SmartSkim®
Frequently Asked Questions
SmartSkim®
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2. How is SmartSkim® different from a coalescer type separators?
3. What are the materials of construction used on SmartSkim® Systems?
5. What are the space requirements needed to install SmartSkim® separators?
6. Will SmartSkim® remove emulsified oils? Do I need a membrane system?
7. Will SmartSkim® remove floating solids?
8. What preventative maintenance steps are needed for SmartSkim® Systems?
9. What conditions are needed in my tank?
10. Can SmartSkim® Systems be be used for coolant recycling?
11. What kind of fluids skim the best?
1 SmartSkim® VS dragouts. Dragout devices such as belts, disks, drums and ropes rotate in and out of tanks. If oil touches the rotating part, it’s supposed to lift it up and out of the tank where it gets scraped off. The problem is that all the oil that doesn't touch the rotating device stays in your tank. It’s common to see oil covered tanks equipped with dragout devices which have little or no effect on surface oils. Also, the fluids which are dragged out are typically a mixture of 50% oil and 50% source fluids. This creates unnecessary wastewater and additional cost to replace wasted fluids. These devices are not meant for large, modern industrial sumps. SmartSkim® Systems are two part systems which continuously remove the topmost contaminating layer from your tanks and pump them through our proprietary and patented gravity separators. During this stage, floating contaminants are captured in the separator and discharged as a “dry” byproduct which can be sold or recycled. Clean, treated fluids are continuously returned to your tank.
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2. SmartSkim® VS coalescers. Traditional coalescers are known as “tortuous pathway” separators. SmartSkim® is an “open channel” coalescer. Tortuous pathway coalescers pump skimmed fluids across a media pack. This typically consists of densely packed plastic shapes which are supposed to attract oil. In fact, when there is any dirt or grit in the skimmed fluids, these tortuous pathway devices act like a filter and just blind over. They have to be shut down and the media must be power washed. This is an unnecessary maintenance step which wastes labor costs and creates more wastewater. Want to Learn more?
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3. Materials of construction. The SmartSkim® Suction Skimmer is all stainless steel. Our Crossflow Systems are entirely stainless steel. Our Vertical Systems use mild steel, powder coated, for the separator body.
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4. Suction Skimmer site requirements. The standard Suction Skimmer will accomodate a 7 inch rise and fall in the fluid level in your tank. A skimmer with an 18 inch vertical travel is available for larger level changes. A smaller 3.5 inch vertical travel skimmer is available for smaller sumps such as those found on machine tool applications. Custom skimmers can be made for specific jobs. For the standard 7 inch vertical travel skimmer, installation requires a space aproximately 12 inches x 12 inches x 18 inches deep .
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5. Space requirements. The Crossflow System is 4’ long x 1’ wide x 2’ tall. It needes to be supported by a stand high enough to allow treated fluids to gravity drain back to the source tank. SmartSkim® Vertical Systems come in stationary and mobile models. Vertical Systems which are stationary come with a 2’ x 2’ floor mounting plate. The mobile platform for the SmatSkim® V2 System is approximately 24” x 36”
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6. Remove emulsifieds? SmartSkim® Systems remove floating oils, not emulsified oils. It’s much smarter to stop emulsifying the oil if you can, by using better coolants & cleaners. Synthetic, semi synthetic and some water soluble coolants do not create emulsified oil. Oil splitting cleaners do not cause oil to emulsify into parts washing solutions. If you do have to go after emulsifieds, you will need to remove floating oil and solids first to defend any downstream treatment such as membranes. Want to learn more?
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7. Floating solids? Universal Separators got its name because we can remove oil AND solids. When you need to remove floaing solids, our SmartSkim® Crossflow System is the ticket. There are over 40 square feet of open channel separation plates housed in a non-clog tank that has a footprint of only 4 square feet. Traditional tortuous pathway type coalescers blind over quickly when solids are present. If you’d like to see some photos and get further info about removing floating solids, click here.
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8. Preventative maintenance requirements? Daily maintenance should be little more than a visual check that nothing is blocking the Suction Skimmer in the tank, such as floating debris. Oil captured inside the separator will accumulate and auto discharge to a customer supplied capture drum which must be emptied as needed. SmartSkim® separators can be bottom flushed as needed, typically once every 6 months or so is sufficient, depending on solids loading in the source fluids. Systems sold for high volume solids applications will need to be flushed more often.
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