Environmentally Conscious? Then Green Filtration Is For You!

Green Filtration LeafBeing environmentally conscious nowadays is crucial, and often a requirement for some of us in certain areas with regulation laws, and enticing tax break incentives to “Go Green”! In light of last week’s Earth Day, here we are going to discuss Polytech’s multiple “Green Filtration” solutions! Our Whirlstream® Hydrocyclone, Conveyor Dragout, and Centrifuge systems provide a low-energy, yet effective filtration process to meet your application needs.
Polytech’s Hydrocyclones offer: Centrifugal Separation of Heavy Granular Solids; Flow Rates of 20 GPM to over 1,000 GPM; High Separation Efficiency; No Filter media consumption, and are available with optional dragout conveyors for heavy solid removal.

But how do they work you ask?! With Hydrocyclones, contaminated  liquid enters the hydrocyclone at high velocity through the inlet opening. From there the liquid flows into the whirl chamber. As the liquid swirls downward in the conical separation chamber, its velocity increases.

 

Hydrocyclone DiagramHydrocyclone
Photo Credit: www.polytech-filtration.com

 

Solid contaminants are thrown against the walls, forced to the bottom, and discharged through a nozzle. As the whirling cleaned liquid approaches the bottom, it is unable to exit the restricted discharge nozzle. It then reverses direction, forms an inner vortex and seeks the clean liquid outlet. Due to their high flow rates of up to 1,000 GPM, high separation efficiency, and the fact that Hydrocyclones require no filter media, they are our personal favorite as an Eco-Friendly, Green Filtration solution! Learn more about Hydrocyclone for separation of of solids from machine tool coolant in our published Technical Article, here!

On the other hand, our Centrifuge Systems provide excellent separation of very fine contaminants from water and low viscosity oil based coolants. They provide flow rates of 20 GPM, and help to minimize filter media consumption in cartridge or stacked disc filter systems for low micron or sub micron filtration applications.

centrifuge                   Centrifuge 2
Photo Credit: www.polytech-filtration.com                                 Replaceable Bowl Liners speed and facilitate
                                                                                                 contaminant removal and disposal. 

Centrifuge systems works best for applications having to do with: Surface Grinding (Fine: < 16 rms); End Mill Grinding; Abrasive Slicing; Honing, Lapping & Super-finishing; Vibratory Finishing; Glass & Ceramics, as well as Diamond & CBN Abrasive Machining.

Additionally, Polytech’s Conveyor Dragout systems offer: Reliable, economical removal of contaminants which settle out rapidly without using any filter media; reduced maintenance commonly associated with settling tanks; double dragouts with extended dwell time for enhanced settling, and effective means of de-aerating and pre-filtering grinding oils. Because Conveyor Dragouts do not use any filter media, they are one of the most environmentally friendly options that we offer, however, they are not as effective time wise, or separation wise as the Whirlstream® Hydrocyclones.

Conveyor DragoutPhoto Credit: www.polytech-filtration.com

We have a variety of sizes and capacities to suit most applications. Conveyor Dragouts are best used in applications regarding: Both Rough (63 rms & above) and Medium (32-16 rms) Surface Grinding; Cutoff saws; Glass and ceramics; Broaching, hobbing, and trepanning; Gear hobbing; Boring and drilling; Chucking and milling, along with turning, lathes, and machining centers.

It is always a good idea to “go green”, however, many states such as California regulate environmental output, and offer companies a tax break as an incentive for using eco-friendly manufacturing and machinery methods. We found this “Clean Technica” article about Green Manufacturing very informative and interesting, if you would like to learn more about what being eco-friendly in the manufacturing workplace exactly entails. They state it pretty accurately– “The term ‘green’ manufacturing can be looked at in two ways: the manufacturing of ‘green’ products, particularly those used in renewable energy systems and clean technology equipment of all kinds, and the “greening” of manufacturing — reducing pollution and waste by minimizing natural resource use, recycling and reusing what was considered waste, and reducing emissions.” – http://bit.ly/1SwNIHe

Here, we are talking about the latter– the “greening” of manufacturing and filtration, where we are reducing pollution and waste (i.e. disposable filter paper media) by minimizing natural resource use. Without the use of (or reduced use of)  filter media in our Hydrocyclones, Centrifuges, and Conveyor Dragouts, green filtration is attainable with recycling and reusing.

If you are interested in learning more about Polytech’s Hydrocyclones, Conveyor Dragouts, or Centrifuge Systems, (or some of our other ‘non-green filtration systems’) please feel free to contact us, via our website, telephone, or email, filters@polytech-filtration.com, and one of our skilled and experienced engineers will guide you through choosing the best solution for your application needs!