Machine tool coolant fluid contaminated with tramp oil can cause problems. For instance, contamination reduces fluid life and deteriorates the quality of machined parts. As the problem worsens, the tramp oil accelerates bacterial growth, and the cutting fluid eventually produces a rotten-egg odor. Besides the odor, bacteria-contaminated coolant can more serious issues such as dermatitis.

The Solution: Oil Skimmers

However, there is solution. Oil skimmers remove contamination. They are inexpensive, highly dependable, and typically pay for themselves within a few months. Although designs vary, most use moving media and rely on differences in specific gravity and surface tension between oil, water, and the skimmer medium.

Different Kinds of Oil Skimmer Media

Skimmer media comes in various shapes, and the most common are belts, disks, or tubes. As the medium moves through the cutting fluid, it picks up non-emulsified oil, which subsequently enters a removal section of the skimmer. Wiper blades or pinch rollers remove oil from the medium and routes it into a container for reclamation or disposal.

More advice: Oil Skimmer Motor

Selecting the proper style oil skimmer not only controls coolant contamination but also provides a clean, safe work environment. It’s also important to make sure the skimmer motor is robust enough to handle the intended application.

Skimmer motor housings, no matter what type of skimmer, should completely enclose the wiring and be tightly secured. Loose fitting housings with weak fastening may come off unintentionally, exposing wiring and increasing the risk of electrical shock. The housing should also be well ventilated so the motor does not overheat.

Shops also need to check motor specs, making sure the system is rated for continuous service. To shave costs, some manufacturers opt for intermittent-duty motors. Using this type of motor for more than two or three hours a day generally causes overheating.

Additionally, keep in mind that skimmed oil and water inevitably get on the motor shaft. So, it is important that the motor’s seals effectively prevent unwanted fluids from migrating along the shaft and contaminating the bearings.

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

In this video, you will see how do different sizes Abanaki oil skimmers work with different media types. 

The use of an oil skimmer in the machine shop setting holds many benefits. Removing the oil from a machine coolant tank will initiate some esthetic benefits such as cutting down on the amount of smoke generated from the cutting tool coming into contact with oil laden coolant.

Bacteria Build-Up with “Rotten Egg” Smell

When a machine is shut down for the weekend, oil has a chance to come to the surface of the coolant tank. Bacteria that are living in the coolant tank use up the dissolved oxygen in the coolant mix, a process that is sped up by having a layer of oil on the surface. This allows odor causing anaerobic bacteria to thrive, giving off that familiar “rotten egg” smell.

Contrary to popular belief the common types of bacteria found in metalworking fluids do not cause dermatitis. However, if the skin is broken, bacteria that normally inhabit the skin may enter and cause infection. The presence of phosphates and carbonates that increase alkalinity in the coolant, however, can cause dermatitis. These impurities are found in the water being used in the coolant mix.

Cost-Saving with Coolant Oil Skimmer

Separating the oil from the coolant will also help reduce disposal costs. The cost of disposing of oil laden coolant is more expensive than disposing of oil. In fact, in some instances, companies may be able to re-use the oil elsewhere or sell it for recycling. Having oil free coolant can also extend its usefulness and effectiveness, reducing the expense on maintenance and coolant replacement. As the research on the different types of oil skimmers begins, a person will find that there are a variety of skimmers available to them. The most common types are the belt, disk, and tube skimmers. Each type of coolant skimmer has its advantages and disadvantages.

Other Factors to be Considered in Oil Skimming

There are also many factors that need to be considered when choosing the correct type of oil skimmer to fit the appropriate application. Factors such as water level fluctuation, water temperature, pH level, the use of rust inhibitors, the amount of oil to be skimmed, quality, and cost, must all be considered when selecting an oil skimmer.

The use of rust inhibitors, high temperatures, and variable pH levels can affect the skimmers ability to pick up oil. Most skimmer manufacturers use a variety of materials for the skimming medium such as plastic, stainless steel, or poly blends to match the solution in which they will be used.

