If you compromise on filter element technology do you run the risk of threatening your facilities efficiency and productivity?

Keeping equipment and facilities in 'good shape" is a foundation for market competitiveness. What's more it also helps to control utility costs and protect capital equipment investments! So with the competitiveness of your facility hanging in the balance what should you do as a maintenance professional when you are faced with either selecting genuine spares or a cheaper alternative? Mark White, Market Development Manager at Parker Hannifin domnick hunter Filtration and Separation Division looks at this subject to give guidance and advice:

The role of filtration within a compressed air system

A tour of most manufacturing facilities will probably find a compressed air network in use; indeed it is often the lifeblood of production. However this critical source of power has to be prepared and maintained properly to ensure that operating procedures work at peak efficiency. Effective filtration on your airline system is critical to ensure smooth operation and at the heart of the compressed air purification system is the filter, a device, which reduces contaminants in the compressed air stream. Typically the following contaminants are present:

• Water & Oil Vapour Liquid Water & Oil
• Aerosols of Water & Oil
• Atmospheric Dirt & Microorganisms
• Rust & Pipescale

Coalescing filters contain an element that removes oil and water aerosols and traps solid contaminants in its media, however if the filter element is not maintained, these contaminants can continue to travel downstream causing significant production issues. There are many factors that will affect the performance of the filter element. The filter media is constantly challenged by high velocity particles, while also having to cope with extremes of pressure, temperature and a variable air demand throughout their operating life. In addition, filters also have to contend with being submersed in acidic condensate, including oil and chemical additives from compressor lubricants. As a result all filtration has both a finite life and capacity to retain contamination and for this reason preventative maintenance is required to ensure peak operating performance. Most machines or individual system components within the production facility has to be serviced or maintained on a regular basis and the majority of these come with a recommended list of genuine spares that should be used. Take for example your car; Manufacturers information contained within the handbook will always highlight that in order to maintain its peak operating performance only genuine spares should be used in either servicing or maintenance. The utilisation of original equipment spares is always recommended in order to maintain the manufacturer's specification.

Why compromise on quality and performance?

It is clear that filtration can 'make or break' your facility and has to be maintained to ensure that it performs exactly the way it should. Parker domnick hunter will always advise that for coalescing and dry particulate filter elements to remain at peak operating performance they need to be changed every twelve months. As a maintenance professional faced with the pressure to keep a tight rein on costs and to examine any possible savings, do you fit original specified filter elements to your purification equipment or do you interchange for the cheapest option? It's a tough decision but it's important to remember that the cheapest option doesn't always turn out to be the lowest cost solution. Indeed there are many companies in the marketplace that can offer cheap filter elements for almost any compressed air system, but are you willing to trust the efficiency and reliability of your entire manufacturing facility to them! As a leading manufacturer within the domain of filter element technology, Parker domnick hunter would advise that rather than making a snap decision purely based on cost, perhaps there are a few questions that you need to ask of yourself about the cheaper alternative manufacturer.

Namely, does the manufacturer

• Have sound filtration technology on which to base alternate elements?
• Produce alternate elements that may enhance the performance of the filter in which they are being installed?
• Invest heavily in media research and filter element development?
• Design and tests elements in accordance with international stanards in order to ensure performance?
• Invest in test facilities in order to validate element performance?
• Have third party performance validation of its filter range?
• Has been producing filtration products for many years?
• Lead the market in innovation and product development?
• Appear in the top 10 of world-wide compressed air filter manufacturers?
• Have ISO9001 and ISO14001 approvals?

Parker domnick hunter has built up almost 50 years of expertise in the area of filter element technology and has a worldwide reputation for products that outperform the competition. Significant investment in research, manufacturing and test has seen it become one of the worlds leading organisations within the field of filter element technology. By choosing to swap out the original Parker domnick hunter filter element are you confident that original equipment specifications you originally purchased will be maintained, are you sure that the swapped element will continue to deliver clean compressed air. Elements with the incorrect specification or non-original elements may not be able to cope, and can cause significant increase in pressure drop, leading to increased energy costs, as your compressor plant has to work harder to compensate for the pressure lost. Remember companies like Parker domnick hunter commit considerable design resource into filter element research to ensure that performance is always guaranteed or improved on. However if you still wish to use an alternative source go for one that will offer you benefits in terms of performance not just cost.

Pirate or counterfeit

There is a possible alternative source for filter elements, but this source comes with many risks for you and your organisation. It's the one area that in reality you need to stay clear of and that is pirate or counterfeit products. Just take a moment to read the engineering dictionary definition of the word pirate: Pirate—a manufacturer who makes a copy of a part that is sold in the aftermarketusing sub-par reverse engineering and/or manufacturing capabilities. Frequently, people may say that a pirate took their old "worn-out part" and made them a brand new "worn-out part." There is a proliferation of cheap spurious parts making their way on to the market, we see it in our everyday life but in reality these are cheap copies of the originals. Whilst they may look the same as the genuine article they will undoubtedly not perform the same, and will end up costing you money in the long run as they wont offer the same levels of protection or have the same operating life as the genuine article. Again Parker domnick hunter would always advise you to go through a comprehensive check and ask questions such as:

• Does the sources have their own filter range or is their range just straight copies of other manufacturers elements?
• Do the elements produced meet the original manufacturers specification, even if they state they do?
• Do they use noticeable lower cost materials in order to undercut market price?
• Do they test products or do they just straight copy manufacture?
• Are they a recognised brand?
• Do they offer guarantees on performance or running costs?
• Do they manufacture in accordance with applicable international standards?
• How can they manufacture something for so much less even with international shipping costs?

If your gut instinct around any of these relevant questions is negative, then you are probably right to go with your initial feeling. Whilst a low cost alternative may seem appealing purely from a cost point of view it will almost certainly cost you more money in the long term. You have also got to remember the crucial role that filtration plays within your compressed air system namely ensuring clean compressed air. Do you really want to risk the downstream components contained within your production facility? Justifying the low cost spend to the decision makers within your organisation could be extremely difficult if your manufacturing facility is suffering from decreased productivity due to downtime! As a point of reference the info graphic below will offer you in depth guidance and provide points of caution to look for.

The reality:

Compressed air filter elements that look the same and claim to be the same don't always perform the same. Parker domnick hunter has conducted extensive research into competitor filtration performance that has been validated by Lloyds register. In all of the elements examined it was found that competitive parts didn't meet the original Parker domnick hunter specification, leading to oil carryover, increased energy consumption and no air quality guarantees (contact Parker domnick hunter for more in depth data if required). As the inventor of modern day coalescing and dry particulate filter technology, Parker domnick hunter would always recommend specifying original equipment. However Parker domnick hunter is also ideally placed if you are looking to upgrade the performance of filter elements that you currently use from other manufacturers. With a focus on providing clean air which guarantees the productivity and uptime of your facility, Parker domnick hunter offer filter elements that match and often exceed the performance of the original elements. In reality they deliver confidence that productivity can be maintained or improved and profitability increased. Tel: 0191 - 4029000 Web: www.parker.com/dhfns