Rare earth magnetic filters for the quench and lubricating oil industries

A range of rare earth magnetic filters developed specifically for the quench and lubricating oil industries is available from ISO-Reliability Partners, reveals Craig FitzGerald.

The range not only aims to extend the life of pumps and components, but also to further extend the life of our filter elements, thereby essentially reducing the total cost of ownership as related to machine wear, useful oil life and our class-leading microfine filtration solutions.

Excellence in fluid cleanliness is achieved through incremental improvements to contaminant removal and exclusion from lubricating systems. Traditionally, micron-sized iron fillings or ferrous magnetic contaminants pass through a pump, after which they may or may not be caught in a filter.

With ISO rare earth magnetic filters placed on the suction side of a pump, any ferrous magnetic contaminants are pulled onto the magnetic separator prior to going through the pump, which immediately translates to longer pump and filter element life. ISO-Reliability oil cleanliness solutions are an essential inclusion in any modern-day lubricating system. Fluid cleanliness directly translates to production efficiencies and ISO-Reliability have we-written in-operation fluid cleanliness standards.

From its origin in the beneficiation of iron ores, the magnet has played a prominent role in the separation of ferrous solids from fluid streams. Even in the control of contamination from in-service lubricants and hydraulic fluids, magnetic separation and filtration technology has found a useful niche.

In magnetic technology, rare earth magnets are permanent magnets composed of alloys of rare-earth elements. A rare earth magnet has a much higher performance than ceramic magnets and alnico magnets. Magnets of this type typically have a remanence exceeding 1.2 Tesla and are the strongest among permanent magnets.

ISO’s range of rare earth magnetic filters has achieved Particle Quantifier (PQ) values of zero. The PQ value is a physical count of magnetic contaminants present within a sample. Magnetic (PQ) contaminants are highly abrasive and lead to the rapid wear of pumps and lubricated components.

“After extensive research and development, it was established that the only effective way to achieve PQ levels of zero was through the use of Neodymium magnets, combined with ISO micro fine filtration. The magnet weighs only a few grams has the ability to lift an object a thousand times its own weight,” explains FitzGerald.

ISO-Reliability Partners’ reputation and success spans 25 years, with it owning and managing the iconic Filter Focus™ brand, and FitzGerald having incorporated all his intellectual property into the new company. It is an own emblem manufacturer (OEM) of class-leading micro fine oil filtration solutions, vacuum dehydration systems, automated water removal for compressed air and high efficiency industrial air scrubbing.