One of the most popular conferences and exhibitions sponsored by The Filtration Society concerns the physical testing of filter media and the relevant standards being imposed by the regulatory bodies.
The selection and efficiency of filter media can only be optimised when there are unambiguous tests to quantify the magnitude of the performance enhancements. Unfortunately there are an increasing number of substandard filters being imported, which without an accurate testing procedure, can result in very expensive mistakes.
A classic example is a customer requiring a 20 micron filter. An overseas supplier of stainless steel mesh could not weave below 40 microns, so the suggested solution was to use two layers of 40 micron mesh!
But the biggest cost penalty of wrongly selecting a filter mesh was in the oil industry where sand screens must be placed at the end of the pipelines deep under the seabed. Without the correct specification, sand contamination can erode the pipelines. 10 oil platforms in the South China Sea were destroyed at a cost of $140 million as a result of installing sand screens with the wrong pore sizes.
It is not surprising therefore that the filter testing conferences attract the highest number of international delegates.
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