A quick search online for the term “tramp oil skimmer” results in hundreds of thousands of results. A significant number of those results are for commercially available units, while others are blogs, articles and even plan on how to build your own system.
There are several factors to consider when choosing any type of tramp oil skimmer. Ideally, look for a company that specializes in these types of systems and offers a good range of products that are designed for small and large shops. It is also essential to choose a company with excellent feedback from past and current customers as well as a track record of producing equipment that stands up to use in the real world.
The Problem with Do-It-Yourself Systems
One of the common issues with a do-it-yourself design of tramp oil skimmer is the inability to remove anything but the surface oil. While tramp oil is the surface layer of oil that accumulates from oil from equipment, as well as the surface of workpieces, commercial types of skimmers can also include filtration processes that remove loosely emulsified oil as well.
This offers greater efficiency in the process and helps to reduce the subsequent levels of tramp oil by continuously filtering of the emulsified oil that is not captured with typical designs of do-it-yourself skimmers.
Portable or Stationary
Depending on the size of your shop, the number of machining center or equipment locations, and the volume of coolant to process, a portable or a stationary type of tramp oil filter and skimmer system may be the best option.
For a smaller shop, the portable option offers the greatest flexibility with no additional cost of installation of pipe systems. The stationary type of skimmer/filter system is ideal for busy shops with high volumes of coolant to process on a regular basis.
