Feature Filtration & separation
Filters offer BIG benefits for flooring and fabrics
Static basket filters, which were causing production downtime at Beaulieu International Group, have been successfully replaced with self-cleaning Eco Filters from Russell Finex
T
he Beaulieu International Group (B.I.G) has expanded and diversi- fied in recent years, extending its product range to include raw materials, soft flooring, hard flooring and fabrics. Cushion Vinyl, known under the brand name Beauflor, is a relatively new and fast growing prod- uct within the hard flooring industry. The product offers many features such as easy maintenance and sound absorption, and is available in a wide range of colours.
Production process
The production process used to make Cushion Vinyl consists of coating dif- ferent layers onto a fibre glass film. Firstly, two layers of a PVC base paste are coated onto a fibre glass film. The design and a wear-resistant layer are then applied. Thirdly, an additional PVC coat is put on the back of the fibre glass film. As a finishing touch, a pat- tern is pressed into the vinyl and a coat of varnish is applied.
Before coating the paste onto the fibre glass film, filters with static bas- kets were being used to filter out cont- amination larger than 0.05mm. Because the film is very fragile, a cont- amination larger than 0.05 mm, could damage the film. However, the static basket filters were letting some conta- mination through, causing the produc-
tion line to halt until the filters were cleaned, thus increasing downtime. Dieter Van Overbeke, product man- ager at B.I.G, explained: “We were previously using static basket filters, however they were easily damaged and had to be cleaned 8 times a day, resulting in production breaks and a loss in revenue.”
Testing phase
Having dealt with Russell Finex previ- ously, the company approached them for a new filtration system. Russell Finex offered to test their Self- Cleaning Russell Eco Filter at the Cushion Vinyl production plant. After successful testing, B.I.G decided to replace their old filters with 4 new Self-Cleaning Russell Eco Filters. Van Overbeke said: “The Russell fil- ters take less than half of the space of the previous filters, but still have a large capacity of 1500kg/hour. In addi- tion, the filter media doesn’t get dam- aged easily and is reusable.”
Reducing wastage
As a result, the company has reduced production downtime as well as prod- uct wastage. With its self cleaning design, the Russell Eco Filter requires no stoppages to change filter elements, enabling the company to conduct a visual inspection of the machine twice
The filter media used in the Eco Filters doesn’t get damaged easily and is reusable
a week without the need for a weekly clean. “The Russell Eco Filter is a real must – it is more robust and wears less than other filters,” commented Van Overbeke.
Recommendation He added “We were so impressed with the improvement in production and product quality following the installa- tion of the new filters that we recom- mended Russell Finex to one of our suppliers.”
Russell Finex T: 0208 818 2000
www.russellfinex.com Filtration technology meets pharmaceutical standards
AF has launched the Nelior filtration technology, designed to offer benefits in applications that work under classified conditions, such as the pharmaceutical and micro- electronic industries. In such environments, the air quality directly influences process performance, product quality, and ultimately, the quality of human life. In order to demonstrate the value of the Nelior technology in such situations, AAF has also developed its Life Cycle Valuation programme. The composition and strength of Nelior gives HEPA and ULPA filters their performance characteristics. The media is said to offer 50% lower operating resistance in combi- nation with efficient overall particulate collection. Research carried out by an independent testing laboratory has found that traditional media suffers from a loss in strength after being pleated into media packs, whereas Nelior membrane media retains its integrity. The research also showed that Nelior membrane media has a high resistance to any potential damage due to errors in handling and installation, in contrast to fragile traditional media. In daily practice, this means that filter media failure risk is limited and that fibre shedding, which could increase contamination risk when entering the airstream, is eliminated. New HEPA and ULPA filters, featuring Nelior technology, and designed for the pharmaceutical industry, are called VITAcel filters. They are available in filter classes H14 and U16 to EN1822:2009 for application in ISO 5/GMP grade A cleanrooms and adjacent areas. As previously mentioned, AAF has also introduced its Life Cycle Valuation programme. This approach takes both
A
energy savings and failure risk costs into account and demonstrates the value potential to be achieved by air filters with Nelior Filtration Technology. It calculates the environmental and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings potential based on a risk management approach with application specific data. The results are summarised in an automatically generated customer report. AAF
www.aafeurope.com www.nelior.com Process & Control SEPTEMBER 2012 Enter 208 7 Enter 207
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