How to select a filter press
Chamber, membrane, automatic or tower press — selected by slurry, cycle, cake moisture and discharge method.
Selecting the press type
- Duty
- Small batches and specialist duties
- Advantage
- Simple layout and variable cake thickness
- Check
- Manual labour, sealing and cycle
Cloth material and weave
For a new slurry, run a laboratory test for filtration rate, pressure, formation time, cake moisture, filtrate quality and cake release.
Default for acids, alkalis and aqueous sludges; verify temperature.
High strength and wear resistance for abrasive mineral slurries.
Strong in alkaline duties; confirm chemical compatibility.
Monofilament cleans more easily; multifilament retains finer solids but is harder to wash.
What water, slurry and sludge need
- Flow, pH, temperature, density and solids
- Particle size, abrasion, compressibility and laboratory test
- Target cake moisture and filtrate quality
- Cycles, cloth washing, discharge and disposal
If the cake is wet
- 01Probable cause
Incomplete chamber filling, short cycle, poor conditioning, wear.
- 02Check first
The pressure/flow curve, chambers, blow-down and squeeze.
- 03Action
Optimise conditioning and cycle; check the cloth or membrane.
Terms
- Cake — the solids layer formed on the cloth during filtration.
- Filtrate — the liquid that has passed through the filter press cloth.
- Membrane squeeze — additional cake compression by a membrane after chamber filling.
Frequently asked questions
How is filter press cloth selected?
By pH, temperature, solvent, abrasion, particle size, filtrate clarity, cake release and cleaning method. Test several cloths for a new slurry.
Can an existing press be upgraded?
Yes — after auditing the frame, pump, hydraulics, controls, site and actual duty. The washing system, instrumentation or membrane plates can be replaced.
Related pages
PP, PET, PA and weave type: selecting filter press cloth by chemistry, abrasion, particle size, permeability, cake release and washing.
Open →Filter pressesPressure separation of slurries into dewatered cake and filtrate, from laboratory testing and cloth selection to an automated line and lifecycle service.
Open →TroubleshootingSymptom → cause → check → action: a matrix for high ΔP, dust leakage, short life, wet cake and unstable measurements.
Open →An engineer will answer your question
Send your process data — we will review the specification, flag missing measurements and propose a process arrangement.