Non-Metallic Basket Strainer Solves Cracking

Huntsville, Ala., Oct 26, 2015 — Fluidtrol has launched the GX Series, a non-metallic inline basket strainer designed to prevent lid cracks and fitting cracks by reducing stress concentration points up to 50% over previous generations of corrosion-resistant aquatic and industrial strainers.

“Our new fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) design offers a strength-to-weight ratio four times greater than steel, as well as significant stress-reduction geometry enhancements that will deliver high performance flow rates for up to 30 years,” said Erik Shell, CEO of Fluidtrol. “We originally developed this technology for use in corrosive industrial water systems, but we can customize this solution for anyone – from commercial pools to municipalities.”

To design the lid alone, Fluidtrol used a volumetric mesh finite element analysis with over 18,000 calculation nodes that accurately tested every possible cause for fatigue. Fluidtrol was able to reduce vent stress concentration up to 50%, reduce bolt hole stress up to 30%, and reduce gasket interface stress up to 50% over previous models. The final design was hydrostatic tested to ASME standards to ensure consistent performance in real-world conditions.

Fluidtrol has also released a white paper that provides a detailed analysis of additional design improvements that reduce pressure loss and increase annular space, as well as provides a comparison of velocity and dynamic pressure profiles of previous models vs. the new GX design. GX design improvements also apply to the Fluidtrol SW series, the general water counterpart to the GX industrial model. 

Visit www.fluidtrol.com to download literature for Fluidtrol’s GX and SW models. If you’d like to discuss your own basket strainer project, please call (888) 551-0511 or fill out the online quotation form.