Inadequate oil removal equipment could be costing your
manufacturing company money.
In this post, we discuss how tube type oil
skimmers—those that use a closed-loop tube
on the water’s surface to attract floating oil or grease—can save you money compared to
alternatives.
1.
Efficiently Removes
Oil
Because they can’t get clogged with floating debris (leaves, sticks, etc.), tube skimmers consistently
outperform fixed oil skimmers (belt, drum and disc) at efficiently and reliably removing petroleum-based
oil, fats, greases, and oily wastes on the water’s surface. The tube simply snakes around the water, moving
the debris aside, as it removes the oil.
2.
Lowers Filtration, Water Treatment and Disposal Costs
Effective oil removal translates into less costs related to
filtration, chemicals and other forms of secondary water treatment.
And it doesn’t stop there. Since tube skimmers capture and
concentrate waste oil with little-to-no free water, disposal costs are also less. Higher waste oil
concentrations lessens the volume and cost of vacuum collection, and off-site recycling or
disposal.
3. Removes Unnecessary Maintenance
Costs
Waterborne oil in your manufacturing process can cause
operational problems and unnecessary maintenance costs. A
few examples:
- Residual oil in coolant and wastewater results in treatment fees, downtime, and frequent replacement of
coolant and water. - If not removed continuously, tramp oil can effect performance of production equipment and filtration
systems, leading to repairs, production delays and rework. - Tramp oil inside your cooling towers raises plant maintenance costs.
- Water that is contaminated with oil in pressurization test pits can damage delicate sensors and cause
flawed test results.
Tube skimmers are highly efficient at removing oil from water
with far less maintenance required than other methods. A tube-type oil skimmer not only removes the
oil from the equation, it does so without adding extra maintenance work. Tube skimmers can work with
little-to-no supervision, indoors or out, unlike others:
- Belt skimmers: Oil and debris commonly misalign the drive mechanism and cause wear on wipers, and
submerged pulleys need to be removed for maintenance and repair. - Disc and drum skimmers: Water levels must be monitored closely, and submerged parts commonly need upkeep
and repair. - Rope skimmers: Rope fibers can deteriorate, knot or oversaturate.
Tube skimmers are also made with high-abrasion-resistant
ceramics and high-strength steel and bronze, and contain no submerged parts. High quality parts
translates into extremely rugged, versatile machines that can perform even in the harshest environments
with little downtown or maintenance required.
4.
Saves Money on Equipment Installation
Fixed skimmers are expensive to install, as some require support
or bridging to mount. In some instances, this “can exceed the cost of the unit itself.”
Inflexible mounting designs can also limit placement and access.
Tube skimmers, on the other hand, can be installed economically using pre-fabricated mounting
systems.
5.
Conserves Water
The right oil removal method can result in significant savings
related to water consumption. As one example, the use of tube skimmers at mini steel mill NLMK
Indiana cut water consumption significantly
compared to its old method of using a vacuum truck service to remove oil from basins and a scale
pit.Even the best vacuum service providers pick up a good amount of water with the oil—meaning
you’re paying for water removal in addition to oil. Any amount of water taken by the vacuum truck
needed to be added back into their system, adding to cost and
consumption.
After installing a tube type oil skimmer, only the oil was
recovered, leaving the water behind.The plant was able to reuse more water, as less water was
collected with the oil, resulting in significant cost savings and reduced water
consumption.
6.
Protects Against Non-Compliance Penalties
Without the proper equipment and processes in place, meeting
wastewater and water quality standards can be a costly endeavor for manufacturing plants. The investment
in tube skimmers is low compared to stiff penalties your
manufacturing plant could accrue from non-compliance with the Clean Water Act (CWA):
- Companies that fail to meet environmental compliance could face legal action or crippling fees from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). - Failure to meet environmental regulations can result in negative publicity.
As demonstrated above, non-compliance hurts more than the environment, it hurts your company’s bottom line.
Save Money with Tube Skimmers
Effectively removing oil from
water makes economic sense for your
manufacturing plant.
Contact us today to
discuss opportunities to save with a tube-type skimmer!
