The Inside Story - Pon / Cat

The Inside Story
Cat ® Fuel, Oil, and Power Train Filters

Visibly Better
C a t ® F u e l , O i l , a n d
P o w e r T r a i n F i l t e r s
Cat ® Filters are simply made better.
See for yourself. With Cat Filters, the differences are visible. Cat
Filters are manufactured to meet the most demanding engineering
specs for filters—those specified by Caterpillar. Our goal—to see
that Cat Engine, fuel and power train component systems are
protected as well on the day before an oil change as they are the
day after.
Cat Filters offer quality features that other filters don't.
• Acrylic beads to prevent pleat bunching.
• Spiral roving for greater pleat stability.
• A nylon center tube and aluminum base plate to prevent metal
contamination.
• Molded end caps to prevent leaks.
Another quality feature is the heavy gauge can that protects every
Cat Filter. The one-piece design means greater burst pressures, better
performance during cold starts and leaks are virtually eliminated.

Only Cat ® Filters have acrylic beads to
prevent pleat bunching, a common problem
experienced by virtually all other filters.
When pleats bunch, the available filter area
drops significantly. As a result, a filter can go
into bypass and allow contaminants into your
engine or other component systems. Thus
other brands of filters may need to be
replaced before reaching recommended
change intervals.
But with Cat Filters you can see the
difference. Because of acrylic beads,
Cat Filters pleat spacing is rigidly maintained
to maximize the surface area throughout the
life of the filter. Maximum surface area
means maximum filter dirt-holding capacity.
Cat Filters can be relied upon for the entire
recommended change period without
jeopardizing component life. This can
mean fewer oil changes per year,
decreased downtime and
overall operating costs.
Pleat spacing on Cat Filters is rigidly maintained by acrylic beads
to provide maximum filter surface for better engine
and component system protection and longer life than
other filters.
Acrylic Beads
C a t ® F u e l , O i l , a n d P o w e r T r a i n F i l t e r s

Spiral Roving
C a t ® F u e l , O i l , a n d P o w e r T r a i n F i l t e r s
Cat ® Filters feature a unique fiberglass spiral roving to insure
that pleats don't flex, putting an end to pleat movement.
With other brands of filters, pleats are able to move
or “flex.” This can release contaminants into the oil,
fuel, or hydraulic fluid and cause premature wear.
Cat Filters trap and hold contaminants.
The spiral roving on Cat Filters means more effective filtration.
With no “pleat movement” contaminants stay locked in the filter
and out of your engine, drive train, and hydraulic systems.
Every day a machine or engine is started, cold fluid flows
into the filters. Without the pleat stability provided
by spiral roving, many previously trapped
contaminants break loose. These particles
re-enter the system, causing additional
wear, and must be captured again.
Fiberglass spiral roving of Cat ® Filters keeps pleats stable and in place, allowing for better filtration.
In fuel filters, particles breaking loose are not recaptured and cause abrasive injector wear.
This graph illustrates the benefit of spiral roving.
250
45% Increase in Particles Not Trapped
Particles
200
150
100
50
0
123
Cat Filter with Spiral
Roving & Beads
45%
179
Cat Filter without
Spiral Roving

