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Ahlstrom increases filtration material capacity
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Technology news Filtration+Separation September/October 2012
Market for filters to purify indoor air is booming The market for filters to purify indoor air will have revenues in 2013 that will exceed $6.7 billion. This is the latest forecast in Air Filtration and Purification World Markets published by the McIlvaine Company. The East Asian market will account for nearly one-third of all sales in 2013. This is due to a number of factors. The number of commercial and residential buildings is growing rapidly. In China, the amount of floor space per urban citizen has increased from just 15 m2/capita in 1990 to over 30 m2/capita now. Over the next twenty years the per capita space is projected to grow by 20%. The growth of industry in East Asia is also a factor. The semiconductor industry utilises large quantities of expensive high efficiency particulate filters. China, Taiwan and Korea are the growth centres for semiconductor manufacture. The one market where Europe and the U.S. are maintaining
their lead is in air inlet filtration for gas turbines. These areas are switching to the lower carbon emitting turbines. These turbines are subject to damage from smaller and smaller particulates as they evolve to higher performance. It is now common for the inlet air to be filtered with high efficiency particulate filters of either microglass or membranes. W.L. Gore has introduced a high efficiency membrane filter which can be pulsed. Freudenberg, AAF and others offer a variety of new higher efficiency alternatives to their previous offerings. Nanotechnology is likely to boost the filter market substantially. New research shows that particles just 20 nanometers in diameter are contributing to autoimmune and other diseases. In order to capture these particles, it is necessary to use ultra high efficiency (ULPA) particulate filters. These filters are more costly and will boost revenues per filter unit as well as extending the applications to processes which are using nanotechnology. www.mcilvainecompany.com
Ahlstrom increases filtration material capacity Ahlstrom is investing in additional capacity for filtration materials at its site in Turin, Italy. The investment will be operational by the third quarter of 2013 and will consist of an upgrade to a paper machine producing filter media for transportation and gas turbine applications. Total investment is approximately €10 million and it will significantly increase the Turin plant capacity to supply filter media to customers globally. “This investment is another important step in our growth roadmap, where we are strengthening our platform in Europe. By expanding our filtration operations, we are
reinforcing our position as a global supplier in the filtration market with a full offering of filter media,” said Tommi Björnman, executive vicepresident, Filtration. “Our global filtration platform has grown significantly in the past two years, with the recent investments in the new saturator line in Turin, the expansion at our plant in Louveira in Brazil and the acquisition and the expansion of the Binzhou plant in China. We will continue to work with our customers to grow in regions where they are focused,” added Gary Blevins, vice-president, Transportation Filtration. www.ahlstrom.com
Automag Compact improves machining efficiency Eclipse Magnetics has launched the Automag Compact. The new development is a high intensity automated magnetic filter which improves efficiency on small to medium sized precision metal machining processes such as grinding, honing, milling or super-finishing. The Automag Compact provides all the time-saving efficiencies of automated cleaning but with reduced investment costs in comparison to other high performance automated filtration systems. The company says that it is an affordable solution for OEM projects and can also be retrofitted seamlessly into existing machining processes. Automag Compact has a high intensity magnetic circuit which extracts potentially damaging ferrous particles, down to submicron size, from industrial fluids such as lubricants and coolants.
Payback is rapid with improved surface finish, reduced product rejects, increased fluid lifespan, reduced downtime and extended tool life being just some of the many benefits, claims Eclipse Magnetics. The automated cleaning function saves hours of maintenance time and ensures that production is not interrupted. A timed signal activates the cleaning process, the magnetic rods are withdrawn from the filter chambers and the ferrous contamination is purged to a tank or reclaim unit. The whole process takes approximately 10 seconds. Automag Compact can be supplied with an Eclipse Skid fluid recovery system to ensure that the cleaned fluid is returned straight to the process. www.eclipsemagnetics.com
Filter drawer improves screen maintenance Plastics auxiliary machine manufacturer Conair has added a new filter-drawer feature on its DuraLoad vacuum receivers, which eliminates the need to remove the receiver lid to perform routine screen inspection and maintenance. Instead, a slim module, which can be fitted between the lid and the body of the receiver, features a slide-out drawer containing the filter-screen disc. To check, clean or replace the filter, users simply open two tool-free twist clamps and pull out the drawer. “With most receivers,” says Ray Kelly, Conveying Product Manager, “the entire lid needs to be lifted off the body in order to expose the filter. It does not weigh much, but it does require two hands, and when the receiver is mounted on top of a moulding machine, blender or dryer, it can be quite cumbersome. Several
trips up and down a ladder can be needed to complete a relatively simple task. With the Conair Filter Drawer, one person can do the job quickly and easily.” The Filter Drawer adds only 89 mm (3.5 inches) to the installed height of the receiver and is available in all Conair DuraLoad diameters. The option is recommended for processors who do not make frequent material changes but who want an easy way to check their filter screen. It is also ideal for installations where ceiling height makes it more difficult to remove receiver lids, or applications that require frequent screen changes. The Filter Drawer is available in stainless steel and in a special high-temperature version for when dried material is being conveyed at temperatures up to 171°C (350°F). www.conairgroup.com
