Automotive Filter Products and Industry Overview

The life of a car depends largely on the life of its heart, the engine. Overloading, high-speed driving, bad driving habits of starting and stopping, etc. may all lead to a reduction in the performance and life of the engine. But the greatest harm to engine performance and longevity should be dirt and pollution. They are the engine's number one killer. The filter is the only way to avoid dirt and contamination. Therefore, in a sense, the filter, which is one of the 60 key parts of a car, is the protective car engine.

Since the advent of the engine, people gradually realized from practice that the engine must have a filtering device. If the filter is not installed, the wear of the engine will be unusually fast. In particular, modern high-speed engines wear faster. With the advancement of engine technology, the requirements for filters have become higher and higher. The importance of filters to the performance and life of engines is becoming more and more known. Many automotive engineers believe that one of the main reasons why modern engines have a long life is to have an effective filtration system.

[Filter type]

The engine has three kinds of air, oil and fuel filters, commonly referred to as "three filters." They are responsible for filtering the media in the intake system, lubrication system, and combustion system of the engine. The air cleaner is located in the engine air intake system. It is an assembly of one or more clean air filter components. Its main role is to filter out harmful impurities in the air that will enter the cylinder to reduce the early wear of cylinders, pistons, piston rings, valves and valve seats. There are two types of air filters, dry and wet.

Dry air filters are filters that separate airborne impurities through a dry filter element, such as a paper filter. Air filters used in light vehicles (including cars, mini cars) are generally single-stage. Its shape is oblate or oval and flat. Filter material is filter paper or non-woven fabric. The filter cover is covered with metal or polyurethane and the housing material is metal or plastic. In the rated air volume flow, the original filter efficiency should not be less than 99.5%. Due to the harsh working environment, heavy-duty vehicles must have a large number of air filters. The first stage is a cyclone pre-filter (such as blade ring, swirl tube, etc.), used to filter out coarse particles impurities, the filtration efficiency is more than 80%, the second-stage fine filtration is a microporous paper filter (generally called the main The filter element) has a filtration efficiency of 99.5% or more. The main filter element is followed by a safety filter element whose function is to prevent dust from entering the engine during installation and replacement of the main filter element or when the main filter element accidentally fails. Safety core materials are mostly non-woven fabrics, but also use filter paper.

Wet air filters include both oil-immersed and oil bath types. Oil-immersed type is through an oil-impregnated filter element to separate the impurities in the air. The filter material includes metal wire fabric and foam material. The oil bath type is to suck in the dusty air that is sucked into the oil pool to remove most of the dust, and then further filter when the air with the oil mist passes through a filter element wound from the wire, the oil droplets and the blocked oil. Dust returns to the sump. Oil bath air filters are now commonly used in agricultural institutions and marine power.

The oil filter is located in the engine lubrication system. Its upstream is the oil pump and downstream is the parts that need to be lubricated in the engine. Its role is to filter out the harmful impurities from the oil sump of the oil sump, and use the clean oil to supply the crankshaft, connecting rod, camshaft, supercharger, piston ring, etc., to act as lubrication, cooling, and cleaning. To extend the life of these components, the oil filter can be divided according to the structure of removable, spin-mounted, centrifugal; according to the arrangement in the system can be divided into full-flow, split type. Filter materials used in oil filters include filter paper, felt, metal mesh, and non-woven fabrics. Prior to the 1980s, the oil filters used in the Chinese engines were mostly interchangeable. The filter of this structure is to put the filter element and other parts, such as springs, sealing rings, etc. into a metal shell, and the shell filter element and the like are connected and fixed with a metal filter seat through a pull rod. Its advantage is that the use of low cost, just regular maintenance and replacement of the filter element can be. The disadvantage is that there are too many seal points, and the maintenance and replacement of the filter element may cause leakage of parts, which can easily cause loopholes, and the replacement is time-consuming.

