New products10Filtration+Separation October 2005

Great LakesintroducesWeldPro airfiltrationproductsGreat Lakes Air Systems reportsthat it has introduced theRoboVent WeldPro air filtrationsystem, which the company claimsensures “cost-effective complianceto US federal regulations onemissions.”

The WeldPro is a free-standing,self-contained air cleaning systemthat recycles contaminated airusing a self-cleaning filteringsystem. The design can be placedin front of a work area, bench, orfixture for a seamless fit into mostworkstations. Since the WeldPro isdesigned to be positioned at thewelding point, it can capture 100%of the smoke and contaminantsright at the source.

The WeldPro’s self-containeddesign negates the need for anexpensive and inefficient centralexhaust system, reports thecompany. The WeldProdistributes the job of cleaning theair, “eliminating the possibility oftotal system failure and reducingproduction delays and downtimeduring routine maintenance.”

“The WeldPro is a better solutionthan the ducted fume armfiltration systems, typically usedfor manual welding, because theWeldPro can be moved anywherein the plant without movingductwork and it captures andcleans the air, returning clean airto the plant,” said Jim Reid, vicepresident of Great Lakes AirSystems. “This results insignificant energy savings.”

www.greatlakesfilters.com

BMW and Volkswagen engines to useMann+Hummel designsGerman companyMann+Hummel has developed acompact oil filter module for thesix-cylinder petrol engine thatwill power the new BMW 3 Seriescar. The firm has also startedproduction of a cylinder-headcover, with an integrated oilseparator, for Volkswagen’s 3.2-litre V6 FSI engine.

Because of its extremely compactdesign, the oil filter fitscomfortably into the restrictedinstallation space that isavailable. An integrated oil-waterheat-exchanger cools the engine’slubricating oil. Other featuresinclude an oil pressure switch –controlling the oil pressure of theengine – while an anti-drainvalve prevents the oil fromleaving the feed line when theengine is switched off, ensuringthe supply of oil is notinterrupted, even in criticalconditions (such as during cold-starts).

The filter by-pass valve alsomaintains the oil supply. It isactivated when the filter elementbecomes blocked, in the eventthat this has not been changed atthe correct time. It also protectsthe filter element from damage,in case of excessive pressuredifferentials.

The unit’s appearance is enhancedby a plastic cover which is adaptedaccording to the engine design.

And in other product news,Mann+Hummel reports thatsince April this year, it has beensupplying the Volkswagen Groupwith a recently developedcylinder-head cover for the 3.2litre V6 FSI engine. The designof the cover includes a fully-integrated oil separator, whichreduces production costs. It alsoimproves functional reliability.Furthermore, by integrating theoil separator for the crankcaseventilation system into thecylinder-head cover, theprotected design and supply of

heat from the engine reduces therisk of the crankcase ventilationcomponents freezing.

For oil separation in the crankcaseventilation system, the companyhas installed a horizontal, triplecyclone separator. There is also anintegrated two-stage pressureregulating valve, oil reservoir andanti-drain valve.

A special T-shaped seal providesacoustic decoupling of thecylinder- head cover. This preventsvibrations from the engine beingconveyed to the plastic housing,which reduces engine noise and, inturn, enhances passenger comfort.

www.mann-hummel.com

Mann+Hummel’s compact oil filter module for the six-cylinder petrol engine thatwill power the new BMW 3 Series car.

Tracedetect’s arsenic analyser wins award Tracedetect Inc of Seattle,Washington, USA, an analyticalinstrumentation company thatspecialises in products thatmeasure trace metals, hasscooped the People’s ChoiceAward at ACE 05, The 124thannual conference of theAmerican Water WorksAssociation (AWWA); thecompany’s SafeGuard analyserwon in the category of the “mostuseful new or improved product”.

TraceDetect claims thatSafeGuard is the first automatedanalyser with the accuracy that isrequired to meet the USEnvironmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) established arseniclimit for drinking water.

Water quality analysts areaccustomed to waiting two weeksfor arsenic analyses from off-sitelaboratories. In addition to theprolonged health risks tocustomers, violators risk stiff finesfor each day their arsenic levelsexceed the limit. SafeGuardreportedly reduces those risks by

displaying test results on-site in 30minutes, says Tracedetect. “We arepleased at the overwhelmingpositive response to our SafeGuardarsenic analyser,” said RichardBrewer, chief executive officer ofTracedetect.

“Our goal is to provide communitywater-quality departments with away to track their arsenic levels.They require immediate results tomonitor the effectiveness of theirarsenic removal media, as well asthe blending of waters to meetspecifications. This is urgent as weapproach the new EPA 10 partsper billion (ppb) limit, takingeffect in January 2006.”

www.tracedetect.com