FilterFinder

Meet the FilterFinder Team: Elliott Underwood

FilterFinder — 28/04/2022

From the RAF to online sales, we talk to Elliott Underwood about his career to date, his role at FilterFinder, and what keeps him entertained outside of work.

How did your career in the hydraulic industry begin?

I’m actually the third generation of the family business at Micro-Mesh. The business was founded by my grandfather Bob Underwood in 1968 and my father James is the current managing director. He started bringing me into the factory when I was as young as 12… although I’m not sure how helpful I was when it came to packing boxes!

How long have you worked for Micro-Mesh and what attracted you to the company?

I joined the business full time in September 2019 when I was 18, with my original plan having been to join the RAF as a WSOp after my A-Levels going through the application to the final stage whilst working at Micro-Mesh as a data analyst. Joining the RAF was following in the footsteps of my great grandfather, who was an officer flying Wellington Bombers during WW2.

When FilterFinder came along in 2020 I realised it was a unique opportunity for me to be involved in something right from the beginning and see it all the way through. I didn’t want to give it any less than 110%, so I decided not to join the RAF and I’ve never looked back.

What does your role entail on a typical day?

My day starts when I get to the office at 8am. My first task is always to look at any enquiries that have come in, then I check my regular emails. After that there are often new parts that have arrived and need to be checked and I’ll also verify that we have the correct current image for them on the website.

At the moment, there’s always some development work to do on the website, which can take up a chunk of my day as well as looking forward for where we are going to take the site in the future whether this be a new market, introducing more product ranges or developing our strategy.

What are your favourite parts of your role?

The great thing about my role at FilterFinder is it’s varied from day to day and there is always a new challenge to keep me on my toes, it feels like such a unique role with a lot of responsibility, which I enjoy.

As we work in manufacturing it’s great that I’m not bound to my desk all day and so I might find myself helping with new projects or improvements within the factory which is a great way of keeping my mind and body active during the day.

How do you spend your time outside work?

A lot of my friends are at uni at the moment and so most weekends I travel and see them, one week I might be in Birmingham and the next in Newcastle, it’s nice not to just be in Nottingham all the time and get the chance to travel round the country. If I’m not doing that my brother and I are big into films and so if there’s something new out we’ll go watch that, as for my favourite movie at the moment I’d have to say Groundhog Day as an absolute classic and one we always watch together as a family.

The Origin of FilterFinder

FilterFinder — 15/11/2021

Every business has a story, and our authentic history embraces every aspect of our purpose and essentially forms the heart of our company. The highs and lows, the challenges and triumphs - all of these things make us the business we are today. We’ve definitely come a long way from where we started and it’s quite surreal to see the growth that we’ve achieved within such a short time! But what’s most humbling is that our values have always remained the same. 8 years ago we set out the goal of making the complicated process of buying filters quick, simple and easy for our customers and to this day, that is still our number one priority.

Following our recent rebrand, we decided to reflect back on FilterFinder’s story to appreciate how we’ve evolved since its founding back in 2013 - how time flies! We strive to provide the best experience for all our customers and the motivation for this commitment was outlined back when Filter Finder’s journey first started. With that in mind, let’s dive right into where it all began.

What is the history behind FilterFinder?

Before Filter Finder was even born, Micro-Mesh, the UK’s leading filter manufacturer, was founded in 1968 by four directors, including Tom Smith and Bob Underwood, the father of FilterFinder’s current CEO, James Underwood. We had a small team but all shared one common denominator; a true passion for filtration. Our primary aim was to source high-quality hydraulic filtration solutions for the mining industry. Our first enquiry came from the National Coal Board for a triple filter element used to filter in confined spaces and we continued to supply UK Coal until the final pit closure in 2015.

Over the next 30 years, we secured a plethora of jobs from customers all over the world. We branched out to new markets which included rail, off-highway, power generation, oil & gas and military applications - not to mention expanding to new premises (we turned an empty pub a few doors down into our very own factory, we just knew it had potential!). After all the craziness, James Underwood took over as Managing Director in 2003, officially putting the ‘family-run’ stamp on Micro-Mesh. Since then, we’ve expanded twice by opening both a 30,000sq/ft space for new facilities and another rear of the factory with 10,000sq/ft worth of manufacturing and warehouse space. We celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2018 and here we are today providing filtration products and components, design, prototyping and competitive manufacturing from our 40,000sq/ft manufacturing facility.