Unlike other filters, Cat ® Filters have a nylon center tube which
means there is no chance of metal contamination. The nonmetallic
center tubes are 30% stronger than metal tubes.
Molded Endcaps
C a t ® F u e l , O i l , a n d P o w e r T r a i n F i l t e r s
Only Cat Filters are made with non-metallic
center tubes to better protect your engine
and other component systems.
By inserting filter pleats into the liquid urethane as the end caps are being formed, a
virtually impenetrable bond is formed to protect your system from contaminants.
Conventional filters have metal center tubes,
which can leave metal contaminants from
the manufacturing process inside the filter.
These metal fragments can lead to scored
bearings and cause damage to other critical
system components.
Cat Filter center tubes are clearly better
because they use fiberglass-reinforced
nylon instead of metal, so there is no chance
of metal contamination. These center tubes
are cleaner and protect components, instead
of possibly causing damage. Plus, Cat nonmetallic
center tubes are 30% stronger than
typical metal tubes to help prevent collapse
during pressure spikes and cold oil start-ups.
Cat ® Filters virtually eliminate
contaminants from entering
the engine, drive train and
hydraulic systems with one-piece,
molded polyurethane end caps.
On other filters, end caps
are metal and are glued directly to
the filter pleats. This can cause gaps
between the metal and pleats that
can allow contaminants to leak
between the filter media and the end cap.
Center Tube
C a t ® F u e l , O i l , a n d P o w e r T r a i n F i l t e r s
Cat Filters' structural integrity is better
because filter pleats are actually inserted
into the liquid urethane as the end caps are
being formed. As the polyurethane hardens
an impenetrable bond is formed between the
pleats and end caps. The possibility of gaps is
eliminated, keeping contaminants in the filter and
out of your system. Cat Filters also feature a one-piece,
aluminum base plate to further protect components from
leaks and ferrous metal contamination.

Out of Sight
Contamination Control
I s N o t O u t O f M i n d
C a t ® F u e l , O i l , a n d P o w e r T r a i n F i l t e r s
Sources of Fuel Contamination
In the fuel
A reliable fuel supplier is your best
defense against source contamination.
Demand periodic sampling and testing
to ensure the consistent quality you
need for top performance.
Dirty fuel is your engine's worst enemy. Silently, quietly, this unseen
villain can rob your engine of power, accelerate wear of sensitive
fuel system components and reduce fuel efficiency. Keeping your
fuel and fuel system clean should be a top priority. With the higher
injection pressures and closer tolerances of today's diesel engines,
clean fuel delivers maximum performance, fuel efficiency,
productivity, and service life.
During operation
In dusty environments, airborne
contaminants can be drawn into
your fuel tank through the vent tube.
Likewise, a vent in the fuel tank cap
can ingest dust if it is not properly
sealed. Contaminants can also develop
during storage, or they can enter the
system through improper fuel transfer.
During Service
Any time your fuel system is open,
whether it is to change filters, make
repairs or for refueling, contaminants
can enter the system.
Advanced efficiency means more protection
Cat ® Advanced Efficiency Fuel Filters are specially designed for
today's higher injector pressures and precision components,
using a super-fine filtration media to remove more than 98 percent
of particles 4 microns and larger. By comparison, standard Cat Fuel
Filters have a minimum particle size of 15 microns. Advanced
Efficiency Fuel Filters result in maximum performance, longer
component life, fewer repairs and lower engine operating costs.
The most measurable and controllable contaminants are
particulates. They can vary greatly in size, hardness and abrasion.
The comparison illustrated below demonstrates the very tight
clearances in your fuel system and the size of particles.
As you can see, even particles that you can't see
(smaller than 80 microns) can wear away at your
fuel injectors and reduce performance.
One critical element in any fuel
contamination control program
is Cat ® Advanced Efficiency Fuel
Filters. They're specially designed
for today's diesels, using a
super-fine cellulose/synthetic
blend media for maximum filtration.
Fuel system components are more
sensitive than ever to fuel contaminants,
but you can maintain performance and
extend component life by carefully
managing your fuel-related
operations and procedures.
Human Hair Standard Filtration Damages Fuel Systems Advanced Efficiency Filtration
(80 microns) (15 microns) (5-10 microns) (4 microns)

Not all filters are equal. While other filters may be lower priced,
it's important to know they provide significantly less protection.
And with today's sophisticated engine and other component
systems, that's a risk that just doesn't make sense to take.
Only Cat ® Filters have these quality design features:
• One-piece molded end caps prevent leaks
• Acrylic beads prevent pleat bunching
• Spiral roving keeps pleats from “moving”
• Nonmetallic center tubes to protect your engine
Because Cat Filters are made better, they provide consistent
performance to protect your engine, drive train, and hydraulic
systems. While other filter brands may fit, Cat Filters offer the
superior quality and protection you need to maximize your
engine and other component system’s life.
Get the Inside Story.
LEDQ6225-04
www.cat.com
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