In the wire extrusion industry, maintaining clean process oil is critical to ensuring consistent product quality, protecting equipment and minimizing downtime. Contaminants such as carbon, soot, metal fines, and degraded oil by-products can quickly compromise performance, leading to frequent filter changes, increased maintenance, and rising operating costs.
Centrifugal oil filtration offers a proven, cost-effective solution to these challenges.
The Challenge with Conventional Filtration
Traditional disposable filters, such as paper or cartridge-style systems remove contamination by trapping particles in a filter medium. While effective initially, these filters quickly become saturated in high-contamination environments such as wire extrusion. As contamination builds, COMO filters gradually become saturated and therefore require frequent changes that are costly in both time and money.
In one wire extrusion facility, a machine using conventional filtration required COMO filter replacements three times per week at a cost of €80 per filter. This resulted in:
- €240 per week in filter costs
- €12,480 per year per machine
- Frequent maintenance intervention and production disruption
Introducing Centrifugal Oil Filtration
Centrifugal oil filters operate without a filter medium. Instead, they use centrifugal force to separate contaminants from oil (whether hydraulic oil, fuel oil, cutting oil, gear oil, engine oil, etc.) capturing fine, microscopic particles that traditional filters are unable to retain.
Benefits of installing a centrifugal oil filter include:
- Improved oil cleanliness
- Extended oil life
- Reduced maintenance downtime
- Protection of critical components
- Lower operating costs
Case Study: Wire Extrusion Machine
To evaluate the impact of centrifugal filtration, the extrusion company retrofitted an IOW Group MP200 centrifugal filter to one of their machines.
Results After Installation:
- Filter changes reduced from 3 per week to 1 per week
- 66.7% reduction in disposable filter usage
- Annual filter costs reduced from €12,480 to €4,160
- €8,320 annual savings on consumables alone (per machine)
In addition to direct cost savings, the machine experienced:
- Improved oil cleanliness
- Reduced maintenance time
- More stable machine operation
- Return on Investment (ROI)
With annual consumable savings of €8,320 per machine, the return on investment for an IOW Group centrifugal oil filter is quick. In this wire extrusion application, the system paid for itself within months.
A Smarter, More Sustainable Approach
As wire extrusion manufacturers look to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, centrifugal oil filtration presents a compelling solution. The proven results from real-world applications demonstrate that investing in this technology delivers measurable financial and operational benefits.
