Four years of field use and analysis of vehicle maintenance histories reveal that the addition of Magnom high-strength magnetic separators to hydraulic filtration systems can reduce service expenses up to 80%.

As a Caterpillar equipment dealer, we know that reducing maintenance costs and increasing uptime of our rental equipment are essential to the success of our business. Of course, this mission is never-ending, and we wouldn’t last very long if we ever decided we’ve done all we can.

A Caterpillar D-8 dozer is shown working at a landfill, a demanding application used for testing an unconventional magnetic filter component in equipment’s hydraulic system.

More than four years ago we began testing the concept that removing the sub-micronic shards of ferrous metal typically found in hydraulic and lubrication systems would extend the life of critical components and reduce machine maintenance costs and downtime. We also felt that removing these damaging contaminants would improve equipment productivity beyond the already high levels expected of these machines.

This Magnom magnetic core is shown with particles collected from a machine’s hydraulic system. Most individual particles are sub-micron in size, so they could only be seen through a powerful microscope.

Initial results from the field indicated that high-strength magnet technology from Magnom Inc., Warwick, England, holds promise of dramatically reducing premature failure of critical components. In particular, we used Magnom CP20 in-line magnetic filter elements in the high-pressure hydraulic line of fan drives on Caterpillar D-11 dozers.

We found the fan-drive circuits operated four times longer than drives without the Magnom filters. The results were less frequent component replacement, lower maintenance-labor costs, and less downtime of the machines. As a result, many of our customers now incorporate Magnom magnetic filters in their machines (for more details about the technology behind the filters, see “Like Magnets on Steroids”).

 

Magnom in-line magnetic filters are shown installed on the hydraulic fan drive circuit of a Caterpillar D-11 dozer. The motor’s supply line is at right, and the return line is at left.

Results from the tests quickly led to a cross-section of our customers to incorporate the Magnom filters into their machines. These Dozer operators have a keen sense to keep all their equipment operating efficiently, which led to the use of Magnom filters in a wide variety of equipment.

Today, with three to four years of maintenance cost data for the hydraulic systems from a study group of Cat Dozers, the Whayne Technology Division is able to quantify a significant reduction in hydraulic system maintenance expenses. Efficiently removing the very small particles of hard metal with Magnom filters has now been confirmed as a cost-effective way to reduce maintenance expenses by greatly reducing the instances of unscheduled system repairs or servicing.

Summary of tests

A group of D-6 and D-8 Cat dozers, used extensively in landfills, was selected for study. Magnom filters were added to the existing filter systems on some of the machines, while others—the control group—used only standard filters. The wide variation of loads, uneven terrain, dirty environment, and range of ambient temperatures make landfills a demanding application for this equipment. The annual maintenance costs for each machine’s hydraulic system was collected for a three-year period and analyzed.

All machines in the study group operated approximately 2,000 hr/yr and were provided with a standard schedule of preventive maintenance procedures, such as fluid analysis, spin-on filter change-outs, etc. Hydraulic system savings will vary based on hours of operation, operating environment, level of maintenance, and operator skill.

Results showed the average annual hydraulic system maintenance and repair costs for equipment fitted with Magnom magnetic filters was 79.3% lower than the same costs for those machines in the control group.  We also confirmed that the machines using the Magnom filters encountered less downtime from unscheduled repairs.  The increased productivity of those machines was an added benefit on top of significantly reduced repair expenses.

Martin Worth is Sales Manager at Whayne Technology Div. of Whayne Supply Co., Louisville, Ky., www.whayne.com. For more information on Magnom magnetic filters, visit www.magnom.com, or call their U.S. office in Chicago at (312) 724-5839.

 

Following exhaustive testing, Magnom have recently supplied their first large scale installation to the Middle East,

Magnom have supplied their technology into a customer sight in the Middle East, where it is cleaning Natural Gas and protecting the system and a compressor station, from abrasion and fouling caused by ‘Black Powder’.

