When incoming unfiltered liquid enters the lower cavity, it is dispersed over the filter cake/paper by a baffle arrangement. A vent opening in this cavity allows trapped air to be released into the vent & blowdown manifold. The baffle arrangement also provides an even distribution of blowdown air during the cleaning cycle.

Filtered liquid entering the upper cavity of the adjoining plate will exit the plate to the outlet manifold. Upon entering the outlet manifold, the filtered liquid returns to the filtered section of the main tank.

A vacuum groove is machined into the rim at the top of each filter plate. Vacuum is drawn through the vertical vacuum manifold by an eductor in order to prevent wicking of the liquid at the exposed edge of the filter paper on the side of the filter plate.