Where did the idea for FilterFinder derive from?

So, where does FilterFinder come in? The idea stemmed from our very own Managing Director James and Chairman Bob who both had the ambition to simplify filtration and part numbers for customers. After identifying a clear demand in the market, we registered our first domain back in 2013 with a burning desire to streamline the process of buying filters in order to improve our customer’s experience. With everything else going on in the background with Micro-Mesh, we parked the idea for a while but it always remained at the back of our minds. Then the pandemic hit in 2020 and that’s when it all clicked. We saw a great opportunity to turn the concept into a reality.

Fast-forward to the end of the year and we had everything ready to launch. As a team, we’d been working tirelessly throughout the year to ensure every aspect of FilerFinder was perfect for the needs of our customers. After all the hard work, we really couldn’t wait to share this project with everyone because we truly believed it would make a huge difference for the filtration industry - and that proved to be true! Our website officially went live on the 1st of December 2020 and it’s been on an upward trajectory ever since.

What does the future hold for FilterFinder?

We constantly look at innovating, evolving and advancing our offerings. Our experts know everything there is to know about filtration and we’re always on the lookout for new market trends, industry developments and ways in which we can improve our customer’s experience. Though it’s nice to look back on what FilterFinder has managed to achieve so far, it’s important to plan ahead for the future so we can carry on being the number one filtration provider out there. We look forward to seeing what’s in store for the next few years and we hope you’ll join us on this incredibly exciting journey, there’s a lot more to come!

For more information about our filtration products and services, get in touch with a member of our friendly team today at support@filterfinder.co.uk.

What are Micron and Beta Ratings in Filtration?

FilterFinder — 16/11/2021

In the world of filtration, there can be a lot to get to grips with when it comes to understanding filtration ratings - we know that better than anyone! With over 50 years of experience in the industry, FilterFinder has a wealth of expertise that can teach you everything you need to know about choosing the right filtration solution.

With filtration being a critical activity for many industrial or manufacturing organisations, it’s vital to choose the right micron and beta rating to keep contaminants like dirt, metal shavings and other particulates from circulating inside a hydraulic system and causing damage - but what exactly does this mean? The effectiveness of filtration and separation impacts processes that determine quality standards for your application; therefore, you need to select the right micron and beta rating to ensure the size at which particles are retained by the filter are correct. With that in mind, the key starting point for your filter selection process is the micron rating so you establish which filters have the capabilities you require. Let’s break it down…

What is a Micron Rating?

Micron is short for micrometre - one-millionth of a metre (a minuscule unit of measure to say the least!) The micron rating refers to the aperture size of filter media and is used to indicate the ability of a filter to remove contaminants by the size of the particles. Essentially, the smaller the micron rating, the finer the particulate removed. Let’s put this in perspective - a human hair is between 40 to 90 microns in diameter, bacteria range from 0.5 to 50 microns and particles above 50 microns can be seen by the naked eye. Take a look at the graph below for context.

For example, a 40 micron rated filter will allow larger particles to pass through than a 5 micron rated filter - the smaller the micron rating, the more effective the filter is at removing particles of that micron size. A lot of hydraulic failures are a result of particle contamination which is why it’s critical to specify the micron rating.

Nominal vs Absolute Ratings - What’s the difference?

The most common filter ratings are either nominal or absolute, and each describes the general capacity for the filter to remove particles of the specified size at a specified efficiency. Simply put, a filter with a nominal rating is low efficiency, and a filter with an absolute rating is high efficiency. Nominal ratings indicate the efficiency of about 50 percent, whereas absolute ratings indicate the filter is 99.9 percent efficient at capturing all particles at or above the stated size on each pass.

What is a Beta Rating?

Beta ratings come hand in hand with micron ratings and in fact, can provide more clarity when it comes to measuring media’s efficiency. It’s fine talking about micron sizing, but without a beta rating, manufacturers wouldn’t be able to describe the performance of the media used inside a filter. So what exactly is it and how do you measure it effectively? Well, beta ratio is used to express filter efficiency for a given particulate size. This, in summary, is the number of particles before filtration divided by the number of particles after filtration. Here’s an example:

If a 5-micron filter element has 1,000,000 particles upstream (pre-filtration) and allows 1,000 particles downstream (post-filtration), it’s Beta ratio would be calculated as 1,000,000 (upstream) / 1,000 (downstream) = β1000 or an efficiency of 99.9%.

