When you have a taste for coffee, it is simple to go to your nearest coffee shop or use a popular ‘pod’ machine, and some people also like the drip coffeemaker and roasted beans. One of the most important items in making a good cup of coffee in such machine is to use a proper filter in order to avoid a cup full of grainy particles and any other remaining pieces of the coffee bean. As insignificant as it might seem, the paper filter plays a vital role in making coffee that you can enjoy the way it was intended.
Although, a different entity than a coffeemaker, your production line needs filtration as well.
Why you need a good air filter
Compressed air contains unwanted substances, for example, water in drop or vapor form, oil in drop or aerosol form, as well as dust. Depending on the compressed air's application area, these substances can have a significant impact on the smooth running of your production line, impair production results and even increase costs. If air that contains contamination comes into contact with the final product, rejection costs can quickly become unacceptably high and the cheapest solution can quickly become the most expensive.
Dust and other small solid materials present in the air are called particulates. Particulates will mostly damage end points on an air compression system. For example, a woodworking workshop or carpentry store produces plenty of sawdust, with smaller particulates posing a threat to the compression system. Compressors with a high volume of particulates will also require more lubrication, which is not only costly, but can lead to over-lubrication of the compressor system, and more oil in your product.
Lubrication is necessary but applying too much or too little lubrication can damage your system. And then there’s the fact that lubricant contamination is a serious concern for air compressors used in food production and food sciences, as well as other chemical based industries where purity of chemical process is paramount, for example the cement industry.
Compressed air pipe damaged by moisture
All these problems can be avoided by incorporating the correct inline air filters to your compressed air system.
How inline air filters work
Depending on the end use, strict purity standards require the unwanted substances to be removed. These contaminants can enter the compressed air from a variety of sources. Intake air can introduce dust or pollen particulates, while corroded pipes can add harmful particulates from within the compressor system. Oil aerosols and vapors are often a byproduct of using oil-injected compressors and must be filtered out before end use.
There are distinct purity requirements for different compressed air applications, but the presence of unwanted substances can surpass acceptable levels, leading to damaged products or unsafe air. High quality of filtration is required for delivering efficient compressed air. Filters fall into three categories with different filtration methods used in eliminating each type of substance:
- Coalescing filters are used for removing water and aerosols
- Adsorption filters are typically used to remove gaseous lubricants that will go through the coalescing filter
- Dust removal filters are usually used to remove desiccant particles after an adsorption dryer
Knowing the needs of your compressed air system can help you chose the right filter. Whether your air needs a high level of filtration or basic contaminants removed, cleaning your air is an important step in the compressed air process.
Why inline air filters need to be replaced regularly
All filtering inevitably results in a pressure drop, which is an energy loss in the compressed air system. Dirty air filters obstruct the system’s performance and force it to exert more energy just to perform basic functions. Moreover, your application will have stringent air quality requirements, which become harder to maintain with improper filtration. For these reasons, inline filter elements need to be replaced regularly.
Replacing your inline air filter element improves the energy efficiency of your compressed air system. How often this needs to be done depends on variables like the quality of the supply air and the hours of operation of the air compressor. It is recommended to change your air filters in every 12 months. In dirtier environments, the filters may need to be changed more frequently.
Read more about the importance of changing your air filter regularly
