Industry sector: Manufacturing of dyes and pigments
Company activity: The company specializes in the production of masterbatches for plastic applications, as well as dyes and pigments in fundamental or concentrated form. It also operates in the distribution of polymer additives and colorants, and rigid vinyl molding materials.
Company type: International group
Year of establishment: 1997
Contact person(s): Maintenance & Process Manager
Company contexte
Present in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa with more than 100 sites, our client is a leading supplier of specialty polymer formulations, colorants, and additives in solid or liquid form. The products manufactured are intended for thermoplastics and thermosets, among others.
The company sought our industrial filtration expertise for the installation of equipment to protect a heat exchanger.
Filtration challenge
During the production of plastic pellets using a water-jet cutting machine, water at 60–70 °C flows through a closed-loop heat exchanger. During this production step, the water becomes loaded with polymer beads larger than 2 mm.
These suspended pellets quickly clog the heat exchanger channels. This leads to reduced flow and increased energy consumption, resulting from the diminished effective surface area of the heat exchanger.
Our client was seeking a filtration solution upstream of the exchanger to reduce both energy consumption and maintenance operations, which were required twice a week, involving six hours of work by two operators and a full production shutdown.
Pemflow filtration solution
Considering a flow rate of 60 m³/h and a filtration rating of 1 mm to retain plastic contaminants, we selected a solution consisting of a filter with 4 basket elements.
The characteristics of the proposed solution are as follows:
- 304L stainless-steel housing for 4 316L stainless-steel basket filters
- Filtration rating: 1 mm
- Toggle-bolt closure, equipped with a lifting davit
- Inlet/outlet: DN50 PN16, EN 1092-1 flanged
- Bead-blasted finish
- EPDM gasket
- Drain: 1″ BSPM
- Vent: ½” BSPF
Key point
Use of 304 and 3016 stainless steel: Depending on the application, 304 or 3016 stainless steel will be selected. 304 stainless steel contains added nickel, known for providing ductility to the alloy. 3016 stainless steel, on the other hand, contains an additional molybdenum content (2 to 3%). These two types of stainless steel offer enhanced protection against corrosion depending on the environments to which they will be exposed. 304 stainless steel is used for standard installations outdoors or indoors. However, for polluted, aggressive, humid environments, and those exposed to substances such as iodine and various contaminants, 3016 stainless steel is preferred due to its greater resistance in such conditions.
To avoid interrupting production during inspection and maintenance operations, the installation was equipped with valves upstream and downstream of the filter housing to create a bypass.
In addition, we supplied a full set of certificates in accordance with Quality requirements:
- Material certificates
- Surface finish certificates
- Certificates of conformity (CE, ATEX, FDA, USP, …)
- Drawings of the housing and basket filters
Whereas previously our client had to intervene on the installation twice per week, requiring two operators for six hours of maintenance with a full production shutdown, today—after the implementation of our industrial filtration solution—an inspection was carried out one week after operation for verification.
Following this check, our client decided to perform maintenance only once per month as part of preventive servicing. Operating and maintenance costs have been significantly reduced.
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