McLanahan, Diefenbach introduce QUICKCHANGE to ‘transform’ filter press maintenance

McLanahan, in collaboration with its sister company Diefenbach, introduced the QUICKCHANGE™ system – a patent-pending innovation set to transform filter press maintenance – to a new audience at bauma 2025, in Munich, Germany, this week.

Engineered for speed, simplicity and safety, this technology streamlines filter cloth replacement and filter plate inspection, slashing downtime and boosting operational efficiency, the companies claim. The QUICKCHANGE system will be available through McLanahan, Diefenbach and Eagle Iron Works starting this year.

McLanahan explains: “The QUICKCHANGE’s design reimagines filter cloth maintenance with an innovative design that allows cloths to glide effortlessly in and out during replacement. Unlike traditional methods requiring extensive manual labour or specialised lifting equipment, QUICKCHANGE enables operators to perform maintenance at ground level in minutes – reducing the industry-standard replacement time of 10-20 minutes per cloth to just 1-2 minutes. This dramatic reduction in changeout time minimises downtime and maximises productivity.”

Safety is a cornerstone of the QUICKCHANGE system. By eliminating the need for personnel to climb onto or inside filter presses for cloth changeout, the risks associated with working at heights or in confined spaces can be drastically mitigated, the company states. The streamlined process also reduces dependence on slow-moving overhead lifting equipment, further enhancing safety and efficiency. Filter cloths can be removed for quick cloth or filter plate inspection at eye level without the need to lift plates out of the filter press.

Beyond speed and safety, QUICKCHANGE delivers cost-saving innovation, according to McLanahan. Traditional systems require replacing filter cloths on both sides of a plate when one fails, but QUICKCHANGE allows operators to replace only the damaged side, cutting material waste and long-term maintenance costs. A specially designed feed shoe protects high-wear areas around the feed hole, extending cloth lifespan and ensuring consistent, high-performance filtration.

“Efficiency and safety drive everything we do,” Cory Jenson, Executive Vice President of Sales and Business Development at McLanahan, says. “Teaming up with Diefenbach – a pioneer in liquid-solid separation since 1907 – we’ve created a game-changer. QUICKCHANGE gets plants back online faster and safer, slashing downtime from filter cloth changeouts.”

Alessandro Felicani, Managing Director of Diefenbach, added: “Filter cloth replacement has long been the leading cause of downtime for filter presses in the mining, aggregates and water treatment industries. With QUICKCHANGE, we’ve reduced that downtime for cloth changeout by a factor of ten or more.”

Building on McLanahan’s and Diefenbach’s legacies of innovation, the QUICKCHANGE system is tailored for filtration in industries like mining, aggregates, chemicals and wastewater management.