How Often Should Hot Melt Equipment Filters be Replaced?

Your hot melt equipment should have multiple filters throughout the system. They are there to help prevent char from your tank getting to the nozzle tip and causing issues. Just like char plugging your nozzles and restricting or stopping adhesive flow, the char can do the same thing to your filters over time.

There are three main filters that your hot melt equipment should have.

Primary Filter/Screen in the Tank

The primary filter inside the tank of your machine can be easily checked by opening the lid and looking into the tank. This should be done weekly to ensure that large chunks of char are not restricting the flow of adhesive out of the tank.

Manifold Filter

The next line of defense in your system is the manifold filter. This should be inspected every three months. When you inspect the filter, be sure to have an O-ring available in case the one in use cracks or breaks during inspection. If the filter is coated in char and restricting the flow of adhesive it will need to be replaced.

Applicator/Inline Filter

The inline/applicator filter should be handled the same way as your manifold filter.

You should start to see a pattern as to how often you replace the filter after inspection. Unless you change adhesives, or the condition of your environment changes that pattern should stay the same. If the filter is not needed to be replaced when inspected, you can start to space out how often you inspect. If the filter needs to be replaced every time you inspect, we would recommend starting to inspect more frequently.

We also recommend flushing and cleaning out your tank each time that you replace your filters, however, this can be a tedious and dangerous task. If your maintenance team does not have the time or has not properly been trained on cleaning hot melt equipment, CGM has your back. We offer Preventative Maintenance Service at your location or in our shop. Our technicians are factory trained and work on hot melt equipment day in and day out.    Contact us to talk about your needs or if you have a Burning Question for our Tech Team!