There are a multitude of oil skimmers on the market today. One of the most important things to be considered is the quality of the unit to be purchased. Points of interest should include construction materials, motor design, and the type of warranty that is offered. Is the skimmer housing made of metal or plastic? Is the motor fan-cooled? Does the motor use needle bearings or bronze bearings? How long does the warranty last and what does it cover? Most oil skimmers will perform as advertised, but remember the old adage that “you get what you pay for”.

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

Abanaki has a new reference that can help you choose the right skimmer and the right size to ensure years of worry-free operation.

Click button below to access our “How to Successfully Implement Oil Skimmers” webinar to learn how to get the most out of your skimmer.

There are several types of industrial oil skimmers. Choosing a unit best suited for an application will maximize oil removal while lowering maintenance and operating cost. You may define the application in terms of the following characteristics:

Operating Conditions

The performance and life of the pick-up medium, wiper blades, pulleys, etc. are affected by operating conditions. These include temperatures in and out of the liquid, the pH of the solution and the presence of solvents or other reactive chemicals.

Hazardous Materials

Applications involving flammable materials or explosive vapors require the use of explosion-proof (or air-driven) motors and controls.

Temperature/Viscosity

All oil skimmers require floating oil to be in a liquid, free flowing state. If the oil congeals or solidifies at ambient temperatures, the reservoir and/or skimmer will require heaters to maintain fluid flow.

Removal Rate

Skimmer removal rates, expressed in gph, vary with oil viscosity. Typically, manufacturers rate skimmers using SAE 30 weight motor oil at 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). It's wise to ask for test data, especially if your application involves a much different viscosity. 

Skimmed Water Content

All oil skimmers pick up some water with the oil. Suction skimmers pick up more water than other types. High water content increases oil recycling and disposal costs. Generally, the ratio of water to oil decreases with thicker films of floating oil and slower moving pick-up media.

Residual Oil

A skimmer removes oil as long as it is present. Depending on oil influx rate and the skimmer's removal rate, residual oil in the water may be as low as a few parts per million.

Portability

In some plants mobile equipment service shops and at remediation sites, a portable oil skimmer can sometimes service multiple machines, sumps or wells.

Tank or Sump Characteristics

The location, shape and capacity of a tank or water impoundment are major factors in choosing the right skimmer. Also consider fluctuations in water level, turbulence and possible emulsions.

Size/Design

Oil and water can emulsify when subjected to turbulence and other mechanical agitation. Avoid this by having water return to the tank below the liquid surface at as low a velocity as practical.

Shape

Tanks without nooks and crannies for oil to accumulate in are best. If you have an irregular shape, put the skimmer where the largest amount of oil accumulates.

Location/Installation

Questions to ask about the physical location and characteristics of the tank and collection container: Does skimmed material need to be pumped from the skimmer to the container? Will skimmer access for periodic maintenance be a problem?

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

Abanaki has a new reference that can help you choose the right skimmer and the right size to ensure years of worry-free operation.

Click button below to access our “How to Successfully Implement Oil Skimmers” webinar to learn how to get the most out of your skimmer.

Disk oil skimmer provides an inexpensive way to remove unwanted tramp oils from CNC coolants and parts washers.

Disk Oil Skimmer Operation

Disk oil skimmers rotate a disk-shaped medium through the liquid. Oil is wiped off and discharged into a collection container in a manner similar to belt oil skimmers. When specifying disk diameter, it is important to consider reach, the portion of the disk that actually gets immersed. Less disk area in the fluid means less oil removed. Obviously, fluctuating fluid levels can be a real problem. Also, it is important to look at how much of the disk the wipers are actually wiping. If they wipe only 2 inches from the edge, then any reach into the fluid beyond 2 inches is wasted. As a result, removal capacities for disks can be relatively low.

When properly selected and applied, disk oil skimmers are highly economical solutions for separating oil from water to allow its reuse or safe disposal.

Find out more about Abanaki Mighty Disk™ oil skimmer that cuts cost and can be used almost anywhere.

