Industrial Cone / Witches Hat Filters
For applications that need more than a drop-in, off-the-shelf witches hat filter, Norman Filter Company manufactures industrial cones for systems using 4" to 16" pipe. Every cone is built in-house at our AS9100D-certified Bridgeview, Illinois, facility, using a proprietary support structure and all-TIG-welded construction. The result is an assembly that withstands the flow, differential pressures and cycling that commodity strainers cannot.
Operating range: 0 to 6,000 PSI | 4" to 16" cone sizes | 1µm wrap, 3 to 2,000µm pleated absolute
Why Specify an NFC Cone Filter?
Pleated media increases dirt-holding capacity well beyond T-type filters and standard mesh-wrap witches hat filters, meaning longer intervals between changeouts and less system downtime. Because NFC cone filters integrate directly into the pipeline, they also eliminate the bowl clearance a T-type assembly requires. That opens up filtration in locations where a conventional housing simply won't fit.
Additional advantages include:
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Matching Flange Included: Cones ship with an ANSI/ASME B16.5 flange, removing the need for a separate pressure vessel or custom housing
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Customer-Selected Support Cage: Internal or external caging suits forward, reverse, and back-pulsing flow
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Low Pressure Drop: Engineered geometry keeps differential pressure minimal across the operating range
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Cleanable Construction: Wire mesh and RMF media stand up to repeated cleaning cycles
Cone & Witches Hat Filter Specifications
Every NFC cone is built to order, so the ranges below represent the standard operating envelope rather than a fixed catalog. If your requirement falls outside any of these values, it is very likely still within our manufacturing capability.
Micron Rating: 1um (wrap), 3 - 2,000µm (pleated, absolute)
Cone Sizes: 4” to 16”
Element Materials: 316L Stainless Steel, Monel, Nickel 200, Stainless Steel
Filtration Meda Types: Random Metal Fiber, Pleated Wire Filtration Mesh
Flow: In-to-Out, Out-to-In, or Bi-Directional
Media/Fluid Types: Liquid or Gas Services
Operating Pressure: 0 – 6,000 PSI (extremely low-pressure drops)
Mounting Options: ASME B16.5 Flange*
Accessories: Pressure drop ports
If any of our catalog product does not meet your requirement, we frequently customize filter elements and housings to meet your needs.
*Hub and clamp style (Grayloc®, Vector Techlok®, TPC, etc.) and drop-in cone filters are available as custom product only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a witches hat filter?
A witches hat filter is a conical strainer that installs between pipe flanges, named for its distinctive cone shape. The geometry presents far more surface area than a flat screen of the same pipe diameter, which lowers pressure drop and raises dirt-holding capacity. NFC industrial cones use pleated media and all GTAW welded design rather than a simple mesh wrap, further increasing strength and capacity.
Should I choose pleated wire mesh or RMF media?
Pleated wire mesh is the standard choice for most liquid and gas services, offering surface filtration, absolute ratings, and easy back-flushing. Random metal fiber suits low-viscosity fluids or heavy contaminant loading, where depth-based media holds more dirt between changeouts. NFC engineering can recommend a media type once we know your fluid, flow rate, and cleanliness target.
Can NFC make drop-in or hub and clamp style cones?
Yes. Hub and clamp configurations (Grayloc®, Vector Techlok®, TPC, and similar) and drop-in cone filters are available as a custom product. See our flange and Grayloc hub filter assemblies page, or send us your connection type, and we will quote the build.
Random Metal Fiber (RMF) Media
Low viscosity or lower than 10um absolute and heavier contaminant loading, RMF is the stronger choice. Sintered metal fiber construction holds more dirt between changeouts while standing up to the same cleaning cycles as woven mesh.
Pleated Wire Filtration Mesh
Precision-woven 316L stainless mesh filters at the surface, capturing 100% of particles at the rated micron size with no media migration. Elements back-flush clean rather than trapping particulate inside the media, extending service life in dirty systems.
Witches Hat Filters for Oil and Gas & Other Demanding Industries
NFC configures each industrial cone to the requirements of the industry it serves:
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Oil and Gas: Witches hat filters in oil and gas service protect downstream equipment in high flow applications, pipeline transfers, and tanker onloading and offloading.
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Aerospace and Defense: Ground support equipment and test stands rely on cone filters for high-flow protection at low pressure drop.
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Power Generation: Compressor air and lube oil systems benefit from the dirt-holding capacity of pleated cones between outages.
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Marine and Military: Flanged cones install cleanly into existing shipboard piping without added housing hardware.
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Chemical Processing and Pharmaceuticals: 316L stainless construction meets a broad range of fluid compatibility requirements in process lines.
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Alternative Fuel: CNG pressurization skids, transfer systems, and cryogenic filtration all fall within the operating envelope.
For applications outside these categories, our engineering team routinely customizes elements and housings to fit unusual requirements.
Common Applications
- Aerospace Ground Support Equipment
- CNG Pressurization Skids
- CNG Transfer Systems
- Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
- Compressor Air
- Cryogenic Filtration
- Downhole Drilling
- Methane Offloading
