The Importance of Filtration | Power Drives Inc

The importance of filtration cannot be overstated. Filtration is key in all fluid transference applications, whether hydraulic, pneumatic or concerning another medium.

Hydraulic Filtration

Hydraulic filtration is so important because even new hydraulic fluid isn’t exactly clean. New fluid still has particulate in it that can damage your system. A best practice is to filter your fluid through a filter cart or handheld filtration system before use.

As we detail in the below video, the importance of filtering hydraulic fluid before use is threefold: It reduces oil consumption, helps save component life and extends machine life. In the video, a new five-gallon bucket of fluid is measured for cleanliness, and reads 17.16.13. The bucket gets contaminated with test dust, raising the ISO code to 21.20.17. After using the Schroeder Handheld Filtration System to filter contaminant out of the bucket, the code dropped below the original reading, to 16.15.12.

Our Schroeder partner said it best: “Five ISO codes is amazing for a short amount of time.”

When it comes to filtering air, the reasons are essentially the same.

Pneumatic Filtration

For pneumatic filtration, you can install an air filter or an FRL (filter, regulator, lubricator) to remove dust and other impurities (such as water) from the air. An air filter is just as it sounds, but an FRL goes a step beyond filtration. They are three-in-one air preparation devices. Lightweight and compact, FRL’s are excellent at keeping your air supply in top condition, and they enable your air system to operate at top performance.

Locomotive Filtration

Locomotives run on diesel engines, and today’s diesel engines require cleaner fuel to operate most efficiently. This means that they require a higher level of fuel pretreatment. Proper care of diesel fuel is essential to the overall locomotive performance, and cuts down on maintenance costs.

PDI has multiple locomotive filtration products: The Diesel Dehydrator™, which removes water and filters particulate from diesel fuel, and our fuel filter elements were created from a partnership with Schroeder Industries.

If you have any questions about filtration as it relates to your fluid power needs, please contact us today!