GKD at the FILTECH 2011
Two business units of the technical weavers GKD - Gebr. Kufferath AG presented their product innovations at the trade fair for filtration and separation technologies, FILTECH 2011, in Wiesbaden. SolidWEAVE, developer and manufacturer of high-precision technical mesh systems and complex filter media showcased its NeverLeak-technology for the first time. This innovative technology is used, among other things, for the filtration of vegetable oil and biodiesel. The specialist for plant engineering, the business unit GKD-CompactFiltration, was represented with the patented Maxflow compact filter system for the optimization of central processes in the metal processing industry. The simulation tool WeaveGeo, which optimises mesh constructions and visualizes filtration processes, was an important part of GKD’s trade fair presence.
New: Leak-proof and efficient
The NeverLeak-technology, which is also used for the filtration of vegetable oil and biodiesel, received great approval from the expert audience. Because of the structural leak-tightness of the filtration elements, faulty leaves can be revealed prior to installation in the filter housing and sorted out. This eliminates the so far used labour-intensive ‘trial and error’ principle. Not only do NeverLeak-filter leaves have better process characteristics, they also improve plant efficiency by reducing maintenance requirements and costs. The NeverLeak-concept scores with a further economical as well as ecological advantage: Whereas ordinary filter plates must be completely replaced when they leak, NeverLeak-filter leaves can simply be re-screened.
GKD was also successfully represented in the accompanying programme of the FILTECH by Markus Knefel, who gave a lecture on “Structure and Pressure Drop of Real and Virtual Meshes”. The very well attended technical lecture outlined the possibilities for the optimization of filtration processes by using the simulation tool WeaveGeo, which was developed by GKD. This concept is used by GKD to improve or develop various metal meshes with differing filtration properties thus creating customized filtration media.
After the lecture the audience discussed the simplified development of metal meshes as well as the precise and exact simulation of filtration processes by using this software tool. The expert audience showed great interest in the potentials of 2D- and 3D-visualisations of complex metal meshes as well as in the reduction of development time and costs. By using WeaveGeo, process and application specific filter media can be created and identified today for future applications.
