Customer Case: Colombian Natural Plant Extractor Company Utilizes Stainless Steel Automatic Hydraulic Plate-and-Frame Filter Press

2026-04-15

Customer Background

A natural plant extractor company in Bogota, Colombia, specializes in the production of plant extracts for the food and beverage industry. This company processes over 200 tons of dry plant raw materials annually and exports its products to markets in the United States, Germany, and Japan.

Facing challenges

Quality Issues: There were still some fine particles remaining in the extracted liquid after filtration, affecting the solubility and appearance of the final product.

Corrosion Risks: As the temperature of the extracted liquid was always between 65 and 75 degrees Celsius, ordinary carbon steel equipment faced risks of pitting corrosion and contamination.

Environmental & Loss: The original equipment had poor sealing performance, resulting in a small amount of leakage during filtration, causing product loss and contamination of the workshop floor.

Labor Costs: The operation required two workers to be on continuous duty, resulting in high labor costs.

Solution

The enterprise purchased a stainless steel automatic hydraulic plate and frame filter press (BAY50/800 type) at the end of 2025. The equipment frame is made of 304SS stainless steel, and the hydraulic pressing system is equipped with a single cylinder 200# oil cylinder. The outer casing of the oil cylinder is 304SS. The filtration part is all made of 316L stainless steel, including the head plate, tail plate, 27 intermediate filter plates (25mm thick) and 28 filter boxes (50mm thick). The filter cloth and filter paper combination has been optimized based on the characteristics of the plant extract.

The feeding system is equipped with a sanitary 316L pneumatic diaphragm pump (QBW3-50), with the diaphragm made of Teflon material. The control system uses a PLC touch screen for operation and has a protection level of IP54. The equipment is configured with 304SS liquid-contact baffles, driven by hydraulic power, for collecting dripping and leaking liquids. All pipes and valves are made of 316L material and are connected using 51mm clamp-type connections.

Implementation effect

Four months after the equipment was put into use, the turbidity of the filtered extract solution was stably controlled below 2.0 NTU, meeting the export standards. The single batch filtration time was shortened from the original 5 hours to 2.5 hours. After improving the sealing performance, the leakage loss was reduced by approximately 95%, and the workshop floor remained dry and clean. The number of operators per shift was reduced from two to one, and they no longer needed to be on duty throughout the process. The operation status could be monitored through the touch screen.

The filter cloth replacement cycle has been extended from the original 10 batches to 25 batches, reducing the cost of consumables. The liquid collection flap effectively collects the residual liquid that drips during the filter cloth cleaning process, increasing the material recovery rate.

This equipment brings three core values to the enterprise:

First, the filtration accuracy has been improved, and the clarity of the extract solution is stable, meeting the export standards of Europe and America;

Second, the operating cost has been reduced, with longer filter cloth lifespan, reduced leakage loss, and decreased labor input;

Third, the equipment durability has been enhanced, with a fully stainless steel structure suitable for long-term operation of high-temperature plant extract solutions. The clamp-type quick connection design and touch screen control further enhance the ease of cleaning and operational friendliness.