1. Project Background
A medium-sized fine chemical enterprise in Southeast Asia, specializing in the production and export of synthetic resins and various industrial adhesives, was facing growing operational challenges in its filtration process. The core production line involves synthetic resin reaction followed by a precision filtration step to remove unreacted catalyst particles, reaction by-products, and trace mechanical impurities—ensuring that final product transparency and bonding performance meet strict export standards.
Prior to the renovation, the company employed traditional bag-type filters with manual bag replacement. As order volumes increased, the original filtration method gradually exposed multiple problems:
| Issue | Description |
|---|---|
| Severe filter bag clogging | Resin material rapidly thickened due to temperature drop during filtration |
| Extended filtration time | Single batch processing time increased from initially 2 hours to over 6 hours |
| Heat loss and environmental hazards | Frequent cover opening for bag replacement caused heat dissipation, material splashing, and VOC emissions |
| Unstable filtration quality | Rapid decline in filter bag precision led to turbid filtrate, resulting in batch rework and high production costs |
2. Operating Condition Analysis
After detailed consultation with the customer, the following key operating parameters were identified:
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Filtration temperature | Maintained at approximately 85°C |
| Material viscosity | Increases exponentially with temperature drop |
| Required filtration precision | 5 μm (to ensure product transparency) |
| Batch processing volume | Large volume per batch |
3. Solution Customization
Based on the specific characteristics of the application, we recommended a jacketed candle-type filter system.
Equipment Configuration
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Vessel material | Carbon steel |
| Jacket system | External steam jacket, continuously supplied with low-pressure steam to maintain 85–90°C constant temperature |
| Filter elements | 38 units of SS304 stainless steel candle-type elements |
| Total filtration area | 17 m² |
| Filter medium | Special polyester filter cloth |
| Filtration precision | 5 μm |
| Top closure | Fluororubber-sealed quick-opening structure |
| Bottom discharge | Automatic pneumatic blow-down valve |
| Operation mode | Fully enclosed, constant-temperature operation |
The jacketed design fundamentally eliminates material cooling and thickening, while the enclosed system prevents VOC leakage and material waste.
4. Operation Results
After installation and commissioning, the equipment was put into formal production. Following three months of continuous operation tracking, all indicators met the expected targets.
4.1 Filtration Efficiency Significantly Improved
| Metric | Before Renovation | After Renovation |
|---|---|---|
| Single batch filtration time | 6+ hours | 1.5–2 hours |
| Batches per day | 2 batches | 5 batches |
| Filter clogging | Frequent | None |
The jacketed constant-temperature system maintained material temperature within process requirements, eliminating filter blockage and effectively releasing the production capacity bottleneck.
4.2 Filtration Quality Stable and Compliant
| Metric | Before Renovation | After Renovation |
|---|---|---|
| Filtrate turbidity | Average 12 NTU | Below 3 NTU |
| Quality-related rework | Frequent | None |
The 5 μm precision filter elements combined with a reasonable surface flow rate design ensured stable output transparency, fully meeting export quality requirements.
4.3 Production Costs Decreased Significantly
| Cost Factor | Improvement |
|---|---|
| Resin recovery rate | Increased by approximately 3% (due to enclosed system eliminating splashing and heat loss) |
| Discharge operation time | 1 minute per batch (automatic pneumatic valve replaces manual cover opening) |
| Labor requirement | Reduced from 2 operators per shift to 1 |
| Consumable costs | Reduced by approximately 60% (SS304 filter elements with online backwashing, service life > 12 months) |
4.4 Environmental and Safety Performance Upgraded
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Fully enclosed operation completely resolved VOC emission issues
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Workshop environment significantly improved
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Successfully passed annual verification by the local environmental protection authority
5. Customer Feedback
The customer’s production manager stated in the project summary:
“The introduction of the jacketed candle-type filter not only solved the long-standing problem of high-viscosity resin filtration but also significantly improved the automation level and product quality competitiveness of the entire production line.”
Based on the successful results, the customer has already planned to replicate the same filtration configuration on their second production line.
6. Summary
This case demonstrates that for high-viscosity, temperature-sensitive resin filtration applications, the jacketed candle-type filter system offers a reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sound solution. Key benefits include:
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✅ Consistent temperature control – eliminates viscosity-related clogging
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✅ Superior filtration precision – ensures product quality compliance
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✅ Lower operating costs – reduced labor, consumables, and rework
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✅ Enhanced environmental compliance – fully enclosed, VOC-free operation
For more information or to discuss your specific filtration requirements, please contact our technical team.
Post time: Aug-16-2026