What is the role of an engine air pre-cleaner?

For extreme environments and heavy-duty industries, a high level of dust and debris is commonplace. As a result, the engines inside mobile equipment used by certain industries can quickly become contaminated and clogged with particles. This can lead to irreversible damage and premature engine failure.

Although engines are equipped with air quality equipment to remove contamination, sometimes the amount is so great that the air cleaner reaches capacity quickly. While a simple engine cleaning service can solve this problem, the downtime becomes too costly for companies. This can be solved by using a pre-cleaner.

What is an air pre-cleaner?

A pre-cleaner is an air quality device that removes most of the dirt and debris from incoming air. It is installed in the intake system of an engine before the air cleaner, making it an effective method to remove particles before they reach the filter. This extends the life of the filter and protects the engine.

There are many types of pre-cleaners available including powered and non-powered forms. All of them typically achieve the same thing; to keep contaminants from entering the intake duct of heavy-duty mobile equipment.

Air quality equipment

How does a pre-cleaner work?

Dirt particles are heavier than air, so regardless of what direction the flow of air is going, these heavy particles can still travel in the same direction. A pre-cleaner that uses a separation process to remove dirt, the flow of dirt splits from the flow of air. While some pre-cleaner devices eject debris out or collect contaminants in a bowl, others are connected to a system that routes debris out of the exhaust.

Pre-cleaners work by spinning incoming dust into a circle. This allows heavy particles to settle and, depending on the type of device, are ejected from the intake of air or fall into a trap.

What are the benefits of engine pre-cleaners?

By reducing the number of contaminants clogging the engine of heavy-duty equipment, engine pre-cleaners extend the life of the air filter and reduces downtime from constant servicing. This ultimately saves industries money from needing to replace expensive mobile equipment.

Industries that benefit from engine air pre-cleaners are: