Recently our PA metal fabrication shop received an interesting request. One of our clients, a large landfill, was struggling with deteriorating plastic filters and was looking for a solution. Each filter was subjected to heavy ongoing usage and they were costly and inefficient to replace. After discussing the options, we came up with a plan to recreate the filters by fabricating them out of long-lasting stainless steel.

In the photo above, the deteriorated plastic filter is shown on the right, and the new stainless steel filter that we fabricated is shown on the left.

In order to recreate the unique angle of the head of the filter, we used a water jet with 5-axis tilt cutting capabilities. This allowed us to reduce costs versus fabricating the part with a milling machine or other, more expensive technology. Most importantly, it allowed us to match the angles of the filter head precisely and ensure a perfect fit.

The rest of the filter was built by hand, “old-school-style,” by one of our most experienced technicians. With the original filter on his workbench as an example, our technician hand cut the perforated stainless steel sides, created the reinforcement bands out of stainless steel pipe, and welded the assembly together, creating a precise match.

Since our client started using the new stainless steel filters in place of the original plastic filters, none of them have needed to be replaced. They’re holding up incredibly well, and will last far longer than their plastic counterparts. This means substantial cost savings for our client over the long term, as well as increased efficiency from not having to halt production to replace damaged filters.

If you’ve got a challenge, our PA fabrication shop can provide a solution. Contact us today to chat about how our metal fabrication services can help your business save money on metal parts and assemblies. We look forward to hearing from you!