Larox Delivers the Largest Gas-Tight Horizontal Vacuum Belt-Filter Ever Built
03 May 2007 14:24
Larox recently delivered the largest, totally gas-tight horizontal belt-filter ever built. The Pannevis GT filter, with a filtration area of 3m x 16.8m (50.4m² total filtration area) was recently delivered for a solvent-based edible oil application. Operating under a nitrogen atmosphere, the Pannevis GT filter offers total containment of solvent-based processes in an inert environment, for safe and hygienic processing of a wide range of products including fine chemicals, bio-products, solvent-processed foodstuffs, solvent-wetted organic solids, pyrophoric materials and pharmaceuticals. Larox is the world leader in solvent-based vacuum belt-filtration with the Pannevis GT filter.
The filter as delivered was designed to work at temperatures below ambient and was equipped with three counter-current washing, with the washes applied by banks of spray nozzles for maximum cake coverage during each wash stage. Washing of the filter cloth sides prior to discharge also ensures all possible solid phase product is recovered. Both the solid and liquid phases are further processed as valuable products in this application.
The Pannevis GT filter offers all the advantages of the standard Pannevis RT filter including capability to carry out co-current or counter-current washing, reflux washing, vibration, all forms of mechanical compression and either hot gas or microwave drying. They can be configured in any combination of the above options for multi-step processing, exactly like the standard RT filters.
The filter housing is normally operated with a slight internal over-pressure using nitrogen that is continuously re-circulated around the filter circuit so that all components, including filtrate receivers and pumps, are totally inert. A very small make-up of nitrogen is required to compensate for nitrogen exiting with the filter cake.
Large windows in the sidewalls and lights in the roof ensure complete visibility. The windows also provide local access within the housing. The floor and roof of the housing are rounded while the sidewalls are flat, so all internal surfaces are easily cleaned and self-draining. Clean-In-Place (CIP) is a standard option and the filter is designed for sanitary processes as all dead spots are eliminated. Windows and nozzles are angled to drain back into the housing and internal surfaces can easily be polished to a specified level.
As with all Pannevis RT-based filters, the Pannevis GT filter is extremely reliable and maintenance is simple. All the major maintenance items, including the cloth drive, bearings, pneumatic cylinders and sensors, are mounted outside the housing - eliminating the risk of both product contamination and the need to access the inside of the filter housing for normal scheduled maintenance. Thus, the inert integrity of the filter is maintained at all times.
Continuous filter cloth cleaning eliminates cross-contamination and guarantees 100% product recovery, as cloth-wash liquid can be recycled over the filter cake for total solids capture. Batch identification, when required, is easily achieved by carrying out semi-continuous operation. Full validation procedures to meet all FDA final product requirements are proven and available. When operating with solvent, the filters meet all the requirements of ATEX 95 category 2.
Larox has the ability to build the Pannevis GT filter up to 4m wide with a 84m² filtration area. It is expected that even larger units will be delivered in the future.
For more information on this company:
Larox Corporation - Value-Added Solid / Liquid Separation Solutions for Food, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology
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