Spotlight on Innovation: LEE HI-BAR® Bypass Safety Screens

Published On: April 3rd, 2023

The Lee Company is pleased to announce the next evolution of the HI-BAR® Safety Screen product line by offering custom designed bypass screens.

Lee HI-BAR Bypass Safety Screens provide the functionality of a screen element in parallel with a relief valve in a single, compact envelope. While safety screens are typically designed to protect critical components from a few rogue particles, a more significant failure upstream may generate enough debris to partially clog or completely block a screen. This may be acceptable in some applications where there is an opportunity to shut down the system and clean or replace the screen; but in applications where continuous flow is critical, a partially blocked screen can starve the system of peak flow performance resulting in reduced operating efficiency or an unexpected and costly system shutdown. Applications where these risks exist range from aircraft fuel systems during a cold temperature startup to downhole tools in the oil and gas industry where screens are required to operate efficiently and provide protection over a long period of time but are remotely located with limited access.

Lee HI-BAR Bypass Safety Screens are available with a variety of retention methods and the bypass element is offered in latching and non-latching styles. Regardless of the configuration, all Lee HI-BAR Bypass Safety Screens are designed to retain previously captured particles once the bypass mode has been activated, thus reducing the chances of sending contamination downstream.

Taking advantage of the robust HI-BAR screen element featuring a single-piece design without any joints or seams, these bypass screens can withstand pressures up to 7500
psid. Depending on the application requirements, these screens may be constructed from stainless steel or NACE compliant materials. Typical performance requests include bypass pressures from 50 to 500 psid and hole sizes from 50 to 500 micron. Contact your engineer to find the right solution for you.