Industrial Air Intake Panel Filters: Protecting Compressors & Blowers Since 1976

Filter Element Store has supplied industrial air intake panel filters since 1976, including first- and second-stage filtration for large compressors, blowers, and other high-flow equipment.

A recent order leaving our warehouse included 40 first-stage and 40 second-stage air intake panel filters: a good example of the large industrial intake filtration applications Filter Element Store has supported for decades.

Panel filters may not get as much attention as the compressor itself, but they perform an important job: keeping airborne dirt and particulate from entering expensive rotating equipment.

What Are Industrial Air Intake Panel Filters?

Industrial panel filters are used to remove airborne particulate before ambient air enters equipment such as air compressors, blowers, turbines, engines, and other high-volume air intake systems.

Unlike a typical residential or light-commercial HVAC filter, industrial intake panel filters can be designed for much higher airflow, greater dust-loading capacity, and demanding operating environments. These are not your standard HVAC filters! These are heavy-duty air intake filters for demanding applications such as large blowers and air compressors.

Depending on the application, panel filters may use synthetic, polyester, microglass, or other filtration media housed in galvanized steel, aluminum, or other rigid frames.

First-Stage vs. Second-Stage Panel Filters

Many large industrial air intake systems use two-stage filtration.

The first-stage panel filter acts as a prefilter. Its job is to capture larger airborne contaminants before they reach the more efficient (and typically more expensive) 2nd stage filter.

First-stage filters are often washable or cleanable and are designed for high dust-holding capacity with relatively low restriction. They are typically 24" x 24" and either 1.5" or 2" thick.

The second-stage panel filter provides the finer level of filtration. Depending on the filter design and application, second-stage filters can provide extremely high particulate removal efficiency while still accommodating the large volumes of air required by industrial equipment. The most common 2nd stage panel filters have nominal dimensions of 24" x 24" x 12". 

Using the two stages together allows the first-stage filter to handle the heavier contaminant load while protecting the finer second-stage media. This can help extend second-stage filter life and maintain consistent intake airflow.

Why Intake Filtration Matters

An industrial compressor or blower can consume an enormous volume of ambient air during normal operation. Everything suspended in that air... from dust, dirt, fibers, pollen, and other particulate, is headed toward the equipment unless the intake filtration system removes it first.

Proper intake filtration helps:

• Protect compressor and blower components from contamination
• Reduce particulate buildup on internal equipment
• Extend equipment service life
• Protect downstream filtration components
• Maintain proper airflow
• Reduce unplanned maintenance and downtime

This becomes especially important in demanding environments such as manufacturing plants, steel mills, foundries, power generation facilities, mining operations, and other dusty industrial locations.

Panel Filters for High Flow Applications

Panel filters are particularly useful when an intake system needs to process a large volume of air through a relatively compact filtration system.

Filter Element Store offers industrial panel filters in numerous sizes, efficiencies, media types, and configurations. Common sizes range from approximately 18" x 18" panels through larger 24" x 24" elements, with depths ranging from relatively thin first-stage filters to second-stage filters approximately 12 inches deep.

Depending on the design, individual industrial panel filters can be rated for airflow capacities of 2,500 to 3,000 SCFM or more.

For larger equipment, multiple panels are installed together in an intake filter housing to provide the total airflow capacity required by the compressor, blower, or turbine.

Supplying Industrial Panel Filters Since 1976

Panel filters aren't a new product line for Filter Element Store.

We've been supplying industrial air intake panel filters since 1976.

That experience is particularly valuable with older equipment and large industrial intake systems where identifying the correct replacement isn't always as simple as searching for a current OEM part number.

We can help identify replacement panel filters based on the manufacturer and part number, filter dimensions, airflow requirements, filtration efficiency, media construction, and 1st or 2nd stage configuration.

We also offer replacement filters for many common industrial air intake filter systems and can assist with both individual replacement elements and larger quantities for plant maintenance and scheduled filter changes.