Pleating Fluted Filter Paper

Fluted Filter Paper

Why fluting or buying pre-pleated filter paper instead of using quadrants or flat discs?
The advantage of fluting is two-fold :)

1. Increase filtration flow speed by minimizing the contact area with the funnel
2. Increase loading capacity by using the whole disk area for filtration instead of only half for quadrant-folded

Fluted (Pleated) shapes

Fluted filters have a cone shape so they fit standard connical funnels (58 or 60°), not Büchner or Hirsh funnels.
Pre-pleated filters need to be tightly packed to save space during transportation and storage which can only be achieved with a shape than can be symetrically folded. This leaves two opposite pleats with three sides instead of two. While it's possible to pleat all the folds with 2 sides, the filters can't be packed efficiently this way and need to be stacked instead:

• asymetrical folds (two 3-sided pleats on opposite sides)
• homogenous folds (unpacked)
  We suggest using our patented fluted shape for pleating as the fluting process is efficient and the storage space is minimal.

The last parameter to consider is the number of pleats. It doesn't change the physical properties but help maintaining the connical shape. The more pleats, the more regular the shape is and the easier it will be to pour the solution in the cone. Normaly we increase the number of pleats with the diameter as discussed previously but this can be tailored to your needs.

Discs sizes

Before folding the discs, we cut them starting from rolls or sheets. This allow us to cut any diameters.
While we can pleat any size, the smallest and largest are more challenging and in some case need to be folded manually which take a lot more time than our normal process. Moreover to maintain the connical shape of the filter, the number of pleats increase with the diameter.
Here are some example of the most common diameters we pleat:

8 pleats

⌀70, 90 mm | 3 in

10 pleats

⌀100, 110 mm | 4 in

12 pleats

⌀125, 150, 185, 210 mm | 5, 6, 7, 8 in

14 pleats

⌀240, 250, 270 mm | 9, 10, 11 in

16 pleats

⌀320, 330, 400 mm | 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 in

Packaging

Our designers can arrange any custom printing, packaging and labeling as an integral part of our Private Label offer.
If you prefer we can also use standard white boxes developped for our clients. We make sure the box sizes match the different diameters, folding and filter paper thickness.
Some examples:

• packed in 10 sleeves of 10 filters or 5 sleeves for large diameters
• stacked by 250 or 500 in blisters (for 2-sided pleats)
• custom box / distributors