Technology news Filtration+Separation September/October 2012
Market for filters to purify indoor air is booming The market for filters to purify indoor air will have revenues in 2013 that will exceed $6.7 billion. This is the latest forecast in Air Filtration and Purification World Markets published by the McIlvaine Company. The East Asian market will account for nearly one-third of all sales in 2013. This is due to a number of factors. The number of commercial and residential buildings is growing rapidly. In China, the amount of floor space per urban citizen has increased from just 15 m2/capita in 1990 to over 30 m2/capita now. Over the next twenty years the per capita space is projected to grow by 20%. The growth of industry in East Asia is also a factor. The semiconductor industry utilises large quantities of expensive high efficiency particulate filters. China, Taiwan and Korea are the growth centres for semiconductor manufacture. The one market where Europe and the U.S. are maintaining
their lead is in air inlet filtration for gas turbines. These areas are switching to the lower carbon emitting turbines. These turbines are subject to damage from smaller and smaller particulates as they evolve to higher performance. It is now common for the inlet air to be filtered with high efficiency particulate filters of either microglass or membranes. W.L. Gore has introduced a high efficiency membrane filter which can be pulsed. Freudenberg, AAF and others offer a variety of new higher efficiency alternatives to their previous offerings. Nanotechnology is likely to boost the filter market substantially. New research shows that particles just 20 nanometers in diameter are contributing to autoimmune and other diseases. In order to capture these particles, it is necessary to use ultra high efficiency (ULPA) particulate filters. These filters are more costly and will boost revenues per filter unit as well as extending the applications to processes which are using nanotechnology. www.mcilvainecompany.com
Ahlstrom increases filtration material capacity Ahlstrom is investing in additional capacity for filtration materials at its site in Turin, Italy. The investment will be operational by the third quarter of 2013 and will consist of an upgrade to a paper machine producing filter media for transportation and gas turbine applications. Total investment is approximately €10 million and it will significantly increase the Turin plant capacity to supply filter media to customers globally. “This investment is another important step in our growth roadmap, where we are strengthening our platform in Europe. By expanding our filtration operations, we are
reinforcing our position as a global supplier in the filtration market with a full offering of filter media,” said Tommi Björnman, executive vicepresident, Filtration. “Our global filtration platform has grown significantly in the past two years, with the recent investments in the new saturator line in Turin, the expansion at our plant in Louveira in Brazil and the acquisition and the expansion of the Binzhou plant in China. We will continue to work with our customers to grow in regions where they are focused,” added Gary Blevins, vice-president, Transportation Filtration. www.ahlstrom.com
Automag Compact improves machining efficiency Eclipse Magnetics has launched the Automag Compact. The new development is a high intensity automated magnetic filter which improves efficiency on small to medium sized precision metal machining processes such as grinding, honing, milling or super-finishing. The Automag Compact provides all the time-saving efficiencies of automated cleaning but with reduced investment costs in comparison to other high performance automated filtration systems. The company says that it is an affordable solution for OEM projects and can also be retrofitted seamlessly into existing machining processes. Automag Compact has a high intensity magnetic circuit which extracts potentially damaging ferrous particles, down to submicron size, from industrial fluids such as lubricants and coolants.
Payback is rapid with improved surface finish, reduced product rejects, increased fluid lifespan, reduced downtime and extended tool life being just some of the many benefits, claims Eclipse Magnetics. The automated cleaning function saves hours of maintenance time and ensures that production is not interrupted. A timed signal activates the cleaning process, the magnetic rods are withdrawn from the filter chambers and the ferrous contamination is purged to a tank or reclaim unit. The whole process takes approximately 10 seconds. Automag Compact can be supplied with an Eclipse Skid fluid recovery system to ensure that the cleaned fluid is returned straight to the process. www.eclipsemagnetics.com
Filter drawer improves screen maintenance Plastics auxiliary machine manufacturer Conair has added a new filter-drawer feature on its DuraLoad vacuum receivers, which eliminates the need to remove the receiver lid to perform routine screen inspection and maintenance. Instead, a slim module, which can be fitted between the lid and the body of the receiver, features a slide-out drawer containing the filter-screen disc. To check, clean or replace the filter, users simply open two tool-free twist clamps and pull out the drawer. “With most receivers,” says Ray Kelly, Conveying Product Manager, “the entire lid needs to be lifted off the body in order to expose the filter. It does not weigh much, but it does require two hands, and when the receiver is mounted on top of a moulding machine, blender or dryer, it can be quite cumbersome. Several
trips up and down a ladder can be needed to complete a relatively simple task. With the Conair Filter Drawer, one person can do the job quickly and easily.” The Filter Drawer adds only 89 mm (3.5 inches) to the installed height of the receiver and is available in all Conair DuraLoad diameters. The option is recommended for processors who do not make frequent material changes but who want an easy way to check their filter screen. It is also ideal for installations where ceiling height makes it more difficult to remove receiver lids, or applications that require frequent screen changes. The Filter Drawer is available in stainless steel and in a special high-temperature version for when dried material is being conveyed at temperatures up to 171°C (350°F). www.conairgroup.com