Filter press and a filter plate compression and transport retrofitting kit for a filter press

A filter press for separating solid components from liquid components of a slurry, the filter press comprising:

• a frame;
• a stationary pressure plate being coupled to the frame;
• a displaceable pressure plate being displaceable along a longitudinal dimension of the filter press;
• a plurality of filter plates oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the filter press,
• a compression system coupled to the stationary pressure plate, wherein the compression system comprises at least one electrically operated compression actuator comprising a planetary screw assembly, wherein the compression system is configured to provide a closing pressure to the filter plates, and
• a transport system coupled to the displaceable pressure plate, wherein the transport system comprises at least one electrically operated transport actuator comprising a rack and pinion drive assembly, and
• wherein a common actuator link rigidly connects the at least one compression actuator of the compression system to the at least one transport actuator of the transport system, wherein the common actuator link extends linearly from the stationary support structure to the displaceable support structure along the longitudinal dimension.

A method for controlling a filter press,

• wherein the filter press comprises:
• a stationary pressure plate, a displaceable pressure plate and a plurality of filter plates oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal dimension of the filter press,
• a compression system coupled to the stationary support structure, the compression system comprising at least one electrically operated compression actuator comprising a planetary screw assembly, wherein the compression system is configured to provide a closing pressure to the filter plates, and
• a transport system coupled to the displaceable support structure, the transport system comprising at least one electrically operated transport actuator comprising a rack and pinion drive assembly,
• the method comprising:
• displacing, by the transport system, the displaceable pressure plate in a direction towards the stationary pressure plate from an open position, at which the filter plates of the plurality of filter plates are mutually separated from each other, to a closed position, at which the filter plates of the plurality of filter plates are mutually in abutment with each other;
• locking, by a locking system, the displaceable pressure plate in relation to the transport system;
• feeding a slurry which comprises a mix of solid components and liquid components into cavities formed between mutually facing surfaces of adjacent pairs of filter plates of the plurality of filter pairs;
• displacing, by the compression system, the displaceable pressure plate in a direction towards the stationary pressure plate from the closed position to a compressed position so as to reduce the total volume of the cavities, whereby at least a part of the liquid component is forced to move from the cavities into the filter plates for separating the solid components from said at least a part of the liquid components of the slurry,
• wherein a common actuator link rigidly connects the at least one compression actuator of the compression system to the at least one transport actuator of the transport system, wherein the common actuator link extends linearly from the stationary support structure to the displaceable support structure along the longitudinal dimension.