Case study · OEM media development
From filtration challenge to OEM component: developing a pile cloth medium
How a filtration challenge in a pile cloth filtration system became a custom-developed filter medium — and an integral component of the system.
This anonymised case study describes a development project with a manufacturer of filtration systems. The task was not to supply an existing product, but to develop a filter medium that fits the system and its operating conditions. Customer and system names are not disclosed.
1. The challenge
The filtration system relied on a pile cloth medium as its central filtering element. The existing medium did not fully meet the requirements of the application. A medium was needed that was matched to the system and its operating conditions — not a general-purpose fabric adapted after the fact.
2. Engineering: understanding what the medium has to do
The starting point was the filtration task, not a product. Together with the manufacturer we defined which properties determine performance in this system:
- Fibre structure — how the pile retains particles and how it behaves during cleaning.
- Pile height — balancing retention capacity and cleanability.
- Material — suitable for the medium being filtered and the mechanical stress in operation.
- Filtration grade — matched to the particles to be separated in the application.
3. Development
Based on these requirements, the medium was developed and refined in several steps. Samples were evaluated and the construction was adjusted until the medium met the defined requirements.
4. Integration
The medium was then integrated into the manufacturer’s filtration system. Geometry and fastening were matched to the system so that the medium could be fitted as a defined component rather than a generic consumable.
5. Result
The custom-developed pile cloth medium became an integral component of the filtration system. For the manufacturer this means a medium designed for the system, a single development and supply partner for it, and a defined component for series supply.
What other OEMs can take from this
- Start with the filtration task, not with the catalogue.
- Define the few properties that really determine performance — then develop the medium around them.
- Plan the integration of the medium into the system from the beginning.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the customer not named?
Development projects with OEMs are confidential. We therefore describe the approach without naming the customer or the system.
Can this approach be transferred to other filter media?
Yes. The same path — requirement, material, structure, samples, adjustment, series — applies to other filter media and filter elements.
Do you have a similar development task?
Describe your project in the OEM assessment — we do not need a complete specification.