"On an investment of this type, we generally like to see payback in about a year and a half," notes Tom Chimples, Vice-President. "This system was paid off in nine months."
AMAC Enterprises Inc., located in Cleveland, Ohio, has found a simple, yet effective way to reduce the cost of its heat treating operations . . . recycle 100 gallons of quench oil each day . . . and save more than $20,000 each year.

From six employees in the 1950's, AMAC has grown to 90 employees and approximately 130,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and office space. Forty percent of the operation involves heat treating and at full capacity the plant can handle 250,000 pounds a day. This process generates 100-120 gallons of waste oil and residue each day as the quench oil is washed off before tempering the fasteners.

A project engineer, Sam Torreso, was assigned the task of finding a waste oil recycling system that was both cost-effective and easy to operate and maintain. Working with engineering consultants, an oil separation system was developed including two 1500-gallon holding tanks, pumps, and outside 99-gallon collection tank, and two Model 5H oil skimmers.
All of the washers flow into the first of the two 1500-gallon holding tanks. At this point about 80% of the oil is recovered when it is attracted to a polyurethane collector tube that floats on the oily surface of the wash water. The tube moves up through scrapers which removes the oil . . . then back down to the surface to collect more oil. Water flows from the bottom of the first holding tank to a second 1500-gallon tank where another oil skimmer removes any remaining oil.

To ensure that virtually no water is carried along with the recovered oil to the collection tank, the oil is stored in a small tank connected to the first holding tank. A float control periodically drains 20% of the contents from the bottom of this tank back into the first holding tank, while the remaining 80% is pumped into the collection tank located in the shipping bay. The oil recycler then simply drives up to the tank once a week and drives away 15 minutes later with 800 gallons of recoverable quench oil.

The initial capital investment was $25,000, including $18,000 for equipment and material and $7,000 for labor. "On an investment of this type, we generally like to see payback in about a year and a half," notes Tom Chimples, Vice-President and son of the founder. "This system was paid off in nine months. From March-1982, when we started the system on line, to March-1983 we recycled 21,397 gallons of quench oil for $1.10 per gallon, instead of buying new oil for $2.60 per gallon."

The company performing the task of re-refining our oil gets the oil back up to the same properties as the new oil and will provide a certificate to back up this claim. It doesn't have quite as long a life span, but as it stands now we don't need to make any new oil purchases."For more information on oil separation equipment you should write to Oil Skimmers, Inc., P.O. Box 33022, Cleveland, OH 44133; or call them at 1-800-200-4603

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