Case Study

G2 Wire Frame Solution with easy fixings

The Requirement

Our client, a facilities management company, contact us about a requirement to retro-fit large wire frame (fan coil) filters to a number of air intakes. The existing fan coils were held in position by 6 obsolete, heavy two-part metal catches. The replacement filters were required for 80 units, so a speedy, low-cost solution was key. A Wire Frame Filter with white G2 grade polyester non-woven media was required.

The existing two-part catches would have required a specially engineered loop component to be fixed on to the wire frame filter itself.

The client asked Southern Filters to come up with a solution to the fixing problem, and to supply the wire frames to fit.

Options

Option A

We first considered making use of the fixed part of the existing catches, by adding wire loops to each wire frame, to locate and fix to the catches. This raised the issue of whether all of the 80 the existing catches were in uniform locations, the cost of designing and fitting wire loops to each new filter, and the ease and time for the on-site engineer to match each loop to its existing catch.

Option B

A solution was required that would be cheaper to fabricate, and quick both to supply and to fit on-site. Our answer was to add hook and loop fasteners to the unit and the frame, self-adhesive hook on the unit and loop straps on the wire frames. So the on-site fitter would be able to locate the hook on the unit, matching it to the loop straps on the wire frames.

The Solution

Option A, the retro-fitting of the frames using the fixed metalwork, would have been both time-consuming on site, and take longer to manufacture.

It was clear that Option B would be a better answer, so we made a sample wire frame, with four hook and loop fasteners, and the matching self-adhesive loop for the unit. On site, the fitting of the sample frame was quick and easy, and our customer was pleased. However, we decided to amend the design to add a further two fasteners, making six in total, two on each long side and one on each end of the wire frame. These two additional fasteners ensured a better fit between the filter and the unit. We further refined the design to ensure better contact between the loop straps and the self-adhesive hook on the unit sides.

Conclusion

The new design meant that the on-site engineer could fit the new filters quickly and easily, and our customer was very happy. We immediately received an order for eighty of the wire frames with fixings, and manufactured and supplied these to schedule.

David and Bob co-operated on this solution, each bringing their own experience and expertise to our technical sales, providing a quick and confident solution, and minimising the cost to the customer.

We supply solutions for this type of system on a regular basis. Contact us if you have a requirement for a wire frame filter in a difficult location.

Our customer said

I can tell that the filters are working very well, and without Southern Filters’ innovative solution there would have been a large additional cost to my client”

(James, Engineer)