The air is shimmering over the dusty field, time is pressing as the harvesting operation must be completed before the impending storm - and then this: the air filter element of the agricultural machine needs to be changed. Climate change and the associated longer periods of drought are now ensuring that the number of dusty situations is increasing significantly. One of the consequences can be that engines with clogged filters are no longer supplied with sufficient air, which reduces performance and increases fuel consumption. Depending on the accessibility of the air filter, changing the filter can then take some time. Another common practice is manual mechanical cleaning of the filter element, which often leads to damage. If the damaged element continues to be used, this can in turn lead to increased engine wear and even engine damage. There is a risk of total failure of the machine. The specialists at MANN+HUMMEL have now tackled this whole problem and come up with a clever, typically Swabian solution in the form of the ENTARON XR.

The filter itself

With the ENTARON XR, machine operators can now save themselves the laborious and time-consuming task of changing filters, according to the manufacturer: The new air filter from MANN+HUMMEL cleans itself. Unplanned or preventative cleaning by hand, which can also result in harmful dust particles, is no longer necessary. Thanks to the lower maintenance effort, longer filter service life and longer service life, not only machine operators but also owners of agricultural and construction machinery in particular benefit from the innovative air filter.

Cleaning by pressure surge

The advantages really do sound convincing: a maintenance interval that is up to 25 times longer, less manual servicing, reduced downtimes and higher machine availability. To achieve this, the filtration experts at MANN+HUMMEL have systematically developed their tried-and-tested ENTARON XD two-stage air cleaner. In the XR, a solenoid valve connected to a compressed air reservoir triggers a pneumatic pressure surge that is channelled through a nozzle into the air filter. There it leads to cleaning and removes dust and dirt particles from the surface of the filter element. In order not to miss the right moment for cleaning, a pressure sensor installed on the air filter also ensures that the pulse cleaning is automatically triggered by the vehicle electronics. The dust released during this process is then extracted via the ventilation system or the exhaust system.

Newly developed filter medium

The ENTARON XR also scores points with its filter medium. The MICROGRADE A-C-ME F1 medium used is also a new development and combines the robustness of conventional cellulose-based filter media with a high-performance PTFE membrane. The membrane prevents the filter pores from becoming irreversibly clogged with fine dust particles and should therefore ensure extremely good and reproducible cleanability. It also optimally protects the engine components from harmful dust. The separation efficiency for fine test dust is over 99.997 per cent. This means that the dust passage is around fifty times lower compared to conventional cellulose filter media.

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