Industrial Hydraulics
WIX, with a long history in mobile hydraulics filtration, sees industrial hydraulic applications as an opportunity to expand current mobile offerings, as well as to offer appropriate technology to a new market. According to the company, contaminated hydraulic fluid is the root cause of more than 70 percent of all hydraulic system failures. WIX entered the industrial hydraulics market last year and its line continues to grow.
"The hydraulics arena provides WIX with a good growth area,"said Bruce Johnston, brand manager, WIX Filtration Products. The company will use its broad distribution network of auto parts suppliers to service and make industrial hydraulic filtration products available to manufacturing plant locations.
"We entered the hydraulic filter market because, frankly, we have a lot to offer," said Chris Greeson, senior technical service manager, WIX Filtration Products. "As a company, we have made terrific engineering advances in our heavy-duty filter line - many of which have been incorporated into our industrial hydraulic filters." When asked about his dream filter media, Greeson said: "It's about media development and compositions that meet customers' needs. Multi-layer, waterproof - with the ability to run 4 to 5 microns with 30- to 40-gallon-per-minute flow and less than 1-psi [pound per square inch] drop - but we need faster development without nonwovens suppliers being nervous."
The industrial hydraulic products will focus on return side applications, typically running to 300 psi, with the largest filter measuring 39 inches tall by 6 inches in diameter. WIX is fully equipped to meet beta ratios specified by plant engineers for their applications, and also offers fluid analysis.