Microfiltration isone of the most efficient techniques of predictive maintenance.
Microfiltration can prevent failure and premature wear of machinery, in addition to increasing its useful life. In this post, you will discover everything you need to know about microfiltration, how it can generate maximum benefits for your set of equipment and still save costs.
Few people pay attention to this, but the equipment’s lubricating fluids can be contaminated even due to the usual operation itself. Keeping this principle in mind implies being very attentive even when the machines do not show any wear or damage. To prevent any type of significant failure and extend the life of your equipment, the best recommendation is to perform oil microfiltration.
What is oil filtration?
The filtration process consists of heating the fluid to reduce its viscosity and facilitate the passage through special filters. Through this process, it is possible to reduce oil contamination, avoiding failures. Even though it is apparently easy to be carried out, in order for such a procedure to be done efficiently, it is necessary to have knowledge to choose the filter, the temperature and the appropriate equipment with a view to the correct treatment of the oil.
Oil filtrationhelps to prevent premature machinery failure and wear, allowing you to make the most of your equipment’s productivity.
Common filtration cannot capture very small contaminations, which is serious; after all, particles invisible to the naked eye are the real villains of contamination and can cause serious problems.
Microfiltration, on the other hand, is able to guarantee more efficient retention, capturing very small particles, which could not be retained by more conventional methods – which provides more security in the operation.
Filtration X Microfiltration
Although the filtering process is, in principle, a simple procedure, it needs to be done very carefully. Even so, we reaffirm here that common oil filtration is not able to capture the smallest contamination – equally harmful to the proper functioning of the equipment.
The microfiltration process is based on the separation of particles present in fluids, oils and emulsions in which the filter elements have pores of 0.1 to 10 micrometers, which allows substances larger than the pores to be removed from the circulating fluid.
These very small particles are responsible for the biggest problems in the equipment. The oil that passes through a set of filters in the microfiltration process eliminates the contamination particles, preventingwear and damage to the equipment caused by the oil.
Types of filtration.
When we talk about microfiltration, we find two different types: surface and depth. In surfacemicrofiltration, the fluid basically passes directly through the filter element. This type of “pleated” filter has only one layer, at most two, of paper, and the particles end up perforating the filter. Once punctured, smaller particles can pass through it, contaminating the entire fluid again.
In depth microfiltration, in turn, the “coiled” filter retains particles between its walls. Contaminants pass through indirect paths through the material that forms the filter element. Thus, the particles are captured in the openings of the filter medium, whose shape would be that of a labyrinth.
As a result, microfiltration by depth ensures greater efficiency in the removal of particles, greater safety in the process, greater efficiency in the result and greater availability of your equipment, without having to subject them to a long and expensive stoppage due to failure in corrective maintenance.
Contamination causes most failures.
Contamination is one of the major villains faced by maintenance. Despite causing great damage, such as blockage of holes, wear of components, formation of rust or deficiency of additives, it can be avoided through regular microfiltration.
In total, there are three types of oil that can be subjected to the microfiltration technique aiming at maximum efficiency of predictive maintenance.
They are as follows: diesel oil, hydraulic oil and lubricating oil.
- Diesel oilstrong,
When contaminated, dieselcan compromise the productivity of the equipment and present premature failures of pumps and injectors. Good microfiltration guarantees the protection of the injection system against contamination by particles. - Hydraulic oil
A contaminated hydraulic system can present failures in pumps and valves, lose efficiency due to internal leaks, prematurely wear out the equipment and demand excess oil change. Microfiltration of the oil reduces maintenance costs and increases the efficiency of the machinery, also extending its useful life. - Lubricating oilstrong,
Contamination in the lubricating oil can compromise its effectiveness and cause major problems to the equipment. Thus, it demands successive stops for maintenance and replacement of parts, which greatly impairs productivity.
Benefits of microfiltration
The microfiltration technique brings many benefits to the equipment connected, for example, to a better performance of machines in general, to the reduction of risks of possible corrective maintenance in the future and to the reduction of costs with these repairs.
Through its technique, capable of capturing very small particles, it promotes more safety and productivity to the equipment.
Discover some of the direct benefits of microfiltration:
- Extends component life
The microfiltration technique makes the fluid clean inside the equipment. A machine with lower levels of contamination tends to reduce wear and tear on its parts and components. In this way, theservice life of components and all equipment is increased.
- Reduces maintenance costs
An integral part of predictive maintenance, microfiltration contributes to the prevention of failures and protection of machinery. Uma manutenção preditiva tem custos bem menores do que aquelas de caráter preventivo ou das manutenções corretivas, possibilitando maior disponibilidade das máquinas.
- Prevents component wear
In most cases, component wear is due to increased fuel consumption and extensive use of equipment. Microfiltrationavoid this wear and extends the lifespan of the original oil filter.
- Ensures greater machine availability
Microfiltration works at the same time that the equipment is in operation, which does not compromise the production process. Since it is not necessary to stop these machines, as in corrective maintenance, the technique ensures greater availability of the machine.
- Causes less impact on the environment
In some cases, the contaminated oil is improperly disposed of in nature, even when there is the possibility of receiving other uses using correct disposal procedures. Microfiltration,on the other hand, it has a sustainable solution, as it allows hydraulic oil to be reused, what decreases the impact on the environment and reduces fluid replacement costs.
Problems generated without oil filtration
A set of equipment that does not undergo adequate fluid microfiltration procedures can present problems such as increased fuel consumption. In addition, maintenance costs are higher, and downtime causes loss of production.
All of these problems can be avoided with microfiltration, which protects equipment from possible contamination and helps to avoid unnecessary expenses with corrective maintenance – the most expensive of the maintenance modalities.
Microfiltration sites: access and follow!
- Filter Media Magazine
Meio Filtrante is a reference vehicle in the sector. In addition to being published in printed format with a large print run, the Filter medium is also on the internet, with a portal online, both aimed at the filter and fluid treatment market. Such a vehicle has the mission of spreading knowledge offering content about the area both in Brazil and abroad, always with news about the filter market – industrial, automotive, residential, treatment of fluids, gases, etc. The magazine aims to strengthen business ties between companies and contribute to market growth.
You can access the portal at the link http://www.meiofiltrante.com.br/index.asp.
Conclusion
As part of the predictive maintenance process, microfiltration is a fundamental technique for your company’s equipment. With microfiltration, the capture of contamination becomes even more efficient, and the performance of the equipment is improved, reducing the risks of corrective maintenance in the future. The technique guarantees even less wear on parts and equipment, increasing the useful life of the machinery and promoting its full productivity.
Now that you know everything about microfiltration,make a free consultation with POC Filters!
