What is the advantage of using filter?

by Jeff Walkup, VP Sales & Marketing

As a maintenance and reliability professional focused on used oil analysis and complimentary technologies, one of the most overlooked methods of analysis is simply to observe, inspect and evaluate the material captured within the filter media and determine any abnormal and or advanced metallurgical wear that may be going on. From a forensics aspect, a considerable degree of both contamination and wear can be captured in filters or magnetic screens within a lubricated systems which might never be detected in an oil sample. Thus, it is important to increase the awareness of the extreme value in filter analysis. At first glance, it may not seem sophisticated, sexy, or leading edge, but it is a fundamental time-tested methodology, and quite effective, nonetheless.

Used Oil Filter Analysis

Used oil filter analysis in equipment reliability refers to the “process of analyzing and monitoring the condition of filters used in various industrial and mechanical systems, such as those in hydraulic systems, air filtration systems, and lubrication systems.” This analysis is an essential part of predictive maintenance and reliability engineering.

9 Advantages of Filter Analysis

The advantages of oil filter analysis in equipment reliability, diagnostics, and trouble shooting are certainly valuable. Here’s just a few points that come to mind.

1. Early Detection of Contamination: Filters are designed to remove contaminants and particulate matter from fluids (such as oil, hydraulic fluid, or air) to protect critical components and maintain system efficiency. Filter analysis can detect the presence of contaminants before they cause significant damage to equipment, helping prevent costly breakdowns and downtime. Remember that filters are designed and manufactured to catch said anomalies and prevent that contamination from further doing damage within the closed system.
2. Improved Equipment Lifespan: By identifying and addressing contamination issues early, filter analysis can extend the lifespan of equipment and components. Contaminants can accelerate wear and tear on critical parts, leading to premature failure. Proper maintenance based on filter analysis results can mitigate this risk.
3. Cost Savings: Preventive maintenance and timely replacement of filters can be far more cost-effective than reactive maintenance and major repairs or equipment replacement. Filter analysis helps optimize filter change-out schedules and reduce overall maintenance costs and can assist in pinpointing the wear location and to what extent.
4. Enhanced System Efficiency: Clean fluids and air are essential for maintaining the efficiency of mechanical systems. Clogged or dirty filters can lead to reduced system performance and increased energy consumption. Filter analysis ensures filters are changed at the right time, minimizing system downtime and energy waste. Filters that are plugged can and do lead to by-pass.
5. Reduced Environmental Impact: Proper filter maintenance helps prevent leaks and spills of contaminated fluids, which can have adverse environmental effects. By ensuring filters are changed or cleaned when necessary, filter analysis contributes to environmentally responsible operations.
6. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Filter analysis involves collecting data on filter performance over time. This data can be used to establish trends, identify patterns, and make informed decisions about maintenance schedules and equipment upgrades. You might even find it extremely useful when evaluating your current verses other vendor options at contract renewal or RFP time to compare the capabilities of your current vendor to other options.
7. Increased Safety: In some industries, equipment reliability is critical for safety. For example, in aviation, hydraulic systems must operate flawlessly to ensure safe flight. Filter analysis helps maintain the reliability and safety of critical equipment.
8. Regulatory Compliance: Many industries are subject to regulations that require regular maintenance and monitoring of equipment, including filtration systems. Filter analysis helps organizations demonstrate compliance with these regulations.
9. Better Inventory Management: By analyzing filter performance and predicting replacement needs, organizations can manage filter inventories more efficiently, reducing excess inventory costs and ensuring filters are readily available when needed.

Summary

This short article is not intended to be all inclusive or a “Silver Bullet”; however, in my opinion and experience, used oil filter analysis is a proactive approach to equipment reliability that offers numerous advantages. In this day and age when companies are not looking to spend money, but to save money, a Maintenance Leader and skilled operator values structure and order rather than chaos and shooting from the hip with rash and hasty decisions. At Fluid Life, with our best-in-class sample turnaround times and customer experience, let us help you on implementing a routine filter analysis program. The “Road to Operational Excellence” need not be difficult when you partner with a friend not just a vendor, so let us schedule a time to discuss this and many other value driven solutions.

Photo: Katya Tokusheva

Today,  social media has become one of the most important marketing channels to promote many businesses. More than ever, they have managed to bring customers closer to brands.

And while for many of us, taking pictures with our phones using  special filters  to style and distinguish our photos in the ocean from social media is a fun endeavor, when it comes to product photography, we know that this type of filters can compromise the quality of our product.

As customers expect more and more from e-commerce retailers, the strength of the product frame can hardly be overlooked  and images for online stores are best to be realistic. In this line of thought we should ask ourselves:

Do we need filters in product photography?

The main goal in product photography has always been to transmit a correct, most natural and understandable signal to consumers.

Yes, the product needs to stand out, to look its best, but without being a reason to move away from its real appearance. That’s why artistic decorations, such as filters, frames, shades and oversaturation should be avoided.

Filters – advantages and disadvantages of using them in product photography

The filter is an accessory that photographers use to enhance the image,  especially in creative photography or to create effects. But at the same time, filters have the ability to ruin a seemingly good frame by degrading the image, changing colors or not reflecting the texture of the product properly.

