Round filter element

A method for producing a round filter element, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a filter medium;
• forming a plurality of pleats into the filter medium;
• forming the pleated filter medium into an annular pleated filter medium body, the annular pleated filter medium body is circumferentially closed and forms a hollow body having a hollow interior;
• wherein the annular pleated filter medium body surrounds a longitudinal axis extending through a hollow interior of the annular pleated filter medium body from a first axial end face to an opposite second axial end face of the annular pleated filter medium body,
• wherein axial, as used herein, is a direction of the longitudinal axis,
• wherein radial, as used herein, is a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis;
• wherein individual pleats of the plurality of pleats of the annular pleated filter medium body extend axially from the first axial end face to the opposite second axial end face of the annular pleated filter medium body;
• the method further comprising:
• axially compressing the filter medium of the annular pleated filter medium body, to form a compressed section arranged adjacent to but spaced axially inwardly away from a respective one of the axial end faces by a distance of maximally 5 mm, forming an uncompressed free region of the filter medium between the compressed section and the respective axial end face;
• forming and fixing a first end disk onto an axial end face of the annular pleated filter, wherein the forming and fixing of the first end disk is carried out by:
• providing a flowable plastic material;
• applying the flowable plastic material in a flowable state onto the uncompressed free region of the annular filter medium body such that the compressed section forms a barrier separating the flowable plastic material from an axially inward uncompressed region of the annular pleated filter medium body;
• curing or hardening the flowable plastic material on the axial end face of the annular pleated filter medium body, forming the first end disk;
• forming and fixing a second end disk onto an opposite axial end face of the annular pleated filter;
• wherein an outer contour or an inner contour of the first end disk is identically or at least substantially identically embodied to an outer contour or an inner contour of the annular pleated filter medium body;
• wherein an outer contour or an inner contour of the second end disk is identically or at least substantially identically embodied to the outer contour or the inner contour of the annular pleated filter medium body.