Video: How To Tell If You Are Buying A High Quality Disk  Oil Skimmer

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

You are just one step away from downloading Abanaki's most detailed resource on our oil skimming equipment. Simply click at the button to get your ultimate guide now.

Tube oil skimmer is a surface tube oil skimmer that can effectively removes floating surface oils by means of an oleophilic (oil attracting) 3/4 inch diameter continuous looped tube. The tube extends out over the surface of the tank or pit and collects the free floating oils.

Abanaki tube oil skimmer (The Oil Viper) has a specially designed method for removing the oil from the tube. It has a unique wiper combination attached to the tube itself in addition to the ceramic wiper on the skimmer. The result is a virtually oil free tube as it leaves the surface oil skimmer for quicker oil removal. Removal rates can be as high as one hundred gallons per hour.

How Does a Tube Oil Skimmer Work?

The Oil Viper tube oil skimmer can be used in wastewater applications that are shallow in depth. The Oil Viper tube oil skimmer is a great fit where a belt skimmer is too big. Due to the sleek design of the Oil Viper tube oil skimmer it can skim in just inches of water compared to a belt skimmer which could need one to two feet of water to skim from.

The Oil Viper tube oil skimmer works off the same principle of the belt skimmer, the tube breaks the surface tension of the water, the oil is then collected and skimmed off by its unique wipe clean design. Two tube materials are available, the standard tube is great in a wide variety of applications; the high temperature tube is best suited for high temperature or caustic applications.

Large Tube Oil Skimmer  

Large tube skimmers use a floating plastic hose that snakes out over the surface of the liquid and is then drawn back through the drive unit where oil is removed. This design requires a relatively large amount of fluid surface area for proper operation. Length considerations are the same as for belt skimmers; a typical tube diameter is 1 inch.

Small Tube Oil Skimmer

Mini tube skimmers are very similar to the larger tube units, but typically have either a 3/16-inch or a 5/16-inch diameter tube. The 5/16-inch diameter is preferable as it has enough stiffness to not drag on the housing and prematurely wipe off oil when drawn into the unit. Pickup rates vary from 1 quart/hour to 1.5 gph, depending on diameter and speed. These units can be used where space is limited. Units that have the motor mounted underneath reduce the amount of space required over the rim of the tank to nearly zero.

Video: Tube Oil Skimmer | Oil Viper | Abanaki

To learn more about Abanaki oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

You are just one step away from downloading the most dependable and effective Oil Viper Tube Oil Skimmer brochure. Simply click at the button to get your brochure now.

Have you ever had your clean parts rejected from your customer? Parts that have been cleaned in your parts washers, yet they still have residual oils on them? This happened to one of my customers recently, and it’s not uncommon. Fortunately, there is a simple solution that will save you time, money, and embarrassment of having parts rejected.

Tote-It Belt Oil Skimmer

Abanaki Tote-It Belt Oil Skimmer will remove the oil that is floating on the surface of the parts washer and is being reintroduced onto the clean parts when they are removed from the parts washer. The Tote-It belt oil skimmer removes up to 12 gallons per hour of oil from water, and it is made to withstand the high temperatures and pH levels that can be associated with parts washers.

With its patented design, the Tote-It belt oil skimmer is a dependable and effective means of removing oil from water. The single assembly unit can be used in any application where 115 VAC, 60 Hz power is available.

Belt Oil Skimmer Specifications

The Tote-It belt oil skimmer utilizes a continuous belt and wiper to remove up to 12 gallons of oil per hour from the fluid surface. The belt operates on a motor and pulley system attached to a stabilizer bar that is immersed in the contaminated liquid. After traveling over the head pulley, the belt passes through tandem wiper blades where oil is scraped off both sides of the belt, and discharged through a 1-1/4 in. ID hose. The tail pulley has flanges which allow it to roll freely on the inside of the belt without becoming dislodged. It does not need to be fastened to the tank.

Advantages of Belt Oil Skimmer

The Tote-It belt oil skimmer is especially well suited for parts washing and machining center applications. By removing surface oil from a wash tank, the parts will not be re-contaminated as they are withdrawn. Removing tramp oil from a coolant tank prevents excessive smoke and fumes due to oil burning during cutting operations. It also reduces bacteria growth in the tank, along with the resulting odor.

