Hydraulics & Pneumatics May 2022

HYDRAULICS Filtertechnik has launched the all-new series Particle Pal Plus units, which utilise digital imaging particle count technology to eliminate issues associated with laser particle counters such as counting bubbles and phantom particles/oil additives as contamination. The Particle Pal Plus is easy to operate, requires a low oil volume and builds on the experience of the Particle Pal Pro models. There are 2 models in the range to handle medium or high viscosities. All models can have water or viscosity & density sensors added depending on requirements. All units are rugged and self-contained with rechargeable batteries and are supplied with all the necessary ancillaries to get testing straight away. Digital imaging particle counting works by capturing images at 4 frames-per- second at a very high resolution, recognising anything that is 2 microns and above. Advanced in-built technology sorts particles by size and shape giving root cause analysis. An additional benefit is that the camera recognises air bubbles and eliminates them from ISO counts. A new touch screen LCD is easy to use and operate meaning an engineer can take counts quickly and effectively. 2 versions are available, up to 400cSt or 2400cSt viscosity oils. The 400cSt version is in a compact case with a 4.3” LCD touchscreen display, the 2400cSt version is in a larger case and has a purpose-built stepper motor pump to handle high viscosities. This unit has a 7” LCD touchscreen display. Both models draw oil through the sensors rather than pushing it, which reduces the potential for in-built bubble formation due to pump cavitation. Both versions can have other sensors added to increase functionality. Water sensors both % Saturation (%RH Relative Humidity) and PPM (Parts per million) can be specified. Viscosity and density sensors can also be added. Data is stored on the device for reporting/archiving, and software is supplied with each Particle Pal Plus to extract data via a USB connection. This can be used to store tests over time, create graphical reports etc. Digital imaging vs laser counting A Digital Imaging particle counter is at the heart of the new Particle Pal Plus units. Filtertechnik comments that this counter has a wider field of view than laser counters, which allows higher viscosities to pass through and reduces the potential for cavitation. The on-board Filtertechnik introduces the all-new Particle Pal Plus 22 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS April/May 2022 www.hpmag.co.uk New LCD layout: 1. ISO count in clear numbers 2. Particle counts and bubble quantities 3. Other sensor information plus NAS and SAE counts 4. Settings 5. ISO counts trended during test 6. Particle root cause analysis