Automatic Filter System

Automatic Scrap Filter System (AS Series) — A Smarter Alternative to Bag Filtration

Automatic Scrap Filter Systems (AS series) have been successfully used in the coating and emulsion industry to replace conventional bag filter housings, helping clients significantly improve production efficiency while reducing overall filtration costs.

The Challenge with Traditional Bag Filtration

In coating, latex and emulsion production, the filtration step has long relied on disposable filter bags inside simple housings. While bag filters are inexpensive to purchase, they create a number of persistent problems in continuous production:

• Frequent bag replacement. As impurities accumulate, the differential pressure rises quickly and production must be interrupted to swap out bags — often several times per shift.
• High consumable cost. Filter bags are single-use media. Over a year, the cost of bags, plus the labor and downtime to change them, far exceeds the initial price of the housing.
• Product loss. Each bag change means draining, flushing and re-priming, wasting valuable product and solvent.
• Operator exposure and housekeeping issues. Opening the housing exposes workers to sticky, possibly hazardous media, and generates waste bags that require disposal.
• Unstable product quality. Filtration performance degrades between bag changes, causing fluctuating particle contamination downstream.

The AS Series Solution

The AS series automatic scrap filter is a mechanically self-cleaning filtration system designed for continuous, on-line operation. A precision wedge-wire (V-SLOT) filter element performs the actual filtration, while a reciprocating scraper continuously sweeps particles off the inner surface of the screen. Removed impurities settle in the sump and are discharged periodically through an automatic purge valve — all without stopping the flow or opening the filter.

Filtration is fully enclosed, so operators never come into contact with the process media, and the system can be controlled locally or integrated into the plant's central control system (DCS/PLC) for fully unattended operation.

Key Features and Benefits

1. Continuous on-line filtration — no production interruptions for element cleaning or replacement; flow rate and pressure remain stable throughout operation.
2. No disposable filter media — the durable stainless steel wedge-wire screen is cleaned automatically and lasts for years, eliminating ongoing bag purchases and waste disposal costs.
3. Significant cost savings — in typical coating and emulsion applications, customers recover the investment through eliminated bag consumption, reduced product loss and lower labor costs, often within months.
4. Suitable for viscous and sticky media — the mechanical scraping action is particularly effective for coatings, latex, resins, polymers, pigments, adhesives and other high-viscosity fluids that rapidly blind conventional filter media.
5. Closed, safe operation — sealed filtration prevents solvent evaporation and leakage, protecting both product quality and the working environment.
6. Low pressure drop, steady flow — the wedge-wire screen offers a high open area and smooth surface, keeping differential pressure low and energy consumption minimal.
7. Automatic control — cleaning cycles can be triggered by differential pressure, time or manually, and the electronic control system connects easily to the plant DCS.

Typical Applications

The AS series is widely used for on-line filtration in:

• Coatings and paints — base coats, top coats, electrophoretic paints, inks
• Emulsions and latex — styrene-butadiene latex, acrylic emulsions, adhesives
• Resins and polymers — silicon resin solutions, wet strengthening agents, polymer melts
• Fine chemicals — pigments, dyes, cosmetic and pharmaceutical intermediates
• Related viscous or fouling-prone fluids where disposable media is uneconomical

Customized Design Options

To match individual process conditions, the AS series can be supplied with:

• Jacket design (steam or thermal oil) to maintain media temperature and fluidity
• Explosion-proof design for flammable and solvent-based applications, including instruments and control system
• Food-grade / sanitary design with hygienic couplings for sensitive products
• A range of filter element series (long-slot, short-slot and pore screens) covering filtration ratings from coarse to fine, in 316L stainless steel with excellent chemical resistance

Conclusion

By replacing labor-intensive bag filtration with fully automatic, self-cleaning operation, the AS series helps coating and emulsion producers achieve stable product quality, continuous production and a substantially lower total cost of ownership. For customers still relying on disposable filter bags, the AS series offers a proven, economical upgrade path.