The application of filters in photography depends on the specific genre of photography and the end result that is intended to be achieved.

They find the widest adaptation among landscape painters. But if we look at the publications of some product photographers we will notice that many of them use polarization filters on their lenses in the studio, with which they manage to control reflections, and sometimes resort to neutral density filters to achieve more balanced composition.

Filters with the most common use in product photography can be reduced to:

• Ultraviolet filters (UV) – block ultraviolet light.
• The CPL (polarizing) filter polarizes the light that enters the camera, which removes the reflected light, especially from water and glass. We need to know that some surfaces, such as metal, do not polarize the reflected light.
• The ND filter (neutral density) limits the intensity of the light entering the camera sensor without affecting the colors. Operated by rotation.

Advantages of using filters in product photography

Best practices show that filters are useful when realizing product photography outdoors. Whether we’re battling glare or too much sunlight, they offer a great way to avoid overexposing the frame.

To avoid burnt or dark areas, as well as unexposed foreground, the ND filter can be a suitable solution and improve the exposure of the whole image.

Polarizing filters in turn, selectively reduce reflected light, especially on glass and water surfaces. If you want to get rid of reflections that are a significant drawback when capturing jewelry, gems, shiny objects and items or utensils, one turn of the polarizing filter can do a good job. This will definitely make it easier and save you time in post-processing.

Photo: www.youtube.comthevegandy

Photo: www.youtube.comthevegandy

The filters are convenient for accentuating the atmosphere, adding a sense of dynamism.

If you want to create more movement to a static looking scene or a beautiful bokeh background in bright sunlight, put a neutral density filter. Its purpose is to minimize the entire amount of light. This will ensure much lower shutter speeds than would be possible, even with settings with the lowest ISO values ​​and maximum aperture.

Images of lifestyle products can be enlivened with polarizing filters because you have the ability to control the color or where to emphasize.

For action shots and videos a quality lens is more important than the body. Therefore, more than anything else, you will need a high quality UV filter that will protect the valuable lens from scratches or wear.

It is very likely that the photos of sporting goods and equipment will be taken in the mountains, where the environment will be harsher, so a UV filter can be a wise purchase.

Photo: https://www.ridestore.com/

ND filters, on the other hand, are extremely convenient for videographers and filmmakers because they often have limited options for shutter speed variations when shooting. The ND filter will allow shots to be dimmed to the correct exposure, without the need to adjust the shutter speed.

Filters are a great way to improve color and contrast.

The polarizing filter can also help for more vivid colors. It is effective for restoring the actual color saturation and improving the contrast in the images, especially for scenes intended for realization in a natural environment, such as forests, waterfalls or greenery.

With its help you can reveal more color in the vegetation and get nice contrasts in the images.

Photo: https://www.bcolemanphoto.wordpress.com

Photo: https://www.bcolemanphoto.wordpress.com

Filters are often used to protect equipment. It makes sense to place a lens filter to protect the front lens of the lens from dust, debris, splashes, dirt and even breakage. In practice, a UV filter is used for this purpose. It is important to note that the choice of a high-quality option is particularly important to have high light transmission and to minimize possible distortions and reflections.

In some cases, filters can save money. If you want to take detailed pictures of food, jewelry or accentuate an element of the product, you will inevitably need a macro lens, and they are not cheap at all. The most effective and cheaper option is to get macro filters, which are placed on a lens with a fixed focal length. And the product photographer has one in his equipment.

Macro filters will allow you to get close enough to the subject without losing clarity and focus.

Filters such as IR (infrared), such as special effects, heating, cooling, etc., would find a place in commercial and advertising photography, but are rarely used when shooting products.

To some extent, most filters can be replaced with post-treatment, but the reduction of reflections with polarization filters and long exposures with ND filters cannot be repeated in post-treatment.

Disadvantages when using filters in product photography

When working in a studio with controlled lighting, using a polarizing filter can be a challenge and complicate the whole process, especially in cases where constant adjustment of the camera settings is required. To balance light sources, professional photographers more often control flashes and avoid the use of filters.

If you do not want to risk changing the texture of clothes, for example, give up filters in the studio.

Note that if you are shooting outdoors where the ambient light levels are too high, there is a risk of using a filter that may affect the shadow areas and add color accent to the images, which is an unpleasant effect on the final quality. of the image.

One of the disadvantages of macro filters is that the images will not be as sharp and detailed as they would be if they were taken with a macro lens.

Using a UV filter in the studio is completely unnecessary and pointless, unless it serves to protect the front lens of the lens.

From this comparative characteristic of the advantages and disadvantages of filters in product photography, it is clear that they are used mainly when shooting products outdoors and less often in the studio.

And yes, if we look at it from another perspective, modern trends in many respects make us look for a natural environment for products and more and more often we find ourselves outside. Think of all products made with natural ingredients – soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, natural foods or eco-friendly “green” products, food supplements.

Photo: https://www.apivita.com

In fact, photography of outdoor products proves to be a significant challenge compared to studio photography. Therefore, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of using filters in product photography can be an advantage for creating high-quality visual content, which today appears as e-commerce email.