Video: How Does a Portable Oil Skimmer Work?

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

You are just one step away from downloading the most dependable and effective Tote-It Belt Oil Skimmer brochure. Simply click at the button to get your brochure now.

Oil Skimmers are simple, dependable and effective tools for removing oil, grease and other hydrocarbons from water and can pay for themselves within a few months.

When properly selected and applied, oil skimmers are a highly economical solutions for separating oil from water to allow its reuse or safe disposal.

All oil skimmers rely on the fluid properties of specific gravity and surface tension although designs may vary. Most use a moving medium to remove floating oil from a liquid surface. Floating oil and grease cling to skimming media more readily than the water. This allows media (in the shape of a belt, disk, drum, etc.) to pass through the fluid surface to pick up floating oil and grease while leaving most of the water behind. The oily material is subsequently removed from the media with wiper blades or pinch rollers.

Grease Skimming

Grease skimming involves higher viscosity hydrocarbons. These skimmers must be operated at higher temperatures to keep the grease fluid. This may require heating elements in the reservoir and skimmer unit to keep the grease in a liquid state for easier pick-up and discharge. If the floating grease forms solid clumps or mats in the reservoir, a spray bar, aerator or other mechanical apparatus can be used to break up the grease and facilitate skimming.

Often, a skimmer by itself can achieve the required level of water purity. For more demanding situations, skimming is a cost-effective pretreatment before more complicated and costly treatments, such as coalescers, membrane filters and chemical processes are employed.

Video: Removing Grease and Oil from Water

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

You are just one step away from downloading Abanaki's most detailed resource on our oil skimming equipment. Simply click at the button to get your ultimate guide now.

Oil skimmers are simple, dependable and effective tools for removing oil, grease and other hydrocarbons from water. They usually pay for themselves within a few months. In order to ensure the oil skimmer you choose is right for your operation, there are certain steps you can follow.

Understand the Basics

First, understand that while designs vary, all oil skimmers rely on the fluid properties of specific gravity and surface tension. Most use a moving medium to remove floating oil from the fluid's surface. Floating oil and grease cling to skimming media more readily than water. This allows media in the shape of a belt, disk, drum, etc. to pass through the fluid surface and pick up floating oil and grease while rejecting most of the water. The oily material is subsequently removed from the media with wiper blades or pinch rollers.

Ensure Your Application Applies

When properly selected and applied, oil skimmers are highly economical solutions for separating oil from water to allow its reuse or safe disposal. However, there are certain applications that can expect optimal results. Typical applications best suited for oil skimmers encompass wastewater sumps, coolants and cutting fluids, heat treating operations, parts washers, food processing facilities, parking lots, garages, service facilities, outdoor ponds/lakes/basins, recovery/monitoring wells, remediation processes, and many more.

Select by Application

There are several types of industrial oil skimmers. Choosing one best suited for your application will maximize oil removal while minimizing capital outlay and skimmer operating costs. You may define the application in terms of the following characteristics: operating Conditions, hazardous materials, temperature/viscosity, skimmed water content, residual oil, portability, tank or sump characteristics, size/design, shape, and location/installation.

Determine the Right Design

For industrial oil skimming, there are six basic designs commonly used in moving media skimmers. (Suction skimmers are excluded, as they are generally unsuitable except for relatively thick (1/4 inch) layers of oil; otherwise they tend to ingest large amounts of water.) In more demanding situations, skimming is a cost-effective means of removing most of the oil before using more complicated and costly treatments, such as coalescers, membrane filters and chemical processes.

Consider All the Options

All moving media skimmers use motors to move the belt, tube, disk, etc. While many are designed with standard, industrially rated, continuous-duty motors and also may use fully enclosed speed reducing drives, some can be specified with a number of motor options. Consider also any optional equipment that may be available with the skimmer you are evaluating. Accessories allow customized systems that can ease installation and optimize performance. Some of the more common options include: special drive components, mounting stands and adapters, shelters/ enclosures, controls/accessories, concentrator, and heaters.

