Chattanooga, TN-based refuse equipment maker Heil Environmental has made a new in-tank hydraulic filter standard equipment. It is designed to capture hydraulic fluid contaminants as small as 5 microns. In comparison, the diameter of a human hair is 40 to 90 microns, said Gary Flerchinger, Heil’s engineering manager and hydraulic specialist.
The filter, now standard on all full-size Heil refuse collection vehicles, also offers two and a half times better filtration efficiency and more than double the dirt-holding capacity of the company’s previous six-micron absolute filter design, he said.
As the hydraulic system on a refuse collection vehicle provides the power to lift, pack and eject trash, it’s critical that the hydraulic fluid be kept clean, said Flerchinger.
“We are constantly working on new technology to prevent expensive downtime and reduce maintenance costs to keep refuse collection vehicles on their routes longer,” he explained.
“Because an average of 70% of hydraulic system failures result from fluid contamination, we developed our new 5-micron filtration system to keep the fluid cleaner so that the entire hydraulic system will last longer.”
