Water and particles removed with latest technology

11th July 2014

By: Donna Slater

Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

  

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The Dropout water and particle removal filter, designed to produce clean dry air at point of use or during the stages of a compressed air line, was launched onto the South African market in August last year, following development and testing by its overseas manufacturer, filter company Dropout Technology.

Dropout local distributor: sales and marketing director Allan Macphail says the filter can remove liquid and particle contaminants as small as 0.5 μm, with the exception of a vapour format, which requires special filters.

He explains that in most areas where compressed air is used, users struggle with water ingress, owing to condensate forming as a result of low temperatures in the compressed-air system environment. “This is particularly prevalent near the coast, where high levels of humidity add to increased water formation in a compressed-air system,” says Macphail.

“Dropout filters are guaranteed to dry air to 99.99%,” he says, adding that, in the instance where a unit fails to deliver, it will be removed and replaced.

There is no power requirement for the Dropout filter or consumables and pressure drops never occur. The only cleaning requirement is draining the filter manually, or installing an automatic drain, which is also available from Dropout.

“With typical use, the filter will require draining only about once or twice a day, but it is a quick process nonetheless,” says Macphail.

Alternative filters, such as desiccant and coalescing filters, tend to clog up once then become saturated with dirt, oil and water, requiring cleaning, and have to be replaced over longer periods. When these filters gradually become clogged up, pressure drops increase, resulting in the compressor having to work harder and consume more electricity.

Applications
Clients whose compressed air systems are already equipped with refrigerant dryers are advised to keep these dryers and add a Dropout filter near the point of use, should they still experience condensate issues.

However, Macphail notes that, with a Dropout filter, refrigerant dryers are not entirely necessary. “We suggest keeping existing refrigerant dryers in place, but there are examples where the Dropout filter could replace a refrigerant dryer when installed at point of use, or as a prefilter for a desiccant dryer, which will allow the desiccant material to be kept cleaner, extending its life span,” he points out.

Dropout filters can be installed at three different sections of a compressor network, but are most effective when installed at point of use.

“To extend the life of a refrigerant dryer, a Dropout filter on the air line in front of the refrigerant dryer can be installed,” says Macphail.

The second installation option is to have the Dropout filter as the only filter on the airline at point of use.

The third instalment option is to fit the Dropout filter after the refrigerant dryer at point of use, where condensate may still be present.

“If the Dropout filter is installed too far from the point of use, for example about 20 m down the air line, then condensate could form again, as is the case with many other technologies, including refrigerant technologies,” he says.

Preventing water ingress near the point of use extends the life span of air tools and pneumatic control equipment.

“Water getting into air tools will eventually corrode the rotary blades on the tools, and pneumatic equipment is particularly sensitive to water ingress, owing to delicate components inside the components, such as solenoids and switches, which deteriorate quickly in moist environments,” says Macphail.

The Dropout filter range features three series of filters.

The smallest filter, the DO60A-Lite filter, can handle air flow rates of 0.06 m3/h to 5.4 m3/h, while the standard series features seven variants, accommodating air flow rates from 0.06 m3/h to 432 m3/h.

For intensive air users, Dropout offers the Titan range, which currently includes two models, the DO4000T and the DO8000T. “We can also build the Titan range to any specification a client might have,” he says. The Titan DO8000T can handle airflow rates from 0.06 m3/h to 852 m3/h. Further, the Titan range features gauges to monitor air control and automatic drains.

The drain on Titan range is available in 220 V and 12 V direct current battery-operated models,” boasts Macphail.

To determine the correct size Dropout filter, customers should calculate the flow rate and pressure required. “The technology inside Dropout is not cyclonic and therefore recovers from zero flow in a fraction of a second, making it the only product in the world that can maintain its performance under pulsed flows and during start/stop procedures,” he concludes.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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