White papers: Andritz AG

In many industries, efficient filtration is the key process step to achieve constantly high product quality. One of the most common technologies used for filtration is the filter press. The international technology group ANDRITZ has combined findings gathered from Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with automation solutions for the filter press, creating new mechanisms and features that promise an increase in product quality and a decrease in operating costs as a result of process optimization.

Intelligent filter press features include solutions to increase efficiency, reduce downtime, and also enhance safety and monitoring functions. The key distinguishing functions of intelligent filter presses are monitoring of dry substance, intelligent washing cycles, monitoring of oil and filtrate quality, and intelligent pressure control. Two of these solutions use a Smart Sensor inside the filter press that monitors the press and constantly compares the values reported with the nominal values so that the filter press can be stopped automatically if there are deviations from the norm. This provides an opportunity to increase efficiency, for example by suggesting an automatic washing cycle to keep the quality of the end product at a constant, high level. And it also improves safety by stopping the filter press in case of a pressure loss.

This feature increases operating safety enormously. In addition, the oil levels and oil quality are measured constantly, ensuring continuing smooth operation and reducing OPEX costs by avoiding unnecessary oil changes.Another central function of the intelligent filter press that increases efficiency is the monitoring of dry substance with Smart Sensors inside the filter press during the process. This enables the operator to stop filtration at the right time and reduce fluctuations in the cake moisture content. The intelligent filter press is often combined with intelligent filter elements, such as the LENSER intelligent filter plate and the Metris addIQ SmartFILTERCLOTH, to increase its usability. The SmartFILTERCLOTH is a filter cloth tagged with an RFID chip to help monitor use and suggest replacing a filter cloth at the right time, thus ensuring ideal filter cloth service. The intelligent filter press and its features will be explained in the technical presentation, and two cases will be presented showcasing the use of an intelligent filter press and the benefits of its intelligent features in two plants, one in the chemical and one in the mining industry.