Donaldson Company Inc., has made important advances in food and beverage process filtration with its revolutionary new LifeTec® filtration line. The filters are engineered for higher flow rates, greater strength, and longer life than comparable products, with a variety of media options specially designed to remove everything from dirt to bacteria in sterile systems.

Following two years of development by a team of chemists and materials scientists, Donaldson is now custom-manufacturing the filters at a new high-capacity cleanroom facility in Haan, Germany. The first large-scale customers include several Coca-Cola plants in Europe.

Manufacturers of dairy products, bottled water, soft drinks, wine, and beer will benefit from three major technology advancements in the new line of process filters:

>> Greater structural stability: The rigid support cage structure resists deformation that leads to media failure, increasing reliability and reducing costs by maximizing the number of cleaning and sterilisation cycles the filter can perform.
>> Increased filtration media: With up to 20 percent more media area versus comparable products, the filters deliver higher flow rates, lower pressure drop, and longer life.
>> High-performance materials: All component materials used are engineered for direct and indirect food contact to help satisfy regulatory standards and audit requirements.

“High-performance process liquid filters have to remain stable even under tough conditions such as hydraulic shock; no hairline cracks may appear,” said Stefan Loebbert, Business Development Manager of Process Filtration for Donaldson. “The structure in our new cartridges reduces the danger of damage to the filtration media during installation and removal.”

Donaldson also solved the challenge of improving dirt-holding capacity while maintaining a low differential pressure, which maximizes the service life of the filter.

“We set out to make filters that were stronger and longer-lasting,” said Jessica Exley, Director of Process Filtration for Donaldson. “These products represent a significant advancement in technology for manufacturers of food and beverages.”

Donaldson’s new process filters are available in a broad range of configurations for nearly every application and technological trend in the food and beverage industry, including sterilization and the downsizing of installation for equivalent performance. Filter lengths can be custom-produced from 10 to 40 inches and available filtration media include polyethersulfone (PES), polypropylene (PP), and polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE).

The LifeTec filters use materials suitable for direct and indirect food contact according to the Food and Drug Administration Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, and European Community 1935/2004.