Filter Presses - McLanahan

Filter Presses and Belt Presses are different in several ways. With Belt Presses, slurry is dewatered between two moving synthetic cloths or belts. Water initially is released by gravity then by squeezing the slurry/belts between rollers. The filtrate water is collected below the press unit in a pit. The dewatered cake material is scraped off the belts as they separate at the discharge end of the press. A dewatering polymer chemical is required to flocculate the slurry particles prior to the slurry entering the press. The chemical also aids in allowing the water to release from the solid material.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Xuda Filtration.

A plate Filter Press is composed of a frame holding a series of recessed plates lined with filter cloths. The plates are held tightly together, creating a seal around their perimeters using hydraulic pressure. A high-pressure slurry dewatering pump forces slurry into the chamber spaces between the plates for dewatering. The slurry solids are captured between the plates, while the clean filtrate water passes through the filter cloth mesh and exits through ports in the filter plates. When the chamber spaces are full of dewatered slurry solids, the slurry feed pump is automatically stopped. The hydraulic pressure holding the plates together is released so the plates can be separated individually, allowing the cake to fall by gravity out of the press. Typically, no chemicals are required to aid dewatering on a plate filter press.

Recessed plates are solid plates made of plastic or metal or a combination of metal and plastic. The plates have recessed surfaces, except for the perimeter edge surface that allows the plates to seal against each other when they are clamped together using a hydraulic ram. With the plates held tightly together, all dewatering takes place as a result of the slurry feed pump press. 

Membrane plates are similar to recessed plates, having recessed surfaces except for their perimeter edges. The membrane plates are constructed so compressed air or water can be injected inside the plate surface, inflating the plate surfaces. These plates are also held tightly together with a hydraulic ram while the slurry is pumped into the press and dewatered. Once the chambers are filled with dewatered slurry, the feed pump is stopped. With plates still clamped together, the membrane plate surfaces are inflated to compress/squeeze the dewatered cake material. If the material can be compressed, additional water is removed from the solids. The plate surfaces are deflated by relieving the air or water pressure, then the plates are unclamped to allow the plates to be separated and the cakes are discharged by gravity.

Filter Presses are often used to create a closed loop process. This eliminates the need for a settling pond or tailings pond, while also recycling process water back for reuse. By eliminating the need for tailings ponds or settling ponds, valuable land reserves can be protected or freed up for mining rather than being covered with tailings.

In many cases, the use of a closed loop process can also reduce regulatory permits while also putting forth an environmentally positive message for investment companies.

Many companies are now waiting years for permits for new settling ponds without assurance that this permit will be approved. Moving to a closed-loop process can eliminate the need for some of these long permitting processes.

Water availability and cost are becoming more of an issue as large population areas continue to grow. These areas also require quarried and mined materials, but lack of water can be restrictive for new plant considerations. Plant feasibility is greatly improved using a closed loop approach to wet processing with a filter press due to the maximum recovery of recyclable water, minimizing the need for new water sourcing.

Filter Presses have been the focus of Met-Chem Manufacturing for many years. Filter presses (also known as Plate and Frame) have many benefits.  One, in particular, is that for such a large piece of machinery it has few parts to it.

The simplicity of the Filter Press means there is little maintenance work that is needed to be done to the press.

The filter press skeleton and filter press plates need zero repairs and as long as the press is operated properly. They will last a lifetime.

The different parts to a filter press include

• the steel skeleton
• the filter plates
• the hydraulic pump and cylinder
• the plumbing which includes the manifold and center feed pipe
• and the filter press cloths

Filter Presses have been the focus of Met-Chem manufacturing for many years.  We have built a solid reputation for building quality Filter Presses, Clarifiers, Sludge Dryers, Complete Waste Treatment Systems, Filter Press Cloths, and Filter Press Plates. Our filter presses have been used in a variety of industries from plating and metal finishing to chemical and food processing to name a few. Met-Chem Filter Presses feature heavy duty steel construction with polypro gasketed plates. These filter presses can be manufactured with manual or automatic closures, but always with a hydraulic cylinder for sure, high-pressure closing. Met-Chem’s filter presses can be expanded for larger future capacity by building it in a larger skeleton with a distance piece. Once you are ready to expand, you can remove the distance piece and add the extra plates.

The Met-Chem Distance Piece allows you to be able to expand the size of your filter press. By removing the distance piece, you are able to place additional filter plates in the press. This allows you to purchase a large filter press skeleton, without the need of purchasing all the plates at once. When you need to expand your filter press capacity, you can purchase the remaining plates at a later date. Thus, saving you money.

