captured metalworking fluid to the machine’s sump or a central collection tank. This recovers fluid that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere, reducing coolant purchase and disposal costs.

OSHA PEL — 29 CFR 1910.1000

OSHA’s permissible exposure limit for mineral oil mist is 5 mg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). This is the legally enforceable limit. For metalworking fluid mists that do not fall under the mineral oil mist category, general particulate not otherwise regulated (PNOR) limits may apply.

NIOSH REL — Recommended Limit

NIOSH recommends a much stricter 0.5 mg/m³ TWA for metalworking fluid aerosols (thoracic particulate fraction). While not legally enforceable, many employers target NIOSH levels as a best practice. Some state plans and insurance carriers may expect compliance with the NIOSH recommendation.