Paint Manufacturer Installs Environmentally Friendly Self-Cleaning Filter While Significantly Reducing Product Loss
Latex paints and stain manufacturer, PPG Architectural Finishes of Louisville, Kentucky knew its filling operation was overly complicated, noisy, and required far too much operator attention. More importantly, PPG experienced an unacceptable percentage of product loss in the filtering process. PPG replaced their vibrating screen, accumulating vessel and diaphragm pump with a Ronningen-Petter DCF-800 mechanically-cleaned filter, greatly reducing product waste, operator involvement, and line noise levels.
(PRWEB) July 25, 2005 -- Latex paints and stain manufacturer, PPG Architectural Finishes of Louisville, Kentucky knew its filling operation was overly complicated, noisy, and required far too much operator attention.
More importantly, PPG experienced an unacceptable percentage of product loss in the filtering process.
PPG replaced their vibrating screen, accumulating vessel and diaphragm pump with a Ronningen-Petter DCF-800 mechanically-cleaned filter, greatly reducing product waste, operator involvement, and line noise levels.
Situation:
An air-operated diaphragm pump at the base of a blend tank pumped product onto a large vibrating screen, which was open to the atmosphere. Product exiting the vibrating screen was fed into an accumulating vessel, where another pump would transfer the product through a polishing filter and into a rotary-drum filling machine.
With the two pumps, vibrating screen and open air vessel, this system was complex, noisy and wasteful.
The plant engineer at the Louisville plant, had some simple objectives for improving the company's filling operation -- produce as much finished product as possible, by using the most environmentally friendly and least wasteful methods available.
Ronningen-Petter Solution:
Ronningen-Petter showed the plant engineer how he could greatly simplify the process by installing a Ronningen-Petter DCF Filter in place of a vibrating screen.
Removing the vibrating screen would also eliminate the need for the accumulating vessel and its associated piping and controls, as well as the second diaphragm pump and its compressed air components and controls.
The plant engineer said, "The simplicity of the new filling process gained instant approval from both our operators and maintenance personnel."
The old equipment was removed, and a DCF-800 mechanically-cleaned filter was installed.
Results:
The Ronningen-Petter DCF filter has virtually eliminated operator involvement in the operation. Removing the vibrating screen and second diaphragm pump has dramatically reduced noise levels. The plant engineer reports significant reductions in product waste because of the DCF filter's top-to-bottom flow design and debris purging technology. The DCF filter purges residual paint and debris into the plant recycling system, where the solids are separated and the paint is reused. This purge system allows filtration and cleaning to occur simultaneously.
After a year in operation, the plant engineer said, "Post installation costs for the first year were under $10 (USD). Payback was achieved in four months, and this analysis does not include the savings generated in utilities costs for the vibrating screen, its maintenance, and additional operator time. The DCF filter has contributed to our paint and stain production efficiency, exceeding the objectives set at the beginning of the project. We are also providing our workers with a quieter, more environmentally friendly workplace."
How the DCF Works:
With the DCF filter, paint enters the top inlet of the filter housing and passes through the screen. The screen holds undispersed pigments, paint skins and debris, while the cleaned paint exits the bottom outlet of the filter. A cleaning disc moves up and down the filter screen, removing debris. With the aid of the downward fluid flow and the disc movement, the debris is deposited into a holding chamber at the bottom of the filter housings. The debris is periodically purged from the housing via a valve at the bottom of the chamber.
- Fewer Process Steps and Less Equipment
- Reduce Operator Involvement and Maintenance
- Quieter and Cleaner Work Environment
- Payback in Less Than Four Months
by Ask Filter Man
For questions about industrial filtration, please visit the Ask Filter Man at http://www.Ronningen-Petter.com/Ask-Filter-Man-Blog.asp
If you would like to discuss this filtration solution with one of Ronningen-Petter's highly-trained Applications Specialists, please contact us at http://www.Ronningen-Petter.com/ContactUs/Contact-Us.asp
www.Ronningen-Petter.com
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