A Distance Piece is an excellent option on a new filter press, especially if you are expecting that you may need a larger filter press in the future.

Met-Chem Bomb Bay Doors will catch dripping water that may come out of the plates during operation. These are typically used with Non-Gasketed Filter Press Plates since they are more prone to leak, as our gasketed plates will not leak. The excess water that leaks from the non-gasketed plates will be collected in a gutter system or perhaps a floor drain.

This add-on option can be installed with a new Met-Chem Filter Press or retrofitted for your existing filter press.

When the filter press is ready to be emptied, open the Bomb Bay Doors, and the sludge can be collected using a Met-Chem Sludge Dumpster.

For more filter press spare parts manufacturerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

The Automatic Pump Control System automatically and gradually increases the feed pressure in four stages during the filling cycle.  These stages are adjustable to suit your slurry and solids concentration.  However, it is commonly set at increments of 25 psi.  (25, 50, 75, 100).  By monitoring the feed pump flow sensor, during the final pressure stage, the operator will be able to determine the cycle completion.

The Automatic Pump Control System also incorporates a low hydraulic pressure safety shut down the device.  If there is not enough hydraulic clamping pressure present, the system will completely shut down, eliminating any possible leaking from between the filter plates.

The pump control system allows your filter press to run at its optimum efficiency creating dryer filter cakes, reducing disposal costs, reducing operator time, and increasing the life of your filter cloths and feed pumps.

This system can be incorporated with a new filter press from Met-Chem, a used unit, or even your own existing press.

Met-Chem can provide Longer Legs and a Disposal Chute on a new Filter Press, or retrofit your existing filter press. This is especially useful if you are releasing the sludge from the press into a sludge bag or a drum. The chute will direct the sludge directly into your container.  If you plan to use a sludge disposal bag, we can add hooks to the chute so that the sludge bag can be hung from the frame of the press.

For some larger presses, we can build a catwalk along with the disposal chute in order to accommodate a roll-off container.

Met-Chem’s Filter Press Feasibility Test is our most popular and common test conducted in our lab. This test is performed to ensure that a filter press is able to filter solids properly with your specific application. The test will allow us to determine cloth sizing and if any filter aid will be required for your slurry. With less than a gallon of your typical wastewater, we can see if a filter press will provide the desired result. We will then send you the filtrate (liquid) as well as the solids that we are able to separate from your waste stream. The filter press test will also provide information to estimate the percentage of solids in order to properly size a filter press unit.

In the diagram below, Met-Chem was able to take a sample slurry and filter the liquid from the solids.

A Turnkey Solution for a Unique Filter Press Situation: We were contacted by an energy company regarding their water filtration issues. The problem was their large filter press was suspended 16 feet about a trailer, and it needed to be replaced. Read More about the Filter Press Solution >>

From PF Online: Filtration: A Simple Solution for a Big Problem: New Product From: Products Finishing, Edited by Hannah Coombs, Assistant Editor from Products Finishing ~ Posted on: 2/1/ ~ Cloth blinding can be a major issue. Precoating might be the answer.

Filter Press:  Plate and Frame vs. Recessed Plate What is the difference between a plate and frame filter press and a recessed plate filter press?

Water Treatment Case Study: A Clean Lagoon is a Good Lagoon: Fiberboard Manufacturer’s existing system could not handle the volume of paper pulp being generated.  They needed to clear out the sediment that was accumulating in their lagoon that was in violation of environmental regulations.

Membrane Filter Press Article: A membrane press can reduce cycle time by approximately, 50% on average and, in some cases, even as much as by 75% depending upon the application.

Filter Press Case Study: No time to Waste – Emergency Filter Press Repair and Replacement: The client contacted Met-Chem with an immediate need for repair.  Aside from the safety concerns of a damaged press, a filter press cannot run with a broken skeleton.  For this application, waste was continuously generated, which rendered this an emergency situation.

Filter Press Case Study: Turning water into Gold: To dewater the gold concentrate, Met-Chem installed a MM filter press, and to eliminate the need for tailing ponds, Met-Chem designed a MM filter press to dewater the tailings concentrate.

There are plenty of reasons why a filter press may not ever have a final destination. Probably the biggest reason for this is because a filter press is so versatile that it can easily adapt to many different jobs without much modification.

Some other reasons why some filter presses need to be mobile is because their jobs are always moving. If different tanks need to be filtered at different times a mobile filter press can be used. A job site also may move, and the mobile filter press needs to move with it. Finally, some job sites only need a filter press for a short period of time and the mobile press can also satisfy this need.

Learn more about our a Mobile Filter Press

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Chamber/Recessed Filter Plate. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.