All in all, beta ratings give us a scientific standard to compare and gauge the filtration quality of elements and they are used to explain the efficiency of filtration for all fluids, oil, diesel, petrol etc; it’s simply a measurement that’s used within the filtration industry. It’s highly important that both the micron rating and beta ratio is matched to the required application to maximise effectiveness and reduce the risk of damage and issues within systems.

For this reason we took the decision to only supply our customers glass fibre elements (β1000 | 99.9% efficient) rather than cellulose (β2 | 50.0% efficient) where possible to ensure your system gets the highest quality of filtration it can leading to a healthier and longer lasting hydraulic system.

For further information about micron and beta ratings or to enquire about our filtration services, please contact us directly at support@filterfinder.co.uk.

It's Our Birthday! To Celebrate, We're Offering 10% off Orders of 2+ products.

FilterFinder — 01/12/2021

We’re celebrating our 1 year anniversary! To celebrate, we're offering 10% off orders of 2+ products until Sunday 5th December 2021.

December 1st 2021 marks FilterFinder’s 1st birthday! Over the last year, we have achieved an enormous amount of success, growth and expansion. Since launching FilterFinder 12 months ago, we have:

Fulfilled more than 500 customers' needs
Been nominated for Make UK’s Manufacturing Awards 2021
Maintained a 4.5/5 TrustPilot score
Rebranded
Launched our brand new website back in October

It’s been a busy year to say the least, but a very rewarding one too! We can’t thank our colleagues and customers enough for making the last year an amazing one.

Since the website launch and rebrand, we’ve received an overwhelming amount of positive responses from both customers and like-minded industry professionals. We’ve continued to invest in our customer experience, products and overall operations and our customers have really noticed the difference. Kevin Oakman, a FilterFinder customer said ‘Just a few words of thanks to the FilterFinder staff and management - what great service and I really appreciated the phone call to check if I was happy, shall keep them at the top when ordering more filters many thanks!’

This is just one of the many positive reviews that FilterFinder have been lucky enough to receive over the past year, and we hope that it highlights how much we value and prioritise our customers’ needs, as well as how passionate we are about the industry.

We’ll continue to invest in our customer service and our offerings, and continue to provide the best service possible. From improved quality-assurance systems to new equipment, we have our sights set on becoming one of the most successful filtration providers in the UK after an incredibly successful first year of trading. The image below shows a timeline of what the last 12 months have looked like for us, and we can’t wait to see what the next year brings!

Automation investment for Micro-Mesh and FilterFinder

FilterFinder — 15/03/2022

FilterFinder parent company Micro-Mesh Engineering has unveiled the latest innovation at its Nottingham-based factory; a robotic arm to introduce automation to part of its filter production process. This purchase kicks off a round of investment that the company is making in 2022.

Representing a £50,000 investment, the robotic arm helps speed up the laser engraving process of filter manufacturing by placing the caps onto an automated conveyor system where they are engraved having never needed to be touched by human hands. When done manually, the task was taking Micro-Mesh staff 16 hours every week, which equates to almost 35 days annually that have now become freed up for operators to do other tasks making the entire production process even more streamlined and efficient.

The new equipment was made possible thanks to funding from an Aerospace Unlocking Potential (Aerospace UP) programme, a collaboration between the University of Nottingham and the Midlands Aerospace Alliance. Launched in 2020 and backed by the European Regional Development Fund, Aerospace UP has more than £5m of funding to provide to SMEs in the aerospace sector who are looking to unlock their innovation potential.

Elliott Underwood, head of online sales at FilterFinder, said: “When we looked at potentially automating part of our manufacturing process, this task was an obvious one as it represented one of our operators spending hours a day doing a job no-one wanted to do. They have now been freed up to do other tasks and improve efficiency elsewhere.”