Since the early 1980s, after the introduction of the spin-on filter production line from Italy in the first filter filter plant in China, the spin-on filter has gradually been approved for use by domestic OEMs. This filter is characterized by the internal check valve, bypass valve, seal only one, the overall replacement, greatly improving the sealing, and easy to replace, the filter material used imported filter paper, so the filter efficiency is high, Flow resistance is small, long life. All domestic cars use this type of oil filter. Most of the mini-vehicles and large, medium and small passenger vehicles, light and medium-duty trucks as well as some heavy-duty trucks and agricultural vehicles have adopted spin-on oil. Filter.

Centrifugal oil filter has a rotor sleeved on a shaft, and there are two nozzles with opposite injection directions. When the oil enters the rotor and comes out of the nozzle, the rotor rotates quickly to make the oil in the rotor body clean. The impurities in the oil are centrifugally thrown onto the inner wall of the rotor, and the oil from the nozzle flows back to the oil pan. Centrifugal oil filter is characterized by stable performance, reliable structure, there is no need to replace the filter element, as long as the rotor is disassembled regularly, cleaning the dirt deposited on the rotor wall can be reused. Its life can be equal to the engine. Its deficiency lies in its complex structure, high price, heavy weight, and high technical requirements for users.

Full-flow oil filters, such as replaceable, spin-on, split-flow centrifugal, etc., filter all oil entering the system. The split filter filters only 5% to 10% of the oil supplied by the oil pump. Split oil filters are fine filters, which are generally used in conjunction with full flow. Most of the low-power engines only use full-flow filters, while the more powerful diesel engines use full-flow plus shunt filters. Fuel filters include diesel filters, fuel filters, and natural gas filters. Its role is to filter out harmful particles and moisture in the engine's fuel oil system to protect the oil pump nozzle, cylinder liner, piston ring, etc., to reduce wear and avoid clogging.

The structure of the diesel fuel filter is roughly the same as that of the oil filter. There are two kinds of interchangeable and spin-fit filters. However, its working pressure and oil temperature requirements are much lower than those of oil filters, but its filter efficiency requirements are much higher than those of oil filters. Diesel filter filters are mostly made of filter paper, but also use felt or polymer materials. In addition to filtering mechanical impurities in diesel fuel, diesel filters have an important function of filtering water. The existence of water is extremely harmful to the diesel engine oil supply system. Corrosion, wear, and seizure may even worsen the combustion process of diesel fuel. The water removal method of diesel filtration system is mainly precipitation. Either set a precipitation chamber in the lower part of the filter or use a special setter. No matter whether it is the sedimentation chamber in the lower part of the filter or a special setter, it is equipped with a drain valve. When the water accumulates to a certain amount, the valve is opened to discharge water.

Gasoline filters are divided into carburetor type and electric spray type. Gasoline engines with carburetor are used. The fuel filter is located on the side of the inlet side of the oil pump. The working pressure is small. The nylon shell is generally used, and the fuel injection engine is used. The fuel filter is located on the side of the outlet of the fuel pump and has a high working pressure. Metal casing is usually used. Filter filters for fuel filters are mostly made of filter paper, and nylon cloth and polymer materials are also used.

【Filter related technical standards】

China's filter product technical standards are divided into four levels, national standards, industry standards, local standards and corporate standards. According to its content is divided into technical conditions, test methods, connection size, series parameters, quality points, etc., in order to facilitate the filter manufacturers and users to fully grasp the filter standard, a few days ago the China Automotive Industry Association vehicle filter The Cleaner Committee and China Chamber of Internal Combustion Engines Filter Association compiled a book entitled "Compilation of Filter Technology Standards." "Compilation" includes the current national standards, industry standards and industry internal standards of filters that have been released before 1999. The product standards implemented by filter manufacturers are mostly determined by the requirements of the supporting OEMs. With the increase of domestic OEMs and the introduction of new models. International standard (ISO) and filter technology standards in some advanced countries are also introduced and used accordingly, such as Japan (HS), the United States (SAE), Germany (DIN), France (NF), etc. The standard to be understood by general users of the device (drivers, workshops (stations)) should be the technical conditions. There are 12 such standards approved by the State Administration of Machinery (formerly the State Ministry of Machinery). The standard code and standard names are as follows:

