Horizontal Vacuum Belt Filter
When the product is in the cake and the wash has to be near-perfect, a horizontal belt filter is the only type that does it properly. The cake sits flat on a moving belt and passes under wash headers in true counter-current sequence, so displacement is close to theoretical and soluble losses fall to a fraction of a percent.
How it works
- A grooved rubber belt runs over a stationary vacuum box; filter cloth runs on top of the belt and carries the cake.
- Slurry is fed at the head end through a distribution box; vacuum applied through the belt grooves draws filtrate into the box and forms the cake.
- Wash headers along the deck apply counter-current wash — the cleanest wash contacts the cake last, and each stage's filtrate becomes the wash for the stage before it.
- A drying zone follows the last wash before the cake is discharged over the head roller, where the small radius cracks the cake free.
- The cloth then passes through a high-pressure wash on both faces and returns under the deck.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Belt width | 500 – 3200 mm |
| Effective filtration length | 2 – 18 m |
| Filtration area | 1 – 58 m² |
| Belt speed | 0.3 – 6 m/min, VFD |
| Operating vacuum | 300 – 525 mmHg (40 – 70 kPa) |
| Cake thickness | 5 – 100 mm |
| Wash stages | 1 – 5, counter-current |
| Belt tracking | Automatic, pneumatic steering roller — no manual adjustment |
| Discharge | Over small-radius head roller, with scraper |
Size and selection
Standard build sizes. Filtration areas are calculated from the geometry, not nominal — a FHB-500 is exactly what the arithmetic says it is. Intermediate and larger sizes are built to duty.
| Model | Belt width (mm) | Effective length (mm) | Area (m²) | Overall length (mm) | Drive (kW) | Dry wt (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FHB-500 | 500 | 2000 | 1.0 | 4900 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| FHB-1000 | 1000 | 4000 | 4.0 | 8000 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| FHB-1500 | 1500 | 6000 | 9.0 | 11100 | 6.5 | 4.4 |
| FHB-2000 | 2000 | 8000 | 16.0 | 14200 | 10.0 | 7.1 |
| FHB-2500 | 2500 | 12000 | 30.0 | 20400 | 15.5 | 12.6 |
| FHB-3200 | 3200 | 18000 | 57.6 | 29700 | 25.0 | 23.5 |
The area you need comes from a test, not from this table. Send the slurry, the throughput, the target cake moisture and any wash requirement, and we will size the machine against a leaf or pilot test so that the offer carries a guaranteed duty. Try the sizing calculator →
Materials of construction
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Filter belt | Rubber, flat or ripple-curb profile, multiple grades to duty |
| Belt curb profile | Flat · ripple · moulded side curb |
| Vacuum box | SS 316L · polypropylene · MS rubber lined |
| Wear strips | UHMWPE |
| Deck and frame | Mild steel epoxy · SS 304 |
| Wash headers and nozzles | SS 316L |
| Filter cloth | Polyester · polypropylene monofilament |
| Rollers | Rubber lagged MS · SS 316L |
Scope of supply
- Rubber filter belt with drainage grooves and curb profile
- Stationary vacuum box with UHMWPE wear strips and drainage ports
- Drive and tail rollers, snub and steering rollers with pneumatic tracking
- Belt drive — geared motor with VFD
- Slurry feed distribution box
- Counter-current wash headers with spray nozzles and isolation valves
- Filter cloth with high-pressure two-face cloth wash
- Filtrate receivers, one per zone, with moisture traps
- Cake discharge chute and belt scraper
- Frame, deck, walkway and handrail
- Local control panel with VFD and tracking interlocks
Not included as standard
- Civil foundation, grouting, anchor bolts and civil works
- Erection, alignment and commissioning supervision unless separately quoted
- Slurry feed pump, vacuum pump and filtrate pump unless listed in scope
- Power, air, water and effluent lines up to the equipment terminal points
- Instrumentation beyond the items listed in scope of supply
- Any statutory approvals, insurance or third-party inspection charges
Options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Additional wash zones | Up to five counter-current stages with separate receivers |
| Steam or hot-air hood | Reduces final cake moisture on hygroscopic products |
| Cake compression roller | Mechanical dewatering before the drying zone |
| Indexing (fixed-belt) arrangement | For duties needing a stationary vacuum seal |
| Acid-resistant build | Rubber lined box, Hastelloy nozzles, PP deck |
| Vacuum package | Liquid ring pump per zone, skid mounted |
| PLC / HMI | Zone vacuum, wash ratio and belt speed control |
Applications
- Gypsum from phosphoric acid — the classic belt filter duty
- Hydrometallurgical leaching — copper, nickel, zinc, uranium
- Fertiliser and speciality chemical washing
- Flue-gas desulphurisation gypsum
- Food and starch dewatering
Utilities at battery limit
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | 415 V ± 10 %, 3-phase, 50 Hz, 4-wire |
| Control supply | 240 V AC 1-phase / 24 V DC |
| Instrument air | 6 bar (g), oil-free, dew point −20 °C |
| Vacuum | By Filcare-supplied pump or client system, at battery limit |
| Wash water | Client supply at 3 bar (g), free of suspended solids > 200 µm |
Inspection and test
- Material test certificates (EN 10204 3.1) for all pressure-retaining and wetted plate
- Dye-penetrant examination of wetted welds
- Hydrostatic / leak test of vat, drum and filtrate lines
- Dimensional inspection against approved GA drawing
- No-load trial run at works: rotation, valve timing, agitator sweep
- Drive and gearbox test certificates from the OEM
Painting and finish
Surface preparation to SA 2½, two coats epoxy primer (2 × 40 µm DFT) and two coats epoxy finish (2 × 50 µm DFT). Stainless steel parts supplied pickled and passivated, unpainted.
Downloads
Certified data is issued with the approved general-arrangement drawing.
Send us the slurry. We will send you the machine.
Slurry description · solids wt % · throughput · target cake moisture · wash requirement · temperature and pH. Offers are prepared by Mr. T. Srikanth.