The figures for the LY-50 come first: processing capacity 1200 L/h, filter plates 10 sets 200×200 mm, motor power 4 kW, motor model 4-1.5-b3, oil transfer pump kcb33.3, power supply three-phase 380V / 50Hz, equipment weight approx. 520 kg, technical route plate and frame filter pressing, structure manual clamping (screw locking). These figures are not a marketing line; they mark what this machine can do and what it will struggle with. Put back into the production line, it is a low-flow, high-solids filtration machine.
What service conditions these figures correspond to
A processing capacity of 1200 L/h combined with 10 sets of 200×200 mm filter frames gives a limited number of filter chambers and a limited cake capacity per chamber: this is a coarse filtration and depth filtration machine for low flow and high solids, with a filtration accuracy of ≤5 ~ 20 μm. Its value lies in removing the large particles and solid contaminants from gear oil, hydraulic oil and heat transfer oil, not in carrying out the vacuum degassing stage. Used for batch work that requires long continuous degassing, its capacity is not sufficient.
The products it suits are stated plainly: oils of high viscosity, waste oil and oils containing more impurities. High viscosity means that the resistance to flow within the liquid itself is high. The route of the plate and frame filter press is that the chambers are clamped one after another and the solids build up as a filter cake inside the chamber; the process pressure is distributed over the whole set of filter frames, so there is no need to force a large pressure difference across a single filter pore through a porous medium. High viscosity combined with high solids matches this mechanism exactly, and this is where its division of labour differs from cartridge filtration.
A single frame can be discharged while the other chambers keep working
During filtration a single filter frame can be taken out for cake discharge while the remaining chambers continue to work. This is the practical value of the plate and frame filter press in continuous production: the media are changed without stopping the machine, and the cake discharge time does not affect the filtration cycle that follows. The filter frames and filter plates are interchangeable in general use, and the coarse and fine stages can be used in combination, so the number of stages on one machine is adjusted to the condition of the oil rather than by changing the machine. Manual clamping uses screw locking, the clamping force is controlled by the operator, and the pace of changing frames follows the pace of the person doing it.
Consumables and the site rhythm of cake discharge
An abnormal rise in pressure drop or a clear drop in flow is the signal that the filter paper and filter cloth need to be replaced, and at that point cake discharge and media change are done together. The filtration accuracy of ≤5 ~ 20 μm is reached on the condition that the filter media are intact; once the media are saturated, the flow and the retention effect are affected at the same time. The standard material of the complete machine is high carbon steel, with 304 stainless steel available as a non-standard custom version. A no-load and load test is completed before the machine leaves the factory, and the first run on site should be judged against this set of test records rather than by feel.
When it is necessary to scale up to the LY-200
The processing capacity of the LY-200 is 4800 L/h, with 40 sets of 300×300 mm filter frames and a motor power of 11 kW. Only when the continuous throughput of a single machine is insufficient, when continuous running beyond one shift is needed, or when the cake capacity per chamber will not last until the planned discharge interval does it become necessary to move up a size. Which size is chosen is decided by the service conditions: the processing capacity by the oil and the output, the frame size by the solids content, and the motor power by the viscosity and the clamping method. When the three do not correspond, the figures on the specification sheet are only figures on paper.
The conditions that have to be stated during selection
The viscosity and the solids content of the oil determine the number of filter frame stages and the cake discharge frequency; the site power supply must meet three-phase 380V / 50Hz; the tank capacity determines how the auxiliary oil line and the automatic cake discharge device are customised; the clamping method can be chosen between manual and hydraulic, where manual corresponds to screw locking, and hydraulic saves labour at the cost of an actuating mechanism that has to be maintained. The more precise the conditions given, the closer the configuration fits the site.
| Selection condition | Information to be provided | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Oil | Viscosity, solids content, gear oil or hydraulic oil or heat transfer oil | The number of filter frame stages, the cake discharge frequency and the reachable filtration accuracy |
| Power supply | Three-phase 380V / 50Hz | The power supply and protection matching of the 4 kW motor |
| Tank capacity | The oil storage volume and the oil supply method | The customisation of the auxiliary oil line and the automatic cake discharge device |
| Clamping method | Manual clamping or hydraulic clamping | The clamping speed, the frame sealing and the rhythm of the media change |
| Material | Standard high carbon steel or non-standard 304 stainless steel | The corrosion resistance and the investment involved |
- Keep a record of the historical pressure drop and flow values, taking one reading before and one after each media change; after a few cycles the consumable cycle of your own site can be calculated.
- When the solids content is high, first confirm whether the cake capacity per chamber covers one discharge interval, and only then decide whether to add a second stage.
- The auxiliary oil line is customised to the actual tank capacity, and its routing and interface position are confirmed together with the machine.
The limits of a small plate and frame filter press are written in three numbers: flow, filter frames and motor power. For service conditions beyond these limits, change the conditions first and then talk about changing the machine.
