PLEAT SUPPORT FOR FILTER ELEMENTS

Pleat support netting - also known as pleat spacers or filter support mesh - is a structural component used in pleated filter elements to maintain uniform pleat spacing. Made from extruded plastic mesh, it ensures that the filter media retains its shape under pressure, preventing pleat collapse and optimizing airflow or fluid flow. This results in improved filtration efficiency, lower pressure drop, and extended filter service life.

Pleat support netting is a structural mesh - typically made from extruded thermoplastics like polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA6), or polyester (PBT) - used to stabilize pleated filter media. It ensures that pleats remain evenly spaced and do not collapse under pressure or flow stress.

This structural integrity is critical for maintaining consistent flow distribution, maximizing the effective surface area of the filter, and preventing premature clogging. Without proper pleat support, filters can suffer from uneven loading, increased pressure drop, and reduced service life.

Extruded plastic mesh offers several advantages over traditional metal mesh in filter applications. It is corrosion-resistant, lightweight, recyclable, and safer to handle. Unlike metal mesh, plastic netting does not rust or degrade in humid or chemically aggressive environments. It also reduces shipping and handling costs and can be easily laminated to filter media during production.

• Corrosion Resistance: Plastic netting is inherently resistant to rust and chemical degradation, making it ideal for use in humid, acidic, or chemically aggressive environments.
• Lightweight: Plastic meshes are significantly lighter than metal, reducing shipping costs and simplifying handling during filter assembly.
• Recyclability: Most plastic meshes are 100% recyclable and incinerable, supporting sustainability goals and simplifying end-of-life disposal.
• Safety and Processing: Plastic netting eliminates sharp edges, reducing the risk of injury during manufacturing and installation. It can also be easily laminated or bonded to filter media during pleating.

Pleat support meshes are typically made from high-performance thermoplastics such as polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA6), and polyester (PBT). These materials are 100% recyclable, incinerable, and free from heavy metals. Many pleat support solutions are designed to meet sustainability goals by offering eco-friendly, metal-free alternatives that reduce environmental impact.

• Polypropylene (PP): Lightweight, chemically resistant, and cost-effective.
• Polyamide (PA6/Nylon): Offers excellent mechanical strength and thermal resistance.
• Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT): Known for dimensional stability and resistance to high temperatures and chemicals.

These materials are fully recyclable and can be incinerated without releasing toxic byproducts. We offer metal-free, eco-friendly pleat supports that align with circular economy principles.
Additives such as UV stabilizers, flame retardants, and antistatic agents can also be incorporated to meet specific environmental or regulatory requirements.

Yes. High-performance pleat support netting made from PA6 or PBT can withstand continuous operating temperatures up to 160 °C and is resistant to oils, fuels, acids, and cleaning agents. This makes it ideal for use in automotive filters, hydraulic systems, and industrial filtration applications where thermal and chemical stability are critical.

• Thermal Resistance: PA6 and PBT-based meshes can withstand continuous operating temperatures up to 150–160 °C, making them suitable for engine air intake, hydraulic, and industrial process filters.
• Chemical Compatibility: These materials resist degradation from oils, fuels, acids, and cleaning agents, ensuring long-term performance in chemically aggressive applications.
• Mechanical Stability: The extruded structure maintains its shape under pressure and flow, preventing pleat deformation even in high-velocity or high-pressure systems.

These properties are critical for applications in automotive, aerospace, and industrial filtration, where filters are exposed to extreme conditions.

Pleat support netting enhances filter performance by maintaining consistent pleat spacing, which ensures even contaminant loading and optimal flow distribution. This reduces pressure drop, increases dirt holding capacity (DHC), and extends the operational life of the filter. It also enables the use of more pleats in a compact design, improving overall filtration capacity.

• Uniform Pleat Spacing: Prevents pleats from collapsing or sticking together, ensuring even distribution of flow and contaminant loading.
• Lower Pressure Drop: By maintaining open pleats, the netting reduces resistance to airflow or fluid flow, improving energy efficiency.
• Extended Service Life: Even loading and structural support reduce the risk of premature clogging or media failure, allowing filters to operate longer between replacements.
• Higher Dirt Holding Capacity (DHC): Stable pleats enable more media to be packed into a filter, increasing its capacity to capture contaminants.

These benefits are especially important in high-performance systems where downtime or reduced efficiency can be costly.

Yes. Pleat support mesh can be customized in terms of mesh geometry (diamond, square), strand density, thickness, polymer type, and functional additives (e.g., UV resistance, flame retardants). Customization ensures compatibility with various filter media and production processes, making it suitable for HVAC, medical, water, and industrial filtration systems.

• Mesh Geometry: Diamond or square patterns tailored to specific flow and strength requirements.
• Strand Density and Thickness: Adjustable to balance rigidity and flexibility.
• Material Selection: Choose from a wide polymer toolbox (PP, PE, PA, PBT, TPE, PPS, PVDF, etc.) based on chemical and thermal compatibility.
• Additives: UV resistance, flame retardancy, antistatic properties, anti-fungal, and more.
• Color Coding: For easy identification and brand differentiation.

Customization ensures optimal integration with various filter media and production processes, whether for HVAC, medical, or industrial applications.

Pleat support netting is widely used in HVAC filters, automotive air and oil filters, industrial process filters, water purification systems, and medical filtration devices. Its versatility, durability, and compatibility with various filter media make it a preferred choice across multiple sectors.

• HVAC: Ensures structural integrity in air filters for residential, commercial, and industrial ventilation systems.
• Automotive: Supports pleats in cabin air or oil filters, where high airflow and temperature resistance are essential.
• Industrial Filtration: Used in hydraulic, fuel, and chemical process filters that require robust, chemically resistant materials.

The versatility of plastic netting makes it a preferred choice for OEMs and filter manufacturers across these sectors.

GESSNER offers a comprehensive portfolio of pleat support products:

• Naltex™ Diamond Netting: Provides high rigidity and flexibility, ideal for air and liquid filtration. Its diamond-shaped apertures ensure optimal flow and pleat stability.
• Conwed™ Square Netting: Manufactured via continuous extrusion with integral joints, offering high strength and lightweight performance. Suitable for containment and reinforcement.
• Delnet™ Apertured Films: Thin, flexible films with customizable hole size and geometry. Ideal for applications requiring minimal thickness and high conformability.

Each product line is available in various polymers and configurations, and can be combined with nonwovens to create ready-to-convert filter media composites - streamlining production and enhancing performance.