Get free white paper to help you avoid the common mistakes that are made when purchasing an oil skimmer.

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

An oil skimmer is a device that uses a belt, tube, or disk placed directly into the product containing oil. The belt, tube, or disk attracts the oil by breaking the surface tension of the water and then runs back to the machine to be wiped clean. If your skimmer is sized right, it will be able to pull the free-floating oil from anywhere in the tank or pit. Oil skimmers should be purchased more by size than by the volume of oil to ensure you are able to skim from the whole surface area.

What Size of Oil Skimmer You Should Purchase?

Oil skimmers operate with a very basic principle. That basic principle is the breaking of surface tension to attract oil to the belt or tube. Because of this design, it is critical to size the oil skimmer according to the surface area being skimmed rather than the amount of oil in the tank.

For example, you could have a tank or pit that measure 144 square feet but only contains 2-4 gallons of oil at any particular time. Sizing the oil skimmer according to 2-4 gallons versus the surface area would yield unproductive results. Yes, you may only have small amounts of oil, but if your oil skimmer is undersized, that oil skimmer will not have enough power to break the surface tension with enough force to bring oil from the other side of the tank.

Therefore, you could run the oil skimmer for days and never retrieve the oil from the far side of your collection point. Always take into account how large of an area you want to skim oil from when determining what oil skimmer will work best for your application.

Video: How To Tell What Skimmer You Need For Your Machine Coolant

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

There is a skimming system for virtually any application. Simply fill up the form to your right or click at the button to get your ultimate guide now.

Wastewater Sumps

Most manufacturing or processing facilities have water systems where waste oil collects in a central tank or sump. Skimming the floating oils with little water content can reduce the cost of disposal and lower the contingent liabilities of wastewater discharge.

Coolants and Cutting Fluids

When machine coolants become contaminated with tramp oils, four things usually occur:

• Coolant life is reduced.
• Quality of machined parts is reduced.
• In many cases, a smoke will begin to appear in the shop, causing irritation to the workers on the job.
• The fluid takes on a “rotten egg” odor.

Oil skimmers that remove tramp oils solve these problems and typically pay for themselves within a few months.

Heat Treating

Quench oils that must be removed from heat treated parts can be captured for re-use or disposal. The results are lower quench oil costs, prolonged wash water life and lower disposal costs.

Parts Washers

Floating oils re-contaminate parts as they are removed from a wash tank. Oil skimmers can remove this oil. The benefits of using an oil skimmer are oil free parts and extended fluid life.

Food Processing Facilities

Removal of vegetable oils, greases, and animal fats from a plant’s wastewater stream reduces the costs of processing and disposal.

Steel Mills/Scale Pits

Most steel mills have scale pits in which grease and heavy oils accumulate. In order to avoid fines from the government and expensive sand bed filters, steel mills must limit the amount of grease in wastewater discharged into the environment. Reclaimed grease and oil can be re-used or used as furnace fuel, avoiding sucker truck disposal costs.

Parking Lots, Garages and Service Facilities

Waste oil from leaks, spills and other sources must be retrieved from sumps before water can be discharged to storm or sanitary sewers.

Outdoor Ponds, Lakes, Basins, Etc.

Where floating oils are present, oil skimmers provide inexpensive and effective removal, solving a serious environmental problem.

Recovery/Monitoring Wells

Removing oil, fuel and other hydrocarbon liquid from wells can be more cost-effective using a belt skimmer instead of a down well pump. Oil skimmers don’t have nearly the maintenance issues and can reach depths of 100 feet or more, removing product despite fluctuating water tables. Oil skimmers can handle very thick fluids effortlessly and some (like the Abanaki PetroXtractor®) can remove sinking DNAPL’s such as coal tar and creosote from water.

To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com

Find out which Abanaki oil skimmers are suitable for your application.

Click button below to access our “ 9 typical applications for industrial oil skimmers” whitepaper to get more information.