Eaton IFPM 10 Keeps Machine Oils Clean in Space-Constrained Environments
Eaton’s Filtration Division has added a compact option to its line of PLC-controlled offline fluid purification systems, the IFPM 10.
Like other models in the series, the IFPM 10 is designed to remove free, emulsified and dissolved water, free and dissolved gases, as well as particulate contamination from hydraulic and lubrication oils.
But with its compact size, the unit can now be used in severely space-constrained environments, including those where use of fluid purification technology was limited due to space constraints. These include power plants and energy generation facilities, steel production and processing plants, the oil and gas industry, as well as mobile working machines such as tunnel boring machines noted Eaton in its press release announcing the launch of the IFPM 10.
The IFPM 10 uses the same vacuum evaporation technology as other models in Eaton’s purifier series as well. Eaton explained that this technology works by drawing contaminated fluid into the system under vacuum and distributing it over a dispersion material inside the vacuum chamber, increasing the evaporation surface area.
At the same time, ambient air flows counter-current to the oil and is drawn in through a breather filter, which helps manage moisture and releases it to the atmosphere via a vacuum pump. The dehydrated fluid is then pumped back into the reservoir through an integrated replaceable spin-on filter that is designed to retain particulate contamination.
The IFPM 10 features a flow rate of about 2.6 gal/min (10 l/min), and is available in mobile as well as stationary versions to suit specific application needs.
Additional features include:
- Continuous measurement of fluid temperature and water saturation
- User-friendly interface allows for simple and convenient operation via pushbuttons located directly on the unit’s control cabinet
- PLC control enables fully automatic offline operation.
Why Purification Systems are Important to Machine Operation
The cleanliness of hydraulic and lubrication oils can greatly impact machine performance. If even the smallest of contaminants are in these oils, there is the potential for components to become damaged and unplanned downtime issues to occur.
Maintaining uptime is one of the most important factors for machine owners. As such, use of a purification system like Eaton’s IFPM 10 can be beneficial for minimizing downtime by maintaining the cleanliness of hydraulic and lubrication oils.
The device’s ability to remove both water and particulate contamination ensures these two common contributors to machine malfunctions will not be an issue. Water in hydraulic oil and lubricants can be a particularly common issue that machine owners may not always be aware of.
“Many operators underestimate the damage that dissolved water in oil can cause because it is invisible and may not be effectively removed using centrifuges or separators,” explained Christian König, Project Engineer R&D at Eaton’s Filtration Division.
Eaton noted in its press release that water often enters the oil unnoticed through ambient humidity, cooling systems or leaking seals. Water entering the oil can lead to a number of performance issues including:
- reduced fluid service life,
- additive depletion,
- oil oxidation,
- internal corrosion and
- abrasive wear of system components.
“This is exactly where the technological strength of our system lies. The IFPM 10 is designed to remove not only free and emulsified water but also dissolved water from the fluid,” said König.
Doing so ensures hydraulic and lubrication oils are as clean as possible so machines can continue to perform as desired for as long as possible.
Read the content below to learn about other technology developments and best practices for ensuring oil cleanliness.
About the Author
Sara JensenSara Jensen
Executive Editor, Power & Motion
Sara Jensen is executive editor of Power & Motion, directing expanded coverage into the modern fluid power space, as well as mechatronic and smart technologies. She has over 15 years of publishing experience. Prior to Power & Motion she spent 11 years with a trade publication for engineers of heavy-duty equipment, the last 3 of which were as the editor and brand lead. Over the course of her time in the B2B industry, Sara has gained an extensive knowledge of various heavy-duty equipment industries — including construction, agriculture, mining and on-road trucks —along with the systems and market trends which impact them such as fluid power and electronic motion control technologies.
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