Metalworking: oil mist separator AERO guarantees clean air for manufacturing plants
Geplaatst op 15-04-2020
"Healthy and motivated employees are the foundation of our success," says Thomas Zeiträg of tool manufacturer Emil Arnold GmbH & Co. KG in Ostfildern near Stuttgart. First-class extraction technology to ensure clean air inside the manufacturing plant is the primary goal for the company. Keller Lufttechnik has been their reliable partner in this effort for over ten years.
In support of Karl-Heinz Arnold GmbH, Emil Arnold GmbH & Co. KG produces the well-known ARNO tools for the metalworking industry. Three million indexable inserts and numerous other tools, merely a few millimeters in size, are produced annually on a total of 18 grinding machines from carbide blanks supplied by outside manufacturers. These tools are later utilized in milling, turning, boring and grooving.
It’s the manufacturing environment that counts
"Our market is currently under pressure. Only manufacturers who operate reliably and deliver high-quality products in a timely manner can achieve success," says Thomas Zeiträg, head of Carbide Processing at Emil Arnold. In order to achieve some measure of success, both personnel and machines must operate efficiently. The only equipment that can operate in an environment saturated with cooling lubricant aerosols are CNC grinding machines, or edge rounding machines which provide the end product with the proper finish. For the employees, however, the situation is significantly different. "They require clean air at their workplace to remain healthy and motivated, to which they are legally entitled," states Thomas Zeiträg.
Thirty years ago: Aerosol mist during production
Times have changed. Thomas Zeiträg remembers the 1990s when only a large fan exhausted aerosol fumes from basement level workshops where many open grinding machines were installed. "Oil mist and fumes would coat skin and hair," he says. "No one expressed any concern regarding the inhaled substances." Meanwhile, it has been proven that aerosols contaminated with heavy metals are carcinogenic and their separation is mandatory.
Technological progress is growing
Today, Emil Arnold displays a completely different image: employees and visitors benefit from clean air in both the heavy and light manufacturing plants. Robots perform most of the work in modern, completely enclosed grinding machines. Oil mist extraction systems continuously remove aerosols from occupied spaces so that the air remains clean even when employees access the machinery. The employees work in two shifts; the machines operate 'round the clock, including weekends.
Annual service ensures availability
"We can only deliver reliably if we can depend on our machines. This also includes our extraction systems," says Thomas Zeiträg of Emil Arnold, a customer of Keller Lufttechnik since 2006. The personal contact and the close proximity of the air pollution control experts at Keller were key considerations at that time. "A wise choice," says Zeiträg. "Our systems run reliably and rarely demand any extra labor. We have completed a service contract with Keller Lufttechnik for all inspection, maintenance, filter changes and ductwork cleaning that must be performed annually."
Purchased a new AERO
Emil Arnold currently operates three Keller extraction systems. Recently, a coolant mist separator ENA, was replaced by the oil mist
separator AERO, after the company had switched the remaining machines operating with coolants to the cooling lubricant oil. "With
the AERO, which filters 99 percent of even the finest aerosols from the air, Keller Lufttechnik set a new separation standard a few years ago," explains Keller sales representative Thomas Schneider. "The unit uses Micos-P fine fiber filter elements. These tubular filter cartridges have a particularly large surface making them more effective.” A metal mesh screen is used as a pre-separator for larger particles. Simultaneously, the AERO directs the air flow smoothly through the cartridge filters into the main filter stage where the aerosols are liquefied and discharged at the bottom. The company adds these residues to the oil circulation system. With the addition of cellulose powder, an oil filter removes the micro carbide residue from the process oil so that it can then be reused in grinding machines.
Conclusive results
With limited plant space and limited time, the dismantling of the old separator and installation of the new one in January 2019 proved to be a very challenging task, report Zeiträg and Schneider. "Production had to resume as soon as possible. We had scheduled three days -Thursday through Saturday, for the exchange. Because the process ran so smoothly, we were finished by Friday evening." The result convinced our customer: "The AERO runs like clockwork", laughs Zeiträg, who is pleased to recommend Keller Lufttechnik to other companies.
Contact us via info@lyboverair.com or +32 56 67 10 10
Source: Keller Lufttechnik Customer Magazine 2020
