Quick answer: Replacement filter press cloths are made to the plate, not to the press brand, so any manufacturer can supply cloths for any press if you send the right measurements: plate outside size, the feed hole diameter and position, the filtrate outlet type (corner holes or plate edge), the fixing style (drape-over with a barrel neck, latex edge, caulked, or plate-and-frame sheet), the number of plates, and the fabric you are currently using or the material you are filtering. A worn cloth or a plate drawing settles most questions. Order a full set plus 5–10% spares, and match the fabric to the slurry rather than simply copying the old one if it was not performing.
Any press, any brand
A filter cloth is a textile cut and sewn to fit a specific plate. It does not carry any electronics, fittings or proprietary parts, and the plate dimensions of the major press builders fall into a few standard families (630, 800, 870, 1000, 1200, 1250, 1500, 2000 mm). That is why replacement cloths are a competitive market: the original press maker, specialist cloth weavers and cloth converters all supply them, and the buyer chooses on price, fabric quality and delivery. Presses from other Chinese builders, from European and American makers, and from Indian and Turkish manufacturers all take cloths made to the same set of measurements.
What the supplier needs is a complete specification. Incomplete orders are the main cause of cloths that do not fit, and every measurement below can be taken in ten minutes with a tape and the press open.
The measurements to send
| Item | What to measure or state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Plate size | Outside width and height of the plate in mm (e.g. 1000 × 1000, 1250 × 1250, 1500 × 2000) | Sets the cloth cut size |
| Plate type | Recessed chamber, membrane, or plate-and-frame; chamber depth (e.g. 30 mm) | Chamber and membrane plates take a drape-over cloth; plate-and-frame takes flat sheets; membrane plates may need a different cloth on each face |
| Feed hole | Diameter and position (centre, corner, top, or multiple), measured from the plate edges | The cloth’s neck or hole must sit exactly on the feed port |
| Filtrate outlets | Corner holes (number and diameter, closed or open) or open-flow outlets on the plate edge | Corner holes are cut and hemmed in the cloth; open-flow plates need none |
| Fixing style | Drape-over with a sewn barrel neck; two cloths joined by a neck; latex-sealed edge; caulked into a groove; ties, Velcro or eyelets; plate-and-frame sheet with holes | Decides the sewing pattern; the wrong neck type will not seal at the feed port |
| Barrel neck | Neck inside diameter and length, single or double neck, with or without a rubber sealing ring | Must match the feed port bore |
| Fabric | Existing fabric code if known; otherwise fibre (PP, PET, PA), weave, weight in g/m², air permeability, and any surface finish (calendered, singed) | Sets filtration performance and cake release; the point where a better cloth can be chosen |
| Quantity | Number of plates, plus head and tail plate cloths, which are usually different | A press has (n) plates but (n+1) filtration faces; end plates differ |
| Process | What is being filtered, temperature, pH, whether the cake must release cleanly, whether the filtrate must be clear | Lets the supplier propose a fabric if the current one is unsatisfactory |
If you have a worn cloth, send it or photograph it flat with a tape across it; if you have the plate drawing, send that. Either one replaces most of the table. Photographs of the plate face, the feed port and the corner holes settle the rest. Our barrel neck vs latex edge vs drape-over article shows the fixing styles.
Copy the old cloth, or improve it?
Replacing like for like is the safe route when the press has been performing well. It is the wrong route when the old cloth blinded quickly, released cake badly, leaked at the ports, or tore early, because those are fabric problems that a fresh copy repeats.
The usual improvements, in order of how often they help:
- Change from multifilament to monofilament or a mono/multi combination when blinding by fines or slow cake release is the complaint. Common on mineral, ceramic, clay and chemical sludges.
- Add a calendered (heat-pressed) surface for cleaner release and a tighter surface without changing the fabric weight.
- Move up in air permeability when filtration is slow and the filtrate is already clear; move down when the filtrate is cloudy in the first minutes of the cycle.
- Change fibre: polypropylene for most duties; polyester where the cloth stretches and creeps under high closing force; polyamide (nylon) for abrasion resistance on sharp mineral slurries, provided the liquor is not acidic.
- Change the fixing: a latex edge or caulked cloth to stop weeping at the plate edge; a double barrel neck with a sealing ring to stop feed port leaks.
Our cloth selection guide covers the fabric parameters in detail, and what causes cloth blinding explains the failure modes. When in doubt, order a trial set of ten cloths in the proposed fabric and run them alongside the old ones in the same press; the difference is obvious within a week.
When to replace
Cloth is a consumable. Typical service life ranges from three months on abrasive mineral slurries to two years on soft biological sludge, and the signs that a set is due are consistent: cycle times lengthening at the same feed, filtrate turning cloudy, cake sticking and having to be scraped, tears at the feed port or on the sealing face, and leakage between plates that cleaning does not cure. Replacing the whole set at once keeps the press balanced; replacing individual torn cloths is fine as a stopgap but leads to a pack of mixed ages that never performs evenly. Our article on how often filter press cloth should be replaced gives the decision points, and cloth price per square metre gives the cost range.
Ordering, lead time and stock
Standard polypropylene cloths for common plate sizes are usually available from stock or within two to three weeks; special fabrics, caulked cloths and unusual plate sizes take longer because the fabric may have to be woven to order. A plant running a press continuously should hold one full set in stock, plus 5–10% loose cloths for individual replacements, and should reorder when the stock set goes into the press. Cloths keep indefinitely if stored dry, out of sunlight and away from heat.
Ask for the fabric specification sheet (fibre, weave, weight, permeability, finish) with every order and keep it with the press records. It is the only way to reorder the same cloth from any supplier later and to compare offers on the same basis.
Cloths for other equipment
The same rules apply to belt press belts, drum and disc filter cloths, and vacuum belt filter cloths, which we also make. See our product centre for the range and the spare parts guide for the other consumables a press uses.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy replacement filter cloths for a press from another manufacturer?
Yes. Cloths are made to the plate dimensions and fixing style, not to the press brand. Send the plate size, feed hole size and position, filtrate outlet type, fixing style, number of plates and the fabric or process details, or simply send a worn cloth or the plate drawing.
What information do I need to order filter press cloth?
Plate outside size, plate type and chamber depth, feed hole diameter and position, corner hole details, fixing style (barrel neck, latex edge, caulked, plate-and-frame sheet), barrel neck dimensions, fabric specification or the material being filtered, and the number of plates including the end plates.
Should I order the same cloth again?
If the press has been running well, yes. If the old cloth blinded, released badly, leaked or tore early, use the reorder as the chance to change the fabric: monofilament or combination weaves, a calendered finish, a different permeability, or a different fibre.
How many spare cloths should I keep?
One full set plus 5–10% loose cloths for individual replacements. Reorder when the stock set goes into the press.
How long does delivery take?
Standard polypropylene cloths for common plate sizes ship from stock or within two to three weeks. Special fabrics, caulked cloths and unusual plate sizes may need the fabric woven to order and take longer.
Are the head and tail plate cloths different?
Usually. The end plates have one filtration face and often a different feed or filtrate arrangement, so their cloths are cut differently. State the number of plates and the supplier will include the end plate cloths in the set.
Send us photographs of a plate and a worn cloth, or your plate drawing, and we will quote a replacement set for any make of press: request a replacement cloth quotation.