Jaden Nicholson, Micro-Mesh’s graduate mechanical engineer, has been busy working on the programming for the robot arm, which features a built-in ‘machine vision’ camera, which identifies the part it is picking and passes the information onto machines further down the production line, further streamlining the production process. Finally, four sensors are built into its motors which can detect any external forces being applied, causing it to stop and require resetting. This health and safety feature will help maintain and safe working environment for Micro-Mesh operators.

Founded in 1968, Micro-Mesh, is the UK’s leading filter manufacturer, providing high quality hydraulic and air filtration solutions to a wide variety of industries. In December 2020 it launched FilterFinder, an online cross-reference database with a catalogue of more than 600,000 part numbers from over 1000 different manufacturers. Together, the two businesses are committed to innovating, evolving and advancing their offerings.

Meet the FilterFinder Team: Jaden Nicholson

FilterFinder — 24/05/2022

Find out more about the life of a graduate mechanical engineer as we talk to Jaden Nicholson about everything from university and job interviews to robots and all things automation.

How did your career in the hydraulic industry begin?

I enjoyed studying Maths and Science at school and that seemed to naturally follow through to studying engineering at university. I was in the last term of my Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nottingham when I came across a Micro-Mesh job advert on the university’s career portal that caught my attention. I was interested in automation and from the job advert I felt that there’s be more scope to expand automation at the business. I sent in an application to Chris Stevenson and thankfully got invited for an interview! It was honestly a case of the right job appearing at the right time and to be able to complete my degree knowing there was a fantastic position waiting for me was a great feeling.

How long have you worked Micro-Mesh and what attracted you to the company?

I started working one day a week in February 2021 and then began full-time after I graduated in June. I was able to meet some of the Micro-Mesh team when I had my interview and it got me excited to potentially join them. The bosses are great, and it feels like they really take the time to listen to what I have to say, it boosts my confidence that I can come to them with ideas that are considered good enough to be implemented. I was hands on in the role right from the beginning, which isn’t always the case with graduate positions.

What does your role entail on a typical day?

My job is heavily based around automation, but there really isn’t such a thing as a typical day in my role. I’m involved with a lot of development of bespoke filtration designs for our customers and I have a lot of freedom to structure my day in a way that works best for me. Recently I’ve spent a lot of time with our SLS additive manufacturing machine, also known as a ‘3D Printer’.

What are your favourite parts of your role?

My favourite part of my job is how varied it is. I’ve been able to get involved in data analysis, programming robots and writing software. There’s a lot of scope for learning and progressing and my knowledge of business in industry has increased. Earlier in the year I was tasked with helping to automate a task that staff didn’t enjoy. I applied for a grant and got some good funding for the project which meant we could automate part of production using a cobot. I was given the opportunity to lead on the project, including building and programming the arm when it arrived, which wouldn’t be the case in all companies. It was great to be able to see the project through from start to finish.

How do you spend your time outside work?

When I’m not working, I like to keep active by going on walks with my family and playing 5-a-side football, as well as climbing and bouldering. I’ve also just bought my first home and it needs some renovating, which will keep me busy for a while. Finally, I’ve begun to enjoy reading books about business and business management methodology, such as ‘The Goal’ by Eliyahu M. Goldratt.

10% off replacement hydraulic filters for Made in Group members

FilterFinder — 06/09/2022

The recent heatwave has clearly affected the team at FilterFinder, and we're offering Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire members a 10% discount on all replacement filter purchases made through our website between now and 31 October 2022.

With more than 600,000 cross references and over 1000 OEM part numbers, FilterFinder is the UK's largest online shop for hydraulic filters and elements. It’s quick and hassle-free to search the database of well over half a million part numbers, we offer 28-day returns on all unused filters, and a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects so you can buy with confidence. Simply enter the code MIM10 at the checkout to receive 10% off any orders you place between now and the end of October.

You’d better be quick before the weather changes too much and we change our minds!

Maintenance best practice: looking after your hydraulic filters

FilterFinder — 12/04/2022

Like any piece of equipment, filters perform best when they are in a system that is well maintained and looked after.

Including hydraulic filters as part of your scheduled preventative maintenance plan can prolong the life of the machine and filter, maintain peak performance, prevent unscheduled downtime and protect operators. Not only will a maintenance programme help look after your machine or power-pack, but it can also mean issues are spotted early before they cause major, and costlier, problems.

Which filters can be cleaned?

