Gearbox Sludge & High ΔP? Low-Pressure-Drop, High Dirt-Holding Oil Filter Elements
May 11, 2025
Large gearboxes generate sludge, varnish, and fine wear particles, causing high ΔP and poor lubrication. Customers see pitting gears, hotter bearings, and frequent replacements. The challenge: hot viscous oil with mixed soft/hard contaminants blinds media fast.
Use low-ΔP, high dirt-holding elements: deep pleated glass fiber with metal mesh support keeps initial ΔP around 0.1–0.2 MPa. A 10–25 μm grade protects gears without flow loss. If sludge is heavy, add 40–50 μm pre-filtration to prevent rapid fine-stage clogging.
Add bypass valves to secure flow, and pre-filter new oil before filling. If viscosity or TAN rises, treat oil chemistry in parallel; otherwise any element will clog quickly.
