1. Chamber Depth :
Recessed Chamber plates with open or closed configuration comes with the fixed chamber depth.
Membrane plates where the chamber depth is adjusted depending upon filterabilty and quality of slurries to be treated.Dryness rates are always fairly high whatever the feeding level due to the fact that chamber depth are reduced according through membrane squeezing.
The main difference between construction with fixed chamber depth and variable chamber depth stands in the fact that cake dryness is obtained. For the fixed chamber depth solids are concentrated through an intensive pressure rise of the feeding pump ( upto 16 bar ) while for the variable chamber depth the dryness is obtaned through membrane squeezing.

2. Cake Dryness :
Membrane plates allows sensible gains in cake dryness ( reduction in moisture content ) compared to Recessed chamber plates due to membrane sqeezing. Average gains are about ten points. 

3. Yields and Capacities : 
With Recessed Chamber plates the additional introduction of slurry is negligible although pressure is still rising in order to ensure cake drying.
With Membrane plates the filtration period normally stops as soon as the average yield tend to decrease and the squeezing period through an introduction of water or air behind membrane should start.
The following illustration gives an idea. : For a given volume, an industrial plant is equipped with two filter press., one with recessed chamber plates and other with membrane plates with similar capacity in regard to filtered volume. At the end of the filtration period the consequent gain in cycle time with the membrane press is more than 50% in comparison with Recessed Chamber Press. 

4. Cake Discharge :
Cake discharge is sensibly improved with the membrane plates for the squeezing operation tends to push the cake out of the chamber. Also improved dryness avoid sticking of cake on the filter clothes.