Environmentally friendly Water Eater slashes coolant disposal costs.

For smaller manufacturing companies the cost and hassle of disposing coolant is an expensive exercise. Unlike larger companies they frequently lack the space, the capital or the technical personnel to utilise the exotic recycling or treatment capabilities.

However, a piece of equipment known as the Water Eater provides an innovative and effective solution to the issue. Designed on the principal that only a tiny proportion of the waste product is actual coolant, the Water Eater uses evaporation to remove the water component from the coolant thereby drastically reducing the amount of waste product that needs to be disposed of.

“Typically used coolants are normally 95% water, meaning that all you are left with is a mere 3 to 5% of the original volume. Efficient, environmentally friendly and compact the Water Eater is an ideal solution for smaller manufacturing companies,” said Dimac Managing Director, Paul Fowler.

Made by EMC in Santa Fe Springs California, the unit is available in both gas and electric heated models with evaporation rates ranging from 19 to 208 litres per hour. An optional Auto Fill system automates the process and allows for 24 hour operation.

The evaporation of the waste fluid is achieved via heating elements in the floor of the unit. In addition, a power exhaust system continuously draws air across the surface of the heated liquid to speed up evaporation.

The system releases the moisture safely into the air leaving only a small amount of residual for disposal. Any residue can be easily scraped from the obstruction-free bottom on a periodic basis. To minimise cleanout time, a fully removable cover is provided that allows for complete access to the entire tank.

The majority of Water Eater models have a low top frame height, which allows easy accessibility without the need for footstools or stands.

To keep energy costs as low as possible the Water Eater features a large heat transfer area of the burner tube or heat exchanger. The large 165mm diameter burner tubes on the gas models provide as much as 200% more heat transfer surface than competitive systems, thereby minimising heat-up time and decreasing energy costs.

All Water Eaters are designed to operate simply and efficiently. They are constructed of high quality materials and components to ensure trouble-free operation and long service life. The tanks are made of heavy duty mig welded 12 gauge steel to ensure outstanding longevity and are fully insulated to reduce heat loss.

“The massive reduction in the volume of liquids requiring disposal not only slashes disposal costs, but also means reduced storage requirements whilst minimising labour time for handling the waste product,” added Mr Fowler.

Dimac Tooling is Australia and New Zealand’s leading supplier of accessories and workholding solutions for CNC milling and CNC turning machine tools. The company also manufactures soft and hard jaws in their own CNC equipped machine shop in Dandenong, Victoria.

“Like all the products we sell, the Water Eater has the full back up and support of Dimac technical personnel to ensure the product is instated correctly and operates at optimum performance,” Mr Fowler concluded.