The Alfa Laval LKVF is a hygienic coarse strainer that sits inline upstream of pumps, membrane filters, control valves, and heat exchangers to intercept coarse particles before they cause damage. Its role is unglamorous but critical: keep 1–3 mm solids out of equipment that was never designed to handle them.

Inline coarse filter — how the LKVF protects pumps and membrane filtration

Liquid enters the strainer through the recommended inlet (A) and is forced through a perforated filter element. Particles collect on the inside of the element, where they remain contained until the next cleaning interval. When the handle points downward or the strainer is mounted horizontally, captured solids stay inside the element during removal, which keeps the surrounding area clean. Maximum product pressure is 1000 kPa (10 bar) on inlet A, with a full-vacuum minimum, giving designers comfortable headroom for typical hygienic process duties.

AISI 316 strainer construction and hygienic design

The housing comprises an inlet and outlet with the filter element fixed inside the flow path. The element itself is a perforated tube welded to a flange with a handle; the flange clamps onto a ferrule on the casing so the element lifts out without tools. Product-wetted steel parts are AISI 316 acid-resistant steel; other steel parts are AISI 304. The standard surface finish is semi-bright. EPDM is the standard seal material, with NBR or PTFE available where process chemistry or temperature demands an alternative. Operating temperature spans -10 °C to 140 °C with EPDM.

Flexible filter element selection: ordering hole sizes 1, 2, or 3 mm

At order, the filter element straining hole size is specified as 1, 2, or 3 mm. The corresponding filter element perforation table lists three actual perforation diameters: ø2.0 mm with 23% open area, ø3.5 mm with 30%, and ø5.0 mm with 33%. Smaller perforations retain finer particles; larger perforations preserve more open area for higher flow. Total strainer area is 430 cm² for the 25, 38, and 51 mm sizes and 840 cm² for the 63.5 and 76.1 mm sizes, giving designers two distinct surface-area bands to match line size and expected solids loading.

Bidirectional flow and easy cleaning

The perforated tube is engineered to withstand pressure drop in both flow directions, so the LKVF can be installed with inlet B as the entry point when piping geometry requires it. Maximum product pressure in that orientation is 700 kPa (7 bar). Clamp-off element removal supports the source-stated benefit of being easy to install and clean, reducing downtime for manual cleaning.

Specified through Euroflow as Alfa Laval Master Distributor for southern Germany, the LKVF is a low-risk component choice backed by Alfa Laval engineering and regional technical support. Pressure drop and capacity diagrams are available on request to confirm fit against expected duty points.