ALC - Abanaki

Removing oil from water is a crucial step in many processes across numerous industries. From extending tool life to staying in compliance with government agencies, oil skimmers provide a cost-effective solution to removing oil from water or coolant.

Oil skimming is a dirty job. However, it is an important part of numerous industries. Some industries utilize oil skimmers to help stay in compliance with EPA regulations and to keep hydrocarbons out of the environment. Other industries need oil skimmers to help prolong tool life or keep the work place a healthy place for the plant operators. Regardless of the reason, oil skimmers offer a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally sound solution to removing hydrocarbons from any application.

Selecting an oil skimmer can be a complex decision-making process. There are various factors you have to consider about your application when choosing the right skimmer. Here is a guide to help you avoid the 7 common mistakes that are made when purchasing an oil skimmer.

Abanaki offers industrial wastewater skimmers specially designed for steel mills where plant maintenance engineers are looking for the lowest cost, most reliable method of removing greases and heavy oils from the steel-mill scale pit. Abanaki oil skimmers use the difference in specific gravity and surface tension between grease and water, allowing the belt to attract grease and oil as the belt passes through the surface of the water. The simple belt-and-motor approach is proven to operate unattended and reliably for decades with little maintenance.

Coolant maintenance should always be a top priority in shops. Dirty machine coolant can cause a multitude of problems for manufacturing facilities and CNC machines. Not using clean coolant can cause health issues in the workplace, reduce the life of the equipment used, and can significantly slow a process down.

There are many reasons why so many facilities use the Model 4 oil skimmer as part of their industrial wastewater treatment. The Model 4 oil skimmer is designed to last for many years. With the proper configuration it can handle liquid temperatures up to 212°F, and the pH of the fluid can range from 3 to 13. Belts are specifically selected for your application (see Belt Selection page). The skimmer drive includes an oil filled gear reducer with bronze gears and ball bearings. The motor, reducer, and powder coated finish of the weldments give the Model 4 exceptionally long life, even under the harshest conditions. 

A common misconception is that you can buy a smaller skimmer based on gallons-per-hour skimming capacity for a big job to save money. However, purchasing a small or mini unit instead of an industrial sized skimmer can be an ineffective method of oil skimming.

A typical industrial oil skimmer will offer units in single or triple phase.  When you need more performance, Abanaki specialized motors run our Oil Grabber oil skimmer in most environments:

Oil skimmers keep oil out of places it does not belong. Whether this means keeping oil out of coolant to extend tool life, or keeping oil out of wastewater so it isn’t discharged into the environment, a properly functioning skimmer can save you a lagoon full of dollars. Here are the 11 easy tips to skim oil from water or coolant.

Tube oil skimmer can be used in wastewater applications that are shallow in depth. Plus, tube oil skimmer is a great fit where a belt skimmer is too big.