There are three main types of media used to make hydraulic filter. Paper or Cellulose, which is 50% efficient; glass fibre, which is 99.9% efficient; and wire mesh.

How to clean a wire mesh filter

Due to the nature of the media used to make the filter, only wire mesh filters can be cleaned. To do this, submerge the wire mesh in a bath filled with mild detergent and warm water. Rinse the filter with clean water and gently scrub the filter with soft nylon brushes. Keeping the filter submerged in the detergent can help remove more stubborn contaminants.

Regular maintenance is the key

It is crucial in a modern engineering facility that you have a detailed schedule of planned preventative maintenance. This should establish an appropriate frequency for changing filters. However, should a filter become wet, if there is visible microbial growth, or if it collapses or becomes damaged to the point that the hydraulic fluid is bypassing the element unfiltered, or worse not passing through the media at all,it should be changed regardless.

In metalworking, good filtration can prolong the life of cutting fluid. Ensuring that sump is regularly cleaned using the appropriate detergents can also help prolong the life of a filter as it reduces the possibility of it becoming blocked with tramp oil and other undesirable by-products of the cutting process.

Many production facilities use a clogging or bypass indicator on machinery. They measure the pressure in the machine and are designed to give a visual indication of when a filter needs to be cleaned or changed. When the pressure reaches a certain point, the indicator will change from green to red, if it is not electronic, to show that that fluid is no longer being filtered and is bypassing the filter. Without action being taken, all manner of waste products can enter the system and potentially cause it to break down.

When it comes to changing filters, we recommend making the job as easy as possible. If possible, place labels on the housing units with information such as the element number and filter type, the date last changed, and the pressure drop. This information can make a maintenance engineer’s job far easier.

At FilterFinder, we advise changing filters every six months. However, that does depend on the filter, what is being filtered, and how dirty the system is. The important thing is to have a consistent, planned maintenance regime in place, and make sure machine filters form part of that regime.

When it’s time to change your hydraulic filters, FilterFinder makes finding the right replacement filter easy. Simply type the element/filter number that you will find on the housing or end-cap into the search bar on our website and you will find the filter you need.

FilterFinder calls on PR agency's manufacturing expertise

FilterFinder — 10/03/2022

We're pleased to announce that our parent company Micro-Mesh has appointed Yorkshire-based marketing experts The Partners Group to help build FilterFinder brand awareness.

Established in 1988, The Partners Group specialises in business-to-business PR and communications support for organisations in the manufacturing, food processing, construction and property, and professional services sectors.

Micro-Mesh launched FilterFinder in December 2020: a long-awaited project brought forward by the pandemic. With a catalogue containing more than 600,000 part numbers from over 1,000 manufacturers, we are one of the UK's largest hydraulic filter cross-reference databases.

The PR brief is to build the FilterFinder brand among maintenance engineers and purchasing teams, areas that the Partners team is familiar with through their 20-year working history with industrial lubricants manufacturers, tooling suppliers, and other businesses in the engineering and manufacturing industries.

Elliott Underwood, who led the development of FilterFinder, says: “FilterFinder draws on the 50-year Micro-Mesh heritage and expertise, but we are starting from scratch when it comes to brand awareness. The e-commerce platform has got off to a great start, but we recognise the importance of building the brand to support its continued growth.

“We were looking for PR support from an agency that understands our sector, and Partners fits the bill perfectly. The team came highly recommended, and we were instantly impressed by their understanding of our industry and customer base, and their track record of work with manufacturing businesses. We’re excited to be working together and looking forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Partners Group director Karen Tinkler says, “Micro-Mesh has built an enviable reputation for quality products, technical expertise, and innovation. Our job is to help them build that same trust in FilterFinder. There’s a lot happening across both businesses, and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to help tell the story of Micro-Mesh’s continued success, evolution, and innovation through the FilterFinder brand.”

Founded in 1968, Micro-Mesh is a family-run business specialising in the manufacture of hydraulic and air filters. The company manufactures bespoke filters to precise customer specifications as well as supplying a comprehensive range of standard products from its 40,000sq/ft facility in Nottingham.

Micro-Mesh and FilterFinder celebrate Manufacturing Hero award

FilterFinder — 14/02/2022

We’re very proud to see our parent company Micro-Mesh named as a Manufacturing Hero by Made in the Midlands - a network we are proud to have been part of since its early days.

