Magnetic filtration addresses environmental concerns

Environmental benefits of magnetic filtration

As well as saving you money, our magnetic filters can help reduce your impact on the environment. Both good reasons why Elite Tooling, Rotherham (UK) based manufacturer of solid carbide machine tools, installed a Filtramag on its Walter Helitronic Power Grinder.

Disposal costs eliminated

Prior to fitting Filtramag, Elite Tooling had been working with the Environmental Agency to find a better way of disposing of the sodden filter cartridges.

As Bob Hill, Managing Director at Elite Tooling, explains:

“Grinding fluid is now classed as bio-waste which meant that we had to dispose of our filters through a specialist company, which proved very expensive. Installing Filtramag allowed us to eliminate this cost and address two of our biggest challenges – increasing filtration efficiency and improving our environmental credentials. ”

From costs to revenue

Elite Tooling were looking to reduce or eliminate their disposal costs but found Filtramag exceeded expectations because the contamination now has scrap value. The contamination is removed from the Filtramag unit, allowed to drain and then sold to a company that recycles it.

Payback with the Filtramag begins on installation. What once was a cost to Elite Tooling and the environment now provides revenue and recycled raw material.

Fluid use reduced

Another environmental benefit of magnetic filtration is the reduction in the amount of fluid you use. More effective filtration (Filtramag can remove particles down to less than a micron in size) means that fluids last longer. There are no fluid-sodden cartridges to dispose of so you are not throwing fluid away with your contamination.

Quality parts

The effectiveness of magnetic filtration means that it can improve part quality and finish and reduce wear on your machinery. Re-circulating contaminated oil can compromise surface finish quality, produce inconsistent parts, result in oil degradation and reduce an expensive machine tool into a tired-looking and worn piece of equipment, within months.

Bob Hill explains:

“Our Walter Helitronic Power Grinder enables various Carbide cutting tools to be machined from stock bar including the flute shaping operation, which generates the most contamination. Producing the final cutting edge is an extremely precise operation, the last thing you need to be thinking about at this stage is whether or not the suspended particles in the cutting oil is going to affect the finished tool.”

At the time, the paper filter medium being used by Elite Tooling was proving to be ineffective at removing the micron sized carbide particles necessary to maintain the company's high standards. The first indication of this became apparent when particles began to cover horizontal surfaces, making the machine look as if it had been working flat out for the last few years.

Bob Hill, continues:

“It was at this stage that we realised we needed to protect our machines, which were our biggest investment, and, knowing that the particles were magnetic, decided to ask Eclipse Magnetics to come up with the solution.”

Recommended!

After a brief discussion and a visit by the Eclipse Magnetics engineers it was decided to install a Filtramag unit. The filter was installed by Walter GB and as Bob Hill explains:

“It exceeded our expectation in terms of filtration efficiency and I would recommend the Filtramag to any company who grinds or hones component parts.”

Filtramag

The Filtramag contains six high intensity rod magnets which incorporate rare earth magnetic material. Utilising pole concentrators and proven magnetic circuit geometry the rods generate controlled, deep reaching magnetic flux fields which produce 11,000 Gauss. These flux fields attract and retain any magnetic particles that are suspended in the fluid.

The Filtramag offers unrivalled levels of both magnetic performance and contamination removal efficiency compared to more conventional filter units. Elite Tooling has also found that the improved filtration levels significantly reduces wear on their machine, protecting one of their most valuable pieces of equipment.

Other benefits of using Filtramag compared to cartridge type filters includes zero running costs, no maintenance costs and elimination of downtime associated with changing filter media. Back pressure is also avoided, even when the magnetic cores are totally saturated with contamination.

Units are available with port connection sizes of ¾”, 1”, 1½” & 2” Ø. The Filtramag will hold up to 6kg of debris before cleaning is required and can be used in grinding, honing, lapping, boring and fine-detail machining.

Filtramag