Membership Meeting - September 17 2026
HVAC vs. Dust Collection: Why They Look Similar but Are Engineered Completely Differently
At first glance, dust collection looks familiar to anyone in the sheet metal and HVAC world: ductwork, fans, fittings, airflow, equipment, and installation coordination. But treating a dust collection system like “just bigger HVAC duct” can lead to costly estimating errors, poor system performance, premature duct failure, safety issues, and serious liability.
This presentation is built for estimators, sheet metal contractors, project managers, and business owners who may encounter industrial dust collection work but do not always see what makes it fundamentally different from HVAC. We will look at the hidden differences behind air velocity, static pressure, duct construction, particulate transport, abrasion, balancing, capture, and explosion risk.
The goal is not to turn everyone into a dust collection engineer in 30 minutes. The goal is to help contractors recognize where HVAC assumptions stop working, what questions should be asked before pricing or installing these systems, and where the risks — and opportunities — really are.
Dust collection is not just air movement. It is safety, process performance, material handling, and industrial risk management. And for sheet metal contractors who understand the difference, it can also be a valuable and specialized market opportunity.
This presentation is built for estimators, sheet metal contractors, project managers, and business owners who may encounter industrial dust collection work but do not always see what makes it fundamentally different from HVAC. We will look at the hidden differences behind air velocity, static pressure, duct construction, particulate transport, abrasion, balancing, capture, and explosion risk.
The goal is not to turn everyone into a dust collection engineer in 30 minutes. The goal is to help contractors recognize where HVAC assumptions stop working, what questions should be asked before pricing or installing these systems, and where the risks — and opportunities — really are.
Dust collection is not just air movement. It is safety, process performance, material handling, and industrial risk management. And for sheet metal contractors who understand the difference, it can also be a valuable and specialized market opportunity.
Francis Petit, P.Eng. is the Director of Engineering at VETS Sheet Metal and a senior industrial ventilation and dust collection specialist with more than a decade of experience connecting engineering design with fabrication, installation, commissioning, and field performance.
A mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Sherbrooke and a registered professional engineer in several provinces in Canada including British Columbia, Francis focuses on industrial air systems where standard HVAC assumptions no longer apply. His work includes dust collection, combustible dust hazards, Dust Hazard Assessments, NFPA-based explosion protection, HVAC pressurization, dust containment, industrial HVAC design and wet and dry filtration systems.
A mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Sherbrooke and a registered professional engineer in several provinces in Canada including British Columbia, Francis focuses on industrial air systems where standard HVAC assumptions no longer apply. His work includes dust collection, combustible dust hazards, Dust Hazard Assessments, NFPA-based explosion protection, HVAC pressurization, dust containment, industrial HVAC design and wet and dry filtration systems.
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Date and Time
Thursday Sep 17, 2026
5:30 PM - 9:30 PM PDT
5:30 PM Reception
6:00 PM Dinner
6:30 PM Presentation
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