I have been using a Arduino Mega based automatic Blast Gate/Dust Collector controller I been developing for a few years. I have current switches installed in outlet boxes used by tools connected dust collector. These are connected the controller using 2 conductor alarm wire.
Each blast gate I modified has a pneumatic cylinder and 24V 5 port valve to open and close the blast gate. Gates are metal ones I got from Oneida with my dust collector. Each gates valve is connected to the controller using more 2 conductor alarm wire.
Before I designed the controller I was using an X-10 remote controlled outlet to turn on/off dust collector. So I use the same X-10 controlled outlet with a X-10 PL513 Power Line Interface module connected to the Mega to control the dust collector. I also have other X-10 modules for controlling power to other stuff. Other stuff such as air compressor, exhaust fans and some lights and turned on/off by the controller when I enter shop and turn lights on.
My dust collector is and Oneida 1.5 HP internal filter model I bought in about 94 or 95 not long after Oneida starting selling them. If you let the dust bin fill up saw dust get packed all around and in the filter and is a real mess to clean out. So I happened to an IR distance sensor so I decided to use to measure dust bin level. This is also connected to controller and controller wont turn on collector when level gets to high. My original distance sensor was not ideal so I recently acquired another which I think will work much better.
My dust collector has an internal filter which has to be cleaned periodically. Since cleaning it is a pain I decided to add a differential pressure sensor to it and monitor the vacuum level. Controller turns on an indicator when I need to clean the filter.
I also have a remote controlled JDS air filter which I used to have to manually turn on. When I acquired it the remote was lost. So I started to just build a remote but decided to control it with the dust collector. I took out the JDS controls and replaced it with a ESP8266 wifi processor. It was easier to just control it from my phone. Mega didn’t have network access yet. Before I got the air filter I had been working on another project to monitor the dust levels in my shop which used a ESP8266 processor and a SDS011 particle sensor which sent particle counts to ThingSpeak every 3 minutes. That’s why I got the air filter.
Again my GEEK took over and the air filter in now controlled by the PM sensor. Air filter is sent PM levels via ThingSpeak and determines the fan speed and run time. Since Air filter has a filter it is also going to get definteral pressure sensor sometime.
Since my dust controller prototype is sitting on the headstock of my lathe I decided that this year I was going to tidy it up and put it in a box. I have designed PCBs for it and just received them a couple of days ago. I’m also going to do PCBs the PM sensors and maybe the air filter.
I plan to build some vintage looking electronic equipment enclosures to house them(Dust Collector Controller and PM Sensors). I’m also planning to install my own MTTQ server/Database and get away from ThingSpeak.
I used a processor to control everything but I think it would be possible to just use current switches, at off delay relay and some cheap 5v relays if you just wanted to control dust collector and automated blast gates.
I have probably gone on a bit to long with this posting but if there is any interest and it’s appropriate I can post some photos and more details of the stuff I’ve done to date.