A guide to portable sump cleaners

Each time coolant is cleaned and re-used, money is saved. Eriez

Removing solids from coolant in the machining process is critical to achieving better fluid performance and longevity, air quality, bacterial resistance, corrosion resistance, tool life, and part finishes.

Maintaining clean fluid that is free of particulates should be the standard operating procedure at every machine shop, whether the final products are simple items such as spacers, or complex objects like medical devices and components for aerospace applications.

Efficient cleaning of machine tool sumps optimizes machine performance while also extending coolant life. Just like tooling and inspection, good fluid maintenance practices ultimately affect a shop’s bottom line.

Rising costs for the purchase, use, and disposal of coolant make extending its life particularly important for protecting profitability. Traditional methods used to dispose of fine particulates, such as using a Shop-Vac or shovel and rake, are time-consuming and outdated. Upgrading to a simple sump cleaner delivers an excellent ROI for any machine shop, regardless of size.

A Portable Option

Portable sump cleaners provide a cost-effective approach to saving time, material, and money. With the efficiency of a portable sump cleaner, a machine can be cleaned quickly with minimal labour and little to no downtime.

Dirty coolant significantly shortens machine life and tool life. Metalworking operations generate a large amount of very small chips and particles. These get into the coolant and are then sprayed all over, getting into controls, cylinders, rods, and bearings. When this happens, expect increased wear and reduced quality.

While many machines have a system to remove most of the chips, smaller fines are inevitably left behind to settle in the tank. These leftover fines often form smelly, greasy sludge piles on the bottom of the tank because the residue is full of anaerobic bacteria and tramp oil.

Limited Options

So, what can be done to or added to the coolant to penetrate the sludge and kill the bacteria? Unfortunately, the answer is nothing. Coolant must be physically removed regularly.

Using a sump cleaner, a CNC machine tool sump with 50 gal. of coolant and 20 lbs. of sludge can be completely cleaned in just 10 to 15 minutes, with the filtered coolant returned to the sump for re-use.

A sump cleaner is essentially a portable and powerful filter.

Sump cleaners come in many forms, including portable ones that can move from machine to machine. Eriez

In the process of cleaning the machine, the sump cleaner rapidly removes the fluid, sludge, and chips from the machine sump. The sump cleaner filters the sludge and chips from the fluid through a reusable integral filter liner and either returns the filtered fluid to the sump or transports the fluid to another recycling system. Many portable sump cleaners generate up to 100 GPM of suction, which is powerful enough to eliminate sludge and chips through a 2-in.-dia. hose.

Common polypropylene sleeve liners filter to a nominal 50 µm. If finer filtration is required, such as in certain grinding applications, then a single-use paper filter sleeve can be inserted into the chip basket for a nominal filtration of 20 µm.

Sump cleaners are equipped with a high-level float switch to turn off the pump to prevent overfilling. When the sump cleaner is full, the operator closes the ball valve, places the hose on the discharge port, and turns the switch to the discharge “on” position. The operator then uses the dispensing nozzle to return clean, filtered fluid to the machine sump.

The last step is emptying the solid material from the sump cleaner basket. The operator unplugs the unit, loosens the handles on the basket lid, and removes the lid. The basket is then lifted out to dispose of the waste.

Because a portable sump cleaner makes the job of cleaning sumps easier, maintenance staff are more likely to clean the sumps regularly, resulting in less buildup of swarf and scum on the bottom of sumps. In turn, this eliminates the home and breeding ground for bacteria.

Numerous Sump Cleaners Available

Various portable sump cleaner models allow shops to select the suction strength and filtration capacity needed to suit specific needs. Today’s sump cleaners are heavy-duty and robust pieces of equipment engineered to last many years with minimal maintenance.

Sump cleaners come in assorted sizes to accommodate volumes from 50 to 1,000 gal., and are powered by 120-V, three-phase electric; liquefied petroleum (LP) gas; or air venturi (a system that uses a vacuum effect to create suction).

Most portable sump pump builders offer single tank and twin tank models. Units also can be built for mounting on industrial trucks, heavy-duty tow packages, and pallet-mounted to fulfill unique needs. Units with continuous discharge can also be used for quick cleanouts without starving the sump of coolant, allowing for even less machine downtime.

The economic benefits of using portable sump cleaners to recycle metalworking coolant are substantial. The larger the shop, the greater the savings. Each time the coolant is reused, money is saved through decreased coolant purchases and disposals.

Clay O’Dana is a product manager for Eriez, 2200 Asbury Rd., Erie, Pa. 16506, 814-835-6000, www.eriez.com.