McLanahan | Side Beam Filter Presses

Dewatering occurs when slurry material is pumped into the cavities created between the filter plates when they are hydraulically clamped together. The dewatered cake material accumulates between the filter plates, while the filtrate water passes through the filter cloths mounted on the plate surfaces. 

The filter plates are mounted from beams located on each side of the filter plates. Filter cakes discharge from the press by gravity when the filter plates are separated. This press style is lighter weight and offers portability where needed. 

Side Beam Filter Presses are used in a wide range of dewatering applications in many industries. The side beam style filter presses can hold a variety of plate sizes and plate counts as needed to meet the customer’s processing needs. The side beam style press is well suited for dewatering material that is more easily dewatered and applications where customers have lower throughput rate requirement. The simple design of the side beam makes them well suited for portable application. Permanent and portable mounted Side Beam Filter Presses can be fully automated for continuous operations without full-time operator monitoring.

Side Beam Filter Presses typically are used in applications where lower volumes of materials are being processed. Small to medium side plate sizes and a wide range of plate counts can be used to meet the customer's processing needs.

How Side Beam Filter Presses Work

The Side Beam Filter Press uses the same basic technology as any other filter plate press to dewater slurry material and recover reusable filtrate water. The filter plates are suspended from side beams on each side of the filter press. A hydraulic cylinder, heavy-duty end plates and side rods are used to clamp the plates together while a slurry feed pump forces the slurry between the plates, where the slurry solids accumulate. The filtrate water passes through filter cloths mounted on the plate surfaces. The plates are automatically opened one by one after the plate stack has been hydraulically unclamped. The bottom of the filter plates is completely open and unobstructed, preventing any interference with the cake discharge. Filter cakes discharge from the press by gravity when the filter plates are separated. 

Automated cloth cleaning systems can be mounted on top of the side beam press to efficiently wash to cloths. Cloth changes are also accomplished in the unobstructed area above the filter press.

Why McLanahan Side Beam Filter Presses

McLanahan Filter Presses are designed to generate easy-to-manage dry products or waste material. The Filter Press also provides the ability to optimize the recovery of clean, reusable water. McLanahan Filter Presses can address many typical issues associated with fine material processing, including full slurry ponds/dams, high material handling equipment repair costs, limited expansion capabilities, environmental permit restrictions, high waste material handling costs and limited water availability.

McLanahan Filter Presses are used by many 24/7 operations that rely on the machine's performance and McLanahan's excellent support to keep their plants running and profitable.

McLanahan Filter Presses are engineered using a single hydraulic cylinder. This results in robust and reliable automation capabilities with lower horsepower, fewer control valves and less complexity than multi-cylinder designs. McLanahan’s Side Beam Filter Press offers a lighter-weight, lower-cost, more portable design compared to the Overhead Beam design.

Unlike the traditional plate and frame presses, McLanahan’s Filter Press line features modern recessed plates or membrane plates, both of which create a chamber for dewatering the slurry without trapping the cakes within the frames. This allows the dewatered cakes to discharge more easily than with traditional plate and frame presses.

Due to the variability in permeability and surface area, each site’s material should be tested prior to sizing a Filter Press for a specific customer application. McLanahan offers experienced lab and on-site pilot testing with a wide range of testing capabilities. Other parameters are used for green field sites when testing isn’t possible.

McLanahan’s Customer Service Team offers a wide range of fast spare parts sourcing as well as routine and emergency maintenance service support. All McLanahan Filter Presses can have customer remote control access capability for efficient monitoring and troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Side Beam Filter Presses

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Side Beam Filter Presses offer a fast opening system, an easier-to-implement plate shaking system and shorter height for small, portable applications. Side Beam Filter Presses allow for faster low-pressure wash systems used commonly in mineral concentrate applications.

McLanahan Side Beam Filter Presses are well suited for applications with material that is more easily dewatered and where customers have lower throughput rate requirement.

Features & Benefits
  • Offers a lower-cost alternative while still incorporating some of the same advantages of the larger Overhead Beam style
  • Single or double hydraulic ram provides quick, precise mobile plate opening
  • Allen Bradley or Siemens Control System with remote assistance via an ethernet connection
  • High-speed cake discharge system opens plates in groups
  • Plate shaking system helps to release the cakes
  • Safety pull cords or light curtains help protect operator
  • Available with high-pressure shower or one-by-one high-pressure wash systems
  • More suitable for portable applications with lower travel height than the Overhead Beam style
  • Available on plate sizes from 630 mm up to 1500 mm

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