Selecting the screen rating and element — from coarse 3000 micron to fine 10 micron, in wedge-wire, mesh or weave to suit the solids.
Self-Cleaning Filter Design — in depth
The screen sets what a self-cleaning filter removes. Rating runs from coarse 3000 micron protection screens to fine 10 micron polishing; element type — wedge-wire, woven mesh or sintered — is matched to the solids, fibre content and cleanability required.
What matters in practice
10–3000 µm set by the solids to remove.
Robust, cleanable, slot-rated elements.
Fine ratings for polishing duty.
Depth elements for difficult solids.
| Element | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wedge-wire | 25–3000 µm | Robust, fibrous |
| Woven mesh | 10–500 µm | Fine polishing |
| Perforated | >800 µm | Coarse |
| Sintered | <25 µm | Very fine |
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Fundamentals, design drivers and practical guidance
Selecting the screen rating and element — from coarse 3000 micron to fine 10 micron, in wedge-wire, mesh or weave to suit the solids.
Cleaning is triggered by accumulated differential pressure across the screen or by a timer, and executed by a backflush or a suction-scanner that traverses the element, drawing the captured solids off a small area at a time while the filter stays online. Sizing balances the clean-screen pressure loss against the dirty-screen trigger point and the backflush volume, so the filter protects equipment without itself becoming a bottleneck or wasting water on over-frequent cleans.
Reynolds & Bauhm specifies self-cleaning filters on screen rating, flow and pressure loss, with the cleaning mechanism (backflush or suction-scanner), control logic and materials matched to the duty — delivering continuous protection with minimal flow interruption and reject.
Automatic self-cleaning filters protect downstream equipment by removing suspended solids continuously, cleaning their own screens without interrupting flow. They are specified by screen rating (the micron retention), the design flow and pressure loss, and the cleaning mechanism — and the art is matching all of these to a duty that may swing widely in solids load.
What our engineers assess on every scope of this type
| Parameter | Typical basis | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Backflush / suction-scanner | Cleans while online |
| Reject | Minimised backflush | Saves water |
| Screen rating | Micron retention | Sets what is captured |
| Material | Wedge-wire / weave / alloy | Withstands dP and chemistry |
| Pressure loss | Clean vs dirty envelope | Avoids a bottleneck |
| Trigger | dP or timer | Initiates cleaning |
Common questions on automatic self-cleaning filtration
It cleans a small area of screen at a time — by backflush or a traversing suction-scanner — while the rest of the element keeps filtering. Screen Rating & Element Types therefore protects downstream plant continuously, without an offline cleaning stop.
By the sensitivity of the equipment being protected: a fine micron rating guards delicate downstream plant but cleans more often, while a coarser rating passes more solids with less cleaning. The duty's solids load sets the balance.
Accumulated differential pressure across the screen, or an elapsed-time backstop — whichever comes first. Triggering on dP cleans only when needed, which minimises reject water and wear.
It depends on duty: backflush is simple and robust; a traversing suction-scanner cleans fine screens efficiently with low reject. Screen Rating & Element Types matches the mechanism to the solids type, screen rating and water-loss tolerance.
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