In its process, Manifattura del Seveso laminates dried, dyed fabric with paper. The combined fabric and paper material is then used for book binding and packaging.
The production of the fabric generates waste that requires proper disposal practices to meet Italian regulations.
To most effectively treat the waste for disposal, the company’s process requires a liquid-solid separation stage.
“Since the beginning of our company, the filter press was necessary for our purification plant,” said Mario Lori, the plant manager of Manifattura del Seveso.
Manifattura del Seveso had used filter presses from other manufacturers but encountered issues with these during operation.
“We’ve had several problems with other filter presses breaking,” Lori explained.
For example, an automated part on a filter press from a different manufacturer broke. This issue forced operators to manually open every single plate, unnecessarily lengthening the waste treatment process and inefficiently using the operators’ time.
Manifattura del Seveso’s process requires an efficient dewatering method that is robust and removes as much moisture from the processed waste as possible, so reliability in a filter press is key.
After using filter presses that were ineffective for processing waste, Manifattura del Seveso purchased a filter press from Diefenbach.
As both Diefenbach’s office and Manifattura del Seveso’s office are located in the Province of Bergamo, the textile producer decided to partner with its neighbor and replace its old filter press with a Diefenbach Side Beam Filter Press.
Diefenbach’s support team worked to guarantee this customer’s needs were met. Communicating and partnering with Manifattura del Seveso, Diefenbach chose the best solution for this application.
The Diefenbach Side Beam Press was the ideal solution to fit into Manifattura del Seveso’s existing space due to its compact footprint. Manifattura del Seveso required a specific amount and size of filter plates for its operation, so Diefenbach designed the press with 60 plates sized 800 mm x 800 mm.
Diefenbach provided tailored features to maximize the efficiency of Manifattura del Seveso’s waste treatment process, including a plate shaking device and an auto-wash feature.
The plate shaking device ensures total discharge of the filter cake. Rather than manually removing the filter cakes if they get stuck on the plates, this feature lifts and drops each plate after it opens to release any cake residue that is left behind. The process is automated to save time for operators.
Lori explained, “We bought the Diefenbach Filter Press with the auto-wash feature to maximize automation.”
The auto-wash feature cleans each plate to remove filter cake residue and prevent caking, minimizing downtime for cleaning and maintenance. In addition, the auto-wash feature extends the life of filter cloths.
Diefenbach aided Manifattura del Seveso in choosing a set of parameters that would guarantee the company produced the most dehydrated filter cakes possible, reducing the cost of disposal and ensuring an efficient and effective waste disposal process.
“It’s very important that the sludge is thickened and dehydrated as much as possible. We appreciated Diefenbach’s help in choosing the correct filter cloth for our type of mud,” said Lori.
Diefenbach provided polyamide filter cloths to increase the permeability of the sludge compared to the previous filter press.
“We were satisfied after years of not purchasing filter presses, to get an automatic filter press,” said Lori. “The automation of the opening system certainly allowed us to save time,” Lori explained.
After having to manually open each filter plate on previous filter presses from other manufacturers, Diefenbach saved Manifattura del Seveso time and money.
Lori also said that Diefenbach’s Filter Press is “more robust than the previous filter press.”
When compared to other manufacturers’ filter presses, Lori refers to Diefenbach’s Filter Press as “more consistent and resistant.”
Not only did Diefenbach provide Manifattura del Seveso an effective piece of equipment with a long operational lifetime, but the team also offered support throughout the machine’s installation.
Lori explained Diefenbach answered all their questions with “prompt assistance.”
For its waste management operation to be successful, Manifattura del Seveso required a solution that was durable and reliable. Diefenbach’s Filter Presses, designed to withstand heavy-duty applications, provided Manifattura del Seveso with that integral durability and reliability.