What are Hydraulic Filters?
- nmp filterpress
- Jan 4, 2022
- 2 min read
Fluid power systems can fail because of contamination. According to some estimates, 75% of all fluid power system failures can be attributed directly to contamination.
Fluid can be contaminated for many reasons. Poor plumbing, wear on the components, and contamination with new fluid (or other components) are all possible reasons why fluid can become contaminated. A filter is essential for any fluid power system. Hydraulic filters prevent hydraulic fluid contaminants.
There are many types of filters available, including screens, bags, and magnets. Bag filters are made of a cloth bag through which hydraulic fluid is pushed. The contaminants, being solid, cannot flow through the bag. This is especially useful for filtering dirt, dust, and particles that have been introduced to the system via a cylinder rod. Screen filters are made with many tiny wires that are connected to form a metallic cloth. These filters can be made to the exact pore size which allows engineers to select the correct size to meet the expected contaminant size. There are also magnetic filters. These magnetic filters are made up of magnetically charged plates that attract all metallic contaminants.
An important is the construction of the filter. This includes the filter's contents and alignment. It is important to determine if your system requires a filter without or with the housing before purchasing a filter. Filters come in a variety of alignment options. The "off-line" alignment is where the filter is not connected to the main hydraulic system loop. Another configuration is the "duplex". This configuration consists of two filters that are combined. They are useful for maintenance (changing the filter elements without affecting the system). The "return-line" configuration captures all contaminants that are introduced to the system.
Selection criteria
The flow refers to the flow rate of fluid through the filter.
The maximum pressure that a filter can withstand is called pressure.
Port size refers to the size of the ports at the inlet or outlet that connect to the hydraulic fluid systems.
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