The accolade recognises and celebrates manufacturing firms across the Midlands and Yorkshire who have demonstrated strength and innovation throughout the pandemic.

The award was given to Micro-Mesh for embracing digital technology with the launch of FilterFinder in December 2020, which kicked off a monumental year for the business. Being named a Manufacturing Hero is a great way to pay tribute to all that the business has achieved, while looking forward to what is in store over the next 12 months.

In addition to an invitation to an awards night, all of the Manufacturing Heroes were presented with a specially commissioned badge manufactured in the world-renowned Midlands Jewellery Quarter by Birmingham-based jeweller Thomas Fattorini Ltd. Badges were chosen instead of trophies to allow manufacturers to wear their achievements with pride and encourage them to share their inspiring stories.

Nottinghamshire-based FilterFinder Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary with Limited-Time Discount

FilterFinder — 01/12/2021

FilterFinder, one of the UK's largest hydraulic filter online stores, has hit an incredible milestone after having officially launched just over a year ago, and they’re celebrating their first birthday today (December 1st 2021). To celebrate the occasion, the brand is offering 10% off orders of 2 products or more until Sunday 5th December!

FilterFinder is a sub-division of leading filtration manufacturer Micro-Mesh, and over the last year they have achieved an enormous amount of success, growth and expansion all within the first 12 months of trading. Last month marked one year since the company officially launched and since then, they have fulfilled more than 500 customers' needs, been nominated for Make UK’s Manufacturing Awards 2021 and have maintained a 4.5/5 TrustPilot score. Not only that, but FilterFinder also launched a new website back in October, as well as showcasing a total revamp of their logo and overall brand look. It’s been a busy year for the company to say the least!

FilterFinder’s primary aim with the rebrand project was to communicate their vibrancy and expertise more effectively, whilst maintaining a consistent and professional design that resonated with customers.

Elliott Underwood, Head of Online Sales, stated ‘We felt it was the right time for FilterFinder to undergo a rebrand because we wanted to reflect the brand’s persona in a way that hadn’t done so previously. The new design is significant to our direction and positioning, aiming to provide a more coherent and modern experience for customers. We wanted to connect more effectively with our customers in the ever-growing market of filtration which we feel we have achieved so far.’

To accompany the rebrand, FilterFinder announced that they were also launching a new website to heighten their customer’s journey and experience even further. Notably, this was a huge turning point for the company, investing heavily into website development to offer a seamless user experience, as well as our customer support function, stock counter, product range categories and more.

Elliott continues ‘We set out with a mission to make the complicated process of buying filters quick, simple and easy for our customers which is why we made the decision to revisit our website. With customer service at the heart of everything we do, it was imperative that we enhanced our website and implemented more advanced features to provide a smoother experience across all devices.’

Since the website launch and rebrand, FilterFinder has received an overwhelming amount of positive responses from both customers and like-minded industry professionals. Kevin Oakman, a customer at FilterFinder, stated ‘Just a few words of thanks to the filter finder staff and management - what great service and I really appreciated the phone call to check if I was happy, shall keep them at the top when ordering more filters many thanks!’ This is just one of the many positive reviews that FilterFinder has received over the past year, highlighting how much the business prioritises customers to provide an unrivalled experience and service.

FilterFinder remains proactive by continually investing in its customer-focused offerings to provide the best service possible. From improved quality-assurance systems to new equipment, the company has its sights set on becoming one of the most successful filtration providers in the UK after an incredibly successful first year of trading. The image below shows a timeline of what the last 12 months has bought for FilterFinder:

After reflecting on an incredible year, Elliott states ‘I’m extremely happy with the progression and growth FilterFinder has achieved in the first year. It’s been great to see everyone thrive together, both as a team and individually, in an effort to bring the brand to life and exceed customer expectations.

Despite evolving as a brand, our values and principles have remained true to our company vision throughout. I’m proud of the hard work, effort and enthusiasm that every team member has shown over the past year - it’s a true testament to our company ethos which is delivering value to our customers. We are thrilled to have achieved so much in such a short amount of time and we can’t wait to see what this next year brings for FilterFinder!

Claim your 10% off at https://filterfinder.co.uk/ today. T&Cs apply.