Black Powder is primarily made up of ferrous metals, Magnom’s black powder magnetic separators are able to remove the Ferrus laden contamination from oil and gas pipelines and the refined products by a patented Magnetic Flux matrix, by harnesing the polorised nature of the electro magnetic charge present in the flowing particles in all pipelines, pulling the fine contaminant out of the flow and into its patented trap, thus ensuring the harvested contaminant, does not become reintroduced into the flow,

Some older methods, just incert magnets into the flow, but these present a great risk to the system down stream equipment, as there is nothing to prevent wash off of the collected contaminant.

This can cause catostrophic failure almost instantly, posing a greater to systems than the initial fine particles in suspension posed originally.

Once you remove the particles from the system flow, you have to entrap them so as they CAN NOT be reintroduced to the system, This is where the patented Magnom Technology stands ahead of the rest.

Magnom Technology can operate at full strength up to and over 300°C in high heat applications – and they are are highly resistant to vibration. Installed upstream of traditional filters, its magnetic filters quickly enhance the true capabilities of conventional filters.

Installed upstream, the system can benefit from longer conventional filter element service life, enhanced particle capture efficiency, and reduced use and cost of filtration, while increasing the capture rate of particles that would pass through conventional filtration (typically sun 10 micron particles).

Black Powder… “The Cure”

A ground-breaking project which prevents major power industry problems caused by ‘black powder’ in gas pipes has been developed by Warwick business Magnom Corporation.

Specialist filter and separator manufacturer Magnom Corporation is renowned for its innovation in designing magnetics to clean fluids and gas with its clients ranging from Ferrari’s F1 cars to Ducati Moto GP team, and JCB to Caterpillar vehicles, along with many other OEMs.

Its products are manufactured in the UK and China and sold by distributors across the world.

Magnom has been a long-standing tenant at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Innovation Centre in Warwick where their design, finance and intellectual property staff are based, and has recently formed a partnership with a major Dutch gas system provider, Petrogas.

Jobey Marlowe, joint-founder and business development and technical director of Magnom Corporation, said they have developed a highly innovative magnetic product which viably removes black powder from gas pipes, which is a particular problem for the industry as a whole.

He said: “When you pump gas it is laden with impurities like hydrogen sulphide and when the gas is transmitted over large distances, it is travelling in temperatures which change from day to night.

“In the Middle East for example the temperature can plunge to -20 degrees at night and go as high as +50 degrees during the day which produces a lot of condensation.

“When that is mixed with hydrogen sulphide, you generate hydrochloric acid which corrodes pipes and storage vessels and that forms black powder (Magnetite) which is a massive problem for the gas industry, and causes a wide range of problems

“Sometimes the powder can be so dense it becomes trapped and restricts the system while other times it gets into critical components, like compressors and turbines, causing catastrophic failures.

“We believe we have developed the only viable magnetic system for removing black powder efficiently from gas systems. Lab tests as well as live testing with customers experiencing problems in the Middle East have provided truly outstanding results.

“When you compare our units fitted before any conventional filters and inspect them after testing, the conventional filters are completely clean, where traditionally they would be laden and restricted with black powder which would normally require expensive replacement of the conventional filters, the Magnom technology having removed the ‘Black Powder’ first, also the Magnom technology is cleanable and gets re-used, time and time again.

“This is a huge development for Magnom technology, and underpins our continued success in the lubrication and hydraulics markets, and that’s why we have partnered with a company with global reach already in the gas industry.”

Karen Aston, centre manager at the Warwick Innovation Centre, said this was an exciting time for Magnom Corporation.

“A Gas industry partnership could revolutionise  this element of the Power Gen industry where energy is transported over large countries and continents,” she said.

“Magnom Corporation is one of our longest serving tenants and they are continuing to innovate and expand thanks to their talented team.”

 Karen Aston from the Warwick Innovation Centre with Jobey Marlowe from the Magnom Corporation