Why Cleanable Media for Industrial Filter Processes is More Environmentally Friendly
Ask Filter Man
Environmentally Friendly
The question whether to use cleanable media rather than disposable
media is treading in to the environmental forum, and with good cause.
The health safety to employees many times can be significant, as well
as the reduction of costs to run the filter (hidden and otherwise).
Due to the new environmental regulations -- and the costs associated
with waste disposal -- the manner in which industries filter to either
recycle or eliminate filtration waste will change significantly over
the next five years. Importantly, this is in all industries, so be
prepared.
Selecting filtration equipment is the combined result of many
considerations. In addition to removing undesirable material from a
liquid stream, the filtration method selected must also satisfy other
requirement.
Installed costs must be weighed against operating costs. Waste disposal
costs must be considered. Is continuous flow a requirement of the
application, or can the filtration equipment be operated
intermittently? Is worker exposure to the process liquid during filter
cleaning or replacement a problem? These and other factors must be
weighed when choosing the right filtration method for a particular
application.
Today, more than ever, self-cleaning filters (cleanable media) is the
better methodology -- and many times the right thing to do -- for many
reasons.
With cleanable systems, you enhance employee safety by minimizing
worker and workplace exposure to process liquids. You minimize or
eliminate the unlimited cost and inconvenience of media replacement.
You minimize or eliminate the never-ending and ever-rising cost and
hassle of media disposal. You drastically reduce the labor costs to
source, purchase, inventory, transport, change, and dispose of
replacement media. You increase the quality and consistence of filter
performance and productivity.
To help reduce the confusion when you are evaluating different
filtration methods/systems, I have compiled a list of questions you may
want to consider:
Factors to Consider:
When selecting a filter for a particular application, the following
criteria should be considered.
1. How large is the process volume? What is the flow rate?
2. Is it a continuous or batch process?
3. What are the material characteristics of the solids being removed?
How large are the particles? Is the material hazardous? Can the
material being removed be recycled back into the process stream at
another point?
4. What are the waste disposal costs? How often do bags or cartridges
need to be replaced? Can the waste volume be reduced or eliminated by
switching to a different filtration method?
5. What are the labor and downtime costs for filter or cartridge
replacement? Can downtime be reduced or eliminated by switching to a
different filtration method?
-- by Ask Filter Man
For questions about industrial filtration, please visit the Ask Filter
Man at http://www.rpaprocess.com/Ask-Filter-Man-Blog.asp
If you would like to discuss this filtration solution with one of RPA
Process Technologies highly trained Applications Specialists, please
contact us at http://www.rpaprocess.com/ContactUs/Contact-Us.asp