Off-line filter - high-speed transfer press
Viscous oil and machine downtimes? Off-line filters can avoid and prevent machine downtimes!
Project/Customer
SILGAN METAL PACKAGING MEISSEN GMBH is a leading European manufacturer of metal packaging for the food, chemical, fish and decorative industries. Some of these products are manufactured on high-speed presses every second. To ensure that the guides of the punching and forming tools are optimally lubricated, for example, a viscous oil (Bremer Leguil Rivolta F.L. 500 500 c St.) is pumped from an open reservoir to the individual lubrication points via very finely adjustable valves. Due to the process, a large number of small and sometimes large particles are introduced into the hydraulic/lubrication circuit. These cannot be filtered out 100% by the existing filtration. In the past, machine downtimes have repeatedly occurred due to clogged and defective lubrication valves. In order to reduce this type of machine downtime, the customer was looking for a suitable bypass filter.
Procedure
After we discussed the initial details over the phone, an on-site appointment followed. After inspecting the system, we took an oil sample and evaluated it with our partner Oelcheck. The purity class of the oil was not suitable for use in conjunction with the fine lubrication valves. It can be assumed that this purity class (25/22/14) could lead to further machine downtimes.
Since the general overhaul was due at the end of the year, we decided to take another oil sample at this time and install the Greenoil bypass filter system WP1-P1-100 with a 5µm filter element.
Result
After the overhaul and cleaning of the machine, a significant improvement in oil quality was achieved (17/16/13). Particular attention should be paid to particle sizes of 21µm, 38µm and 70µm. These were probably introduced during the overhaul, and the number of these particles was significantly higher than when the first sample was taken.
After just 3 months we were able to improve the purity of the oil to 16/14/11 according to ISO 4406. The filter system will be in continuous operation (24/7) in the future. We will support the customer with further oil samples and continue to monitor the process.
Good to know...
In projects where oil cleanliness is involved, it is particularly important to know what type of contamination we are talking about and what range of cleanliness classes we are currently in and/or whether there are other issues that need to be taken into account. It is therefore essential for us to demonstrate this with oil samples in order to select a suitable bypass filter on this basis and to record and monitor the success in the course of further customer and system support.
The costs of the bypass filter and the associated installation pay for themselves within the first 1-2 years, as machine downtime can quickly become very expensive!
Lars Benk: Profile of a field-tested expert
Basic training: Tool mechanic, specializing in stamping and forming technology.
Further training: State-certified technician with a focus on mechanical engineering.
Additional qualification: Degree in technical business administration, combining technical know-how with business expertise.
Professional experience: More than a decade of active work in the field of hydraulics.
Specialization: Certified specialist in oil analysis (MLA II – Machine Lubrication Specialist), with a specific focus on the maintenance and optimization of machines through professional lubricant analysis. Certified specialist for hydraulic fluids – specialist knowledge for optimal hydraulic systems.
