"How can I lower my operating costs AND improve process filter performance?"
We hear this question regularly, and although some may quip, “Buy cheaper filters,” we contend that installing the RIGHT filter is the key to doing both simultaneously.
Our interactions with customers across various industries and applications have demonstrated that those who invested time in evaluating their processes and testing alternative filters were the ones who achieved cost savings and enhancements in process performance. Since each application and company has its unique characteristics and standards, in this piece, we aim to present a more comprehensive and universal perspective on the issue rather than focusing on a singular application or filter approach. The ideas below are things you can try on your own and see if some simple changes will yield the desired outcomes.
Getting Started
Firstly, ensure that your filtration process is clearly defined and can be quantified in some manner. Process definition and quantification may involve:
- Retention Rates for bacteria or particles
- Volume of process filtered per filter area
- Frequency and timing of filter change-outs
- Pressure drops
- Compatibility of the filter with the process fluid and vice versa, ensuring neither adversely affects the other
- Costs associated with maintenance, labor, and process downtime related to filter changes
Once the process and key parameters are properly defined (and documented), you can look for measurable ways to make improvements. Start making adjustments by targeting areas that need immediate attention. If none are obvious, look to see if one or more measures are "over-specified." That could help identify areas for more cost-effective filter solutions. In any process, changing the target performance for one measure may require adjusting the targets for other measures to allow the change. Continue to document each change and the results of the change along the way.
Below are strategies to address underperforming areas and implement cost-effective solutions to enhance process performance:
Removing More Contamination Through Filter Design
The only way to remove more contamination is to use a more efficient filter media. That could mean filter media with smaller pore sizes, or media of the same pore size rating but with higher removal efficiency. It’s usually the media in the final filter of the system, and the best way to determine if the change worked is to test and analyze your results.
If more contamination is going to be removed with the same number of filters, then some of those filters may not last as long in service. If filter life is an important performance measure, then the filters used need to have a higher dirt-holding capacity to last at least as long as the current filters.
Expanding Capacity through Media Density:
There are three ways to add capacity to a filter system.
- Increase the amount of media in the system, automatically increasing the amount of dirt the system can hold.
- Use media, such as asymmetric membrane media, instead of symmetric media, because it has a higher dirt-holding capacity.
- Use "high area" filter elements, designed with approximately 25% more filtration area than standard cartridges. For example, installing a 20-inch filter in place of a 10-inch filter. This will reduce the number of filters you need to replace, which lowers costs.
Effects of Filters on Fluid Chemistry:
Some filter media attract protein molecules. Therefore, using such media in bio-pharmaceuticals, wine, beer, or other beverages, or some chemical processing can remove proteins and alter the content and quality of the fluid. With the help of the Technical Service Team, you can evaluate filter media in the fluid to be sure it is not adversely affecting your product.
Lowering Operating Costs:
While the aforementioned changes may increase the purchase price of filters, operating costs can be mitigated in several ways. Firstly, the installation of a superior filter solution prolongs filter life and reduces the number of filters used per product unit. Secondly, downstream operations can become more efficient with filter changes, potentially reducing the time spent reworking products to remove contaminants or lessening the frequency or requirements for quality testing. Thirdly, higher costs can be offset by increasing revenue, whether through reducing product scrap due to contamination or enhancing product quality to allow for premium pricing.
Every System can be Enhanced:
This approach demonstrates how improved performance from a filter system can coincide with reducing the system's cost of ownership. By implementing these measures and balancing filter design considerations, you could:
- Enhance contaminant removal efficiency
- Decrease the frequency of filter replacements
- Ensure fluid chemical quality
- Lower operating costs of downstream processes
- Increase company revenue
Do you have a filtration challenge?
We offer a complimentary service to evaluate your issue and will promptly provide a solution. Let us know how we can assist you.
Contact Critical Process Filtration's Technical Support Team, available from 9 am to 5 pm ET, by phone at (603) 880-4420, or submit an inquiry through the form above.
