Filter Focus reduces environmental impact of industrial machinery
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Wear control specialist Filter Focus is able to assist local industries in reducing their carbon footprint and consequent impact on the environment, through its innovative range of environmentally-friendly filtration and lubrication systems.
Since its establishment in 2002, Johannesburg-based Filter Focus has been combining the most efficient and cost-effective filtration solutions with the world’s most advanced range of lubricating oils and greases, in order to prevent normally accepted wear and failure in heavy industrial equipment for its customers across Africa.
Filter Focus chief operating officer Craig FitzGerald points out that the company has been placing a specific focus on the diesel market, where there is a growing need for more effective filtration from companies that are making an effort to reduce their emissions.
“Dust plays a major role in the contamination of diesel during the transportation process, particularly in South Africa. Filter Focus has addressed numerous industry problems by combining tribology, lubrication and filtration in order to give our clients the best asset protection available. Our filter systems are able to hold up to 30 kg of dirt, protecting sensitive machine components and ensuring that oil and diesel is kept in pristine condition, ultimately minimising pollution and environmental impact,” he explains.
Filter Focus has assisted a large number of high-profile clients in successfully reducing their carbon emissions by providing the correct filtration system for the correct application. The company’s various products and services has provided clients with numerous environmental advantages, which include; reductions in vehicle emissions, lower electricity consumption and significantly less oil consumption and onsite pollution.
FitzGerald notes that during an emission test conducted in 2003, Filter Focus assisted luxury car manufacturer Mercedes Benz in reducing carbon monoxide by 23 per cent and sulphur dioxide by 75 per cent, simply by fitting the company’s filtration systems to the vehicle.
Another successful example of minimising environmental impact is with Selmac, which provides more than 600 diesel generators in Mozambique to communications giant Vodacom. “When Selmac approached us in 2003, the life expectancy of the generators was just 12 to 18 months. Since introducing our filtration system; however, the generators have been running without a single fault logged onto their system for the past nine years, making Vodacom an industry leader in the telecommunications market with regards to reducing air pollution and its environmental impact.”
Filter Focus has also achieved technological breakthroughs in open gear lubrication with Pyroshield open gear oil. “The majority of our clients have seen the light and have converted from old asphaltic-based grease products to Pyroshield gear oil,” adds FitzGerald. “Environmental benefits include an average reduction in electricity consumption by as much as 12 per cent, lower vibration and noise levels, a 25 percent reduction in gear operating temperatures and significantly less on-site pollution.” Reduced pollution has resulted in increased PGM yields by up to 1%
FitzGerald notes that Filter Focus installed Pyroshield onto the girth gears for a platinum mine in 2008. “The mine was using asphaltic-based grease and was consuming over 400 kg per month. After replacing their grease with Pyroshield, only 15 litres of oil was used. From an environmental and a pollution point of view, this is a phenomenal saving.”
Filter Focus has also assisted Kumba Iron Ore in filtering the lubricating oils on its primary and secondary crushers for the past seven years, with unprecedented results. “When we were first contracted by Kumba, the oil in the machinery was in a sludge-like state. Since implementing our unique filtration system, the oil is cleaner after seven years in operation, than it was when new. As a result, Kumba has awarded us a three year maintenance and service contract across the mine, as we have also reduced the oil consumption from 156000 litres to 120000 litres per annum on one machine alone.”
Hydraulic oil is one of the most consumed oils in South Africa, and FitzGerald stresses that it should never be thrown away. “The discarding of hydraulic oil is a major pollutant to the environment, and a large number of companies continue to dispose of it, when in fact they can maintain superior oil cleanliness during operation, making it only necessary to dispose of once the additive package is depleted. Filter Focus is able to filter and condition this oil with off-line bypass filtration, where it is cleaned and returned to the system.
Traditionally, wear and damage is caused by particulate contamination found under the 5 micron range. Standard OE filters do not address these particle sizes, which pass directly through and can potentially create 3 additional wear particles and so the cycle grows exponentially, leading to reduced component and oil life. With the use of Filter Focus sub-micron filtration we can eliminate the dirt and wear particles in the oil, which then stay in service considerably longer, ultimately saving the environment from unnecessary pollution,” he concludes.
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Notes to the Editor
There are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click on the Filter Focus link.
About Filter Focus
Filter Focus SA (Pty) Ltd was formed in January 2002 with the aim of establishing the concept of combination filtration and eliminating contamination related wear and failures in heavy industrial equipment.
Filter Focus Contact
Craig FitzGerald
Chief Operations Officer
Phone: (011) 315 9939
Email: cfitz [at] filterfocus [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.filterfocus.co.za
Media Contact
Kelly Farthing
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Cell: 079 367 7889
Email: Kelly [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
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