Swarf Processing for Vixen CNC

Precision machining company Vixen CNC Ltd approached J&S Engineering UK Ltd desperately in need of a solution to their big oily swarf problem! 

The turned parts manufacturer produce large quantities of oil saturated, curly, voluminous stainless steel & aluminium swarf but their location within the Snowdonia National Park, means that as a protected landscape the park has strict rules for environmental compliance. So in line with this the company are unable to store any swarf outside their factory to ensure there is no chemical pollution.

So the installation of a bespoke swarf processing plant at their factory could not come soon enough for the turned parts manufacturer.

J&S Engineering UK Ltd were able to design and supply Vixen CNC with a swarf processing plant to enable them to more effectively manage their swarf waste. The main objectives for the system were reclamation of machining oil alongside a large reduction in their swarf volume.

To achieve this the system comprises a crusher, parts separator, automatic centrifuge system and self-cleaning oil holding tank.

Once fed into the crusher, parts and bar ends are detected, separated and ejected into an external bin. The remaining swarf is crushed, passed through into the centrifuge to be spun with the reclaimed oil pumped into a self-cleaning holding tank and the crushed swarf simultaneously ejected into a collecting bin.

This system can cope with as much as 500 / 600 kilos of swarf per hour, with the resulting crushed swarf providing Vixen CNC with a 70% reduction in volume. In real terms this equates as 3 skips of swarf down to just 1 skip.

The self-cleaning oil holding tank contains a scrape conveyor for sediment and sludge which is scraped into another separate tank for disposal.

As Vixen CNC run different materials, an automatic wash-through cleaning system has also been fitted to the processing unit to flush through the centrifuge and conveyor prior to switching swarf material types.

The feedback from Vixen has been fantastic. The objectives of the project have been delivered by being able to dramatically reduce their swarf storage problem as well as reclaim so much of their used machining oil, which has lead to tangible cost savings.

If you have a similar problem and would like discuss your requirements to see if we would be able to help you out too then please do get in touch with us here.