When a current customer of Oil Skimmers, Inc. — a manufacturer of carbon and alloy steel bar, rod, and wire products — installed a new scale pit, it came with new oil removal challenges.
During steel production, scale pits collect the loosened scale that flakes off the surface of the steel along with cooling water, lubricating oils, and hydraulic oils used in production. This creates a mixture of water, oil, and scale in the pits. Because the water is continuously recirculated, it must be free of contaminants before re-entering production. Oil removal from scale pits requires oil skimming equipment that is efficient and durable to work continuously and effectively in the harsh environment of a steel mill.
The steel mill engaged an engineering firm to design a new type of scale pit at their facility. The engineering firm was also a long-term customer of Oil Skimmers, Inc., having specified its equipment in other process water, wastewater, and stormwater applications. With first-hand knowledge that Oil Skimmers, Inc.’s oil-water separator and skimming solutions are proven and effective, the firm once again selected Oil Skimmers, Inc. as the provider for its new scale pit design.
“For one thing, we knew their oil skimmers worked well, but beyond that, the Oil Skimmers, Inc. team has so much experience and applications knowledge in such a wide spectrum of industries that we wanted to consult with them to determine how to best apply their oil removal solutions in our unique design,” said a representative of the engineering firm. “Oil Skimmers, Inc. is itself a design and engineering driven firm, so we knew we could count on them to get us not just what they had, but what we needed, even if they had to customize or create a new design for us.”
Oil Skimmers, Inc. carefully reviewed the details of the application, the specifications of the site, as well as the oil removal equipment originally proposed by the engineering firm. The design was sound. It consisted of multiple Extended Reach Skimming Systems from Oil Skimmers, Inc., each with an integrated 500-gallon oil storage tank and a Model 6V Brill® tube oil skimmer mounted on a 24-foot boom that is able to swing out over the scale pits.
“They were singing our tune,” said David Cehlar, regional manager at Oil Skimmers, Inc. Our Model 6V Extended Reach Skimming System is a rugged and capable solution, able to reach out and serve multiple scale pits while skimming 24/7, as well as hold and pump the oil it skims.”
But this particular project presented a unique opportunity. The company was building the scale pit from scratch, rather than adding equipment to an existing one.
“When we realized the customer had not yet broken ground on the new scale pit, we introduced the option of customizing an oil removal solution that would be better than using our standard equipment,” added Cehlar.
Working closely with the steel mill’s engineers that designed the new scale pit, the Oil Skimmers, Inc. team identified an opportunity to provide a custom-engineered solution that was more effective than the standard equipment originally specified. By collaborating with the engineering firm and the customer, the Oil Skimmers, Inc. team presented fully rendered concepts and drawings of a unique, custom-engineered oil removal system designed to precisely address the customer’s specific requirements for this new construction project.
The Oil Skimmers, Inc. solution consisted of two large, custom-designed Oil Removal and Transfer Systems (ORTS). Each ORTS supported two Model 6V Brill Tube Oil Skimmers with one skimmer for each of the four cells of the scale pit. Oil recovered by the Free-Floating Collector Tube™ on each oil skimmer is dropped directly into the system’s collection tank. The ORTS’ collection tanks were designed with proprietary features to keep heavy oil flowing easily, eliminating the potential for the mill’s thick oil to clog drain lines. The tanks were also heat-traced and insulated to assure continuous operation even in the coldest of winter months.
“This system was developed specifically for this project,” said Cehlar. “While we have oil skimmers on scale pits at steel mills around the world, this was a unique application requiring unique oil-removal equipment. One of our strengths at Oil Skimmers, Inc. is our team’s ability to dissect a customer’s specific problem and find the best oil-water separation and skimming solution whether it involves using our standard equipment or a customized design or both. Our professionals have the knowledge, tools, and expertise to create ideal solutions for the customer — and the capability to turn good ideas into great hardware.”
When suppliers, consultants, and customers can truly work together in a cooperative manner, the team can stay focused on the end goal. In most cases, this results in a better solution, drawing from the expertise and experience of all parties involved. By providing a quality product that delivers consistent results, Oil Skimmers, Inc., has earned its trusted reputation among its customers and partner engineering firms.
“The Oil Skimmers, Inc. team brings a lot of value added to the projects we involve them with,” said the engineering firm’s project manager. “They are able to work seamlessly with our team and our clients’ to get challenges handled quickly, and cost effectively.”
We strive to add value to every project, which results in satisfied customers returning for additional applications and engineering firms choosing to bring the Oil Skimmers, Inc. team in on future projects,” notes Cehlar.
At the end of the day, the important question is whether customers are satisfied with the oil removal solutions provided. The custom ORTS units are working as designed, and the customer is delighted.
“These custom-designed oil skimmingsystems have reduced our capital expenditures, installation costs, power bills, and our waste oil maintenance expenses,” says the steel mill’s plant manager. “By consolidating what we thought were several separate oil skimming applications into two central systems, we’re able to easily serve all the sections of our new scale pit, keeping them free from oil. Good solutions like this, that eliminate challenges and frequent maintenance, keep us focused on our mission of running an efficient operation and milling steel.”
Oil Skimmers, Inc. has been providing oil removal solutions to a variety of industries around the world since 1967. We continue to grow our capabilities through innovation, new product development, and engineering capabilities to serve the unique challenges that each oily water application presents. For more information about oil skimmers, fully-integrated oil removal systems, oil water separators, and custom-engineering capabilities, visit www.oilskim.com or call +1 (440) 237-4600 to speak to one of our applications specialists.
