Filter Press Maintenance and Critical Spare Parts
A filter press is designed to consistently perform in industrial environments that are oftentimes hard on equipment. With a proper maintenance routine, a filter press can last for many years.
The purpose of this blog is to give an overview of recommended maintenance for your press and important spare parts to keep on hand to help minimize downtime.
Start with the Service Manual for Each Filter Press…
If you are maintaining multiple filter presses at your site, work to determine commonalities between presses.
By reviewing the service manual, you should be able to determine basic information including the manufacturer, type of hydraulic system and size of the filter plates. In addition, the service manual should include a list of replacement parts. Using this information, you can develop a list of spare parts to keep on hand.
However, if the service manual is not available, M.W. Watermark can assist with parts by utilizing photos of the filter press and the hydraulic system. For replacement cloths and plates, a photo along with the appropriate cloth or plate template form allows you to quickly communicate the dimensions and requirements to M.W. Watermark.
We have versions of these forms for both CGR (Gasketed) and NG (Non-Gasketed) filter cloths as well as CGR and NG filter plates.
Filter Cloth Template Forms
Filter Plate Template Forms
Basic Filter Press Maintenance Tips
M.W. Watermark recommends annual oil changes on an air-over-oil filter press. As compressed air is introduced into the oil with each cycle, the oil absorbs moisture from the air. This can cause premature failure in components if the oil is not changed regularly. We recommend a high quality ISO-46 for air-over-oil hydraulic systems.
We also recommend changing the oil filter and air filter at least once per year. Keep an extra oil filter and air filter on hand for each filter press.
Check the hydraulic components for leaks on a regular basis.
Keep the following spare hydraulic components on hand in case of failure:
- Relief valve cartridge.
- Release / decompress valve.
- Directional spool valve.
- Hydraulic pump repair kit.
- Spare hydraulic pump.
- Air and hydraulic pressure gauges – 1 of each.
- Hydraulic cylinder or seal kits – depending on age of cylinder.
Consider commonalities between presses.
Special tools to keep on hand
There are specific tools available for maintaining a filter press, filter cloths and gasketing. When a filter press goes down, time is of the essence and searching for the right tool for the job can be frustrating. Therefore, we recommend the following set of tools be kept on hand at each location where filter presses will be serviced and maintained:
- Spanner wrench.
- Air hammer.
- Spatula.
- Wedge.
- Backup plate.
- A backup plate (also known as a “blanking” plate) allows you to continue to run the press even if a filter plate breaks or a filter cloth goes bad.
- Also good for running smaller batches.
Filter Cloths and Gasketing Materials
- We recommend keeping some filter cloths and gasketing materials on hand for each press.
- Filter cloths need replacement when your filter press is no longer forming a solid filter cake. Read about other symptoms that indicate it may be time to replace the cloths.
- Proper care of filter cloths is an important part of maintaining the performance of a filter press. Learn more about options for cleaning your filter cloths.
Filter Plates
- Clean and inspect filter plates regularly.
- Make sure the plates are properly cleaned after scraping so that no sludge remains in the gasket sealing surfaces.
- Keep extra plates on hand for each press in case of breakage, depending on age.
- Again, consider commonalities.
Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU)
If you are in need of an emergency fix for your hydraulic pumping system, but are not ready to replace or rebuild your filter press, then M.W. Watermark has a great solution for you.
M.W. Watermark has designed a stand-alone hydraulic power unit which serves as a universal retrofit for older-style filter presses.
As always, M.W. Watermark will continue to stock most air-over-oil hydraulic parts for models from other filter press manufacturers.
- Available with either a 7 or an 11 gallon reservoir.
- Size options cover most types of filter presses, from 630mm to 1200mm frame size.
- System is air-powered: Pumps the press open and closed with hydraulic oil on both sides of the cylinder.
- HPU has a 55:1 pump ratio.
- Maximum clamp pressure of 4,600 PSI.
M.W. Watermark Services
- Filter Plate Service
- Cloth and gasketing replacement
- Plates can be shipped to M.W. Watermark for cloth and gasket service.
- Cloth and gasketing replacement
- On-Site Services
- M.W. Watermark service staff can visit your site to trouble-shoot equipment, repair hydraulic systems, etc.
- Laboratory Services
- Our lab services can help you determine the most effective filter press equipment, equipment sizing, filtration media required and dewatering techniques for your specific application.
M.W. Watermark Aftermarket Accessories
- In addition to cloth and gasketing installation tools, M.W. Watermark also offers other aftermarket accessories to help you maintain your filter press.
Contact M.W. Watermark to learn more or for a quote.
About M.W. Watermark
M.W. WATERMARK wants to make a difference. We are passionate about the world’s water. We are innovative, focused on customer service and always try to exceed expectations. We are an environmentally conscious company with people who are energized, encouraged and inspired to make a difference on our planet by helping to keep our shared, finite water supply clean and usable for generations to come. We build amazing, custom water and wastewater treatment equipment. Together, we can make a difference.