The plate-and-frame filter press is the oldest filter press design — patented in 1853 — but it remains the right choice for several specific duties where modern chamber presses fall short.
How Plate-and-Frame Differs from Chamber
A chamber filter press uses recessed plates: each plate has a “pocket” recessed into its face, so a single plate (covered with cloth on both sides) creates half of two adjacent chambers. Cakes are 25-35 mm thick.
A plate-and-frame press alternates flat plates with hollow frames. The frame creates the chamber and cake forms entirely within it. Cake thickness equals the frame thickness — typically 30-60 mm, but can be specified up to 100 mm. This gives plate-and-frame three unique strengths: thicker cakes, easier cake washing through the chamber, and better separation of cake from cloth at discharge.
When to Choose Plate-and-Frame Over Chamber
Specify plate-and-frame if any of these conditions apply: you need cake washing (rinse fluid passed through the cake to remove mother liquor); the slurry is shear-sensitive (pharma fermentation cakes); the cake has commercial value (catalysts, dyes, pigments) and minimal cloth contamination matters; or you need very thick cakes (above 40 mm) for downstream handling. For high-volume dewatering of mining tailings or municipal sludge, chamber presses are still the right choice.
Common Applications
- Pharmaceutical clarification — catalyst recovery, antibiotic broth filtration
- Fine chemicals — dye and pigment cake washing, salt recovery
- Edible oil refining — bleaching earth dewatering with hot oil wash
- Brewery & wine — diatomaceous earth filtration, lees recovery
- Catalyst recovery — noble metal recovery from spent catalyst slurries
- Sugar refining — clarification with carbonation lime mud
For brewery-specific applications, see our yeast filter press article.
Specifications & Customization Options
- Plate size: 470, 630, 800, 1000, 1250, 1500 mm square
- Frame thickness: 25, 32, 40, 50, 75 mm
- Filter area: 5 – 200 m² (smaller than chamber due to lower volumetric capacity)
- Frame material: 304/316L stainless for food/pharma, polypropylene for chemical
- Closing: Manual screw (small), hydraulic (production)
- Wash port options: Through-wash (rinse fluid enters one side, exits opposite) or one-way wash
FAQs
How does cake washing work? After filtration, fresh wash liquid (water, solvent, or buffer) is pumped into the chamber under pressure. It flows through the cake matrix, displacing mother liquor and dissolved impurities. With proper plate-and-frame design, 4-6 chamber volumes of wash give 99%+ impurity removal.
Why are chamber presses more popular today? For high-volume dewatering without washing, chamber presses cycle faster (no frame-only chambers waste pressure) and discharge cake more reliably. Plate-and-frame survives in niche duties where cake quality or washing dominates the value chain.
Can I do “membrane” cake squeeze on plate-and-frame? Less common but possible — diaphragm plates can be specified with frames in between for combination of cake washing AND squeeze dewatering. Used in specialty fine-chemical duty.
Considering plate-and-frame for your duty? Contact Senjie with your cake-washing requirements, cake thickness target, and slurry chemistry — we’ll spec the right plate-and-frame configuration.