1.JB/T5087-1991 Engine oil filter paper filter element technical conditions

2.JB/T5088-1991 Spin-on Oil Filter Specifications

3.JB/T5089-1991 Internal Combustion Engine Paper Filter Oil Filter Assembly Technical Conditions

4.JB/T6018-1992 Centrifugal Oil Filter Rotor Assembly Technical Conditions

5.JB/T6019-1992 Separation Centrifugal Oil Filter Specifications

6.JB/T5239-1991 diesel engine paper filter diesel filter assembly technical conditions

7.JB/T5240-1991 diesel engine filter paper filter core technical conditions

8.JB/T5241-1991 Spiral-mounted Diesel Filter Specifications

9.JB/T6004-1992 Engine oil bath and oil immersed air filter assembly technical conditions

10.JB/T6007-1992 Engine oil bath and oil-immersed air filter element specifications

11.JB/T9755-1999 internal combustion engine paper filter air filter assembly specifications

12.JB/T9756-1999 Internal Combustion Engine Air Filter Paper Filter Specifications

These standards specify specific specifications for the oil filter, diesel filter, air filter, and three filter elements. In addition, the QC/T48-1992 automotive gasoline filter approved by China National Automobile Industry Corporation also provides specifications for fuel filters.

[Domestic Filter Market Status]

At present, the country’s total social vehicle ownership is approximately 16 million vehicles, and the annual demand for automobiles is 2 million, plus four-wheeled agricultural vehicles. Their ownership and demand exceed 19 million vehicles and 2.5 million vehicles, respectively. These vehicles are equipped with filters. The annual demand (including filter elements) exceeds 120 million. The vast majority of such filters are produced by domestic filter manufacturers. There are more than 1,000 filter manufacturers in China. The production scale, production conditions, testing methods, and product quality of these companies are uneven. There are excellent enterprises with good production equipment, perfect testing methods, large production scale, and reliable product quality. There are also general enterprises with production conditions, certain testing equipment, and the product quality can be guaranteed; but more are some production equipment. Simplistically, there is no hand-workshop-style enterprise that detects equipment. Most of these companies did not conduct the final test of the product.

Due to the mixed quality of filter companies, the auto parts market is turbulent and even counterfeit filters flood the market. The filter is originally used to filter out harmful impurities, so that the engine can work properly under various conditions and can achieve the required service life. However, these counterfeits, especially those with poor quality, cannot achieve the above-mentioned effects at all and thus bring various hazards to the engine. Commonly there are the following kinds: --Using low price filter paper to make filter element, because of its large filter paper hole, poor uniformity, low filtration efficiency, can not effectively filter out the harmful impurities on the engine, causing early engine wear.

- Use low-quality adhesive, and the amount is very small, not oil, it can not be firmly bonded, resulting in short-circuit filter joints; or filter joints using staple connections, can not seal and short circuit, so that a large number of harmful impurities into The engine reduces engine life.

-- Replaces oil-resistant rubber parts with ordinary rubber parts. In the course of use, or due to seal failure of internal seals, internal short-circuits in the filter result in early wear of the engine, diminished service life, or deformation due to expansion of the external seal, resulting in oil seal outside the filter. Out of the circle, a lot of oil is drained in a short time, causing the engine to burn tiles and hold the shaft and suffer serious damage.

- The air filter housing parts welded with spot welding instead of seam welding, can not guarantee the sealing, the formation of a short circuit. - The oil filter center tube material is thin and thick, and the strength is not enough. In the process of use, the central tube sucks, the filter element breaks and blocks the oil circuit, resulting in insufficient lubrication of the engine; or the reliability of the mouthpiece is poor, and the mouthpiece is pulled during use. Open, resulting in a large amount of oil leakage in a short period of time, resulting in burning tiles, hold the shaft.

- The metal components such as the end cap of the filter element, the central tube, and the housing are not subjected to rust-proof treatment, resulting in corrosion of the metal and impurities, so that the filter becomes a pollution source. What's more, using cement instead of adhesives is more harmful. Therefore, users are advised to exercise caution when changing the filter. It is best to use original accessories to avoid unnecessary economic losses.