Filter Press Filtration and Panels

Filter presses were introduced at the turn of the century and have been used for many years, mainly to dewater waste sludge. A filter press is a separation process for solid/liquid separation that uses the principle of pressure drive, provided by a slurry pump.

The major components of a filter press are the skeleton and the filter pack. The skeleton holds the filter pack together while pressure is developed inside the filter chamber. As slurry is pumped in, the liquid passes through the filter media on each plate and leaves as clear filtrate, while the solids stay behind and build a filter cake.

A filter press is a fixed volume, batch operation. Each chamber can only hold a specific volume of solids, so the operation must be stopped to discharge the filter cake before the next batch can be started.

Pre-filtering a process liquid? See our liquid filter bags →

The filter pack is the working part of the press. Each plate carries filter media that lets the liquid through and holds back the solids, and the plates are clamped together so the chambers seal while the slurry pump builds pressure.

Because the cake builds on the media, the condition of the plates and media decides how clear the filtrate is and how well the cake releases at the end of each cycle. Damaged plates and worn media lead to leaks, wet cake and longer cycle times.

Filter presses are designed for high flexibility, low cake moisture and high filtrate clarity. At the end of each batch the plates separate and the dewatered filter cake drops out, ready for disposal or recovery, while the clear filtrate has already left the press.

Modern presses are highly automated for minimum maintenance and maximum productivity, with automatic plate shifting and cake discharge on many systems.

American Fabric Filter supplies filter press panels and filter presses. Send us the press make and model, the plate size and the slurry you are filtering, and we will quote the right replacement panels or a press for your process.

Filter presses often work alongside other liquid filters. Bag filters and filter cartridges can pre-filter or polish the liquid, and filter press panels are also used in larger botanical extraction systems.