Swarf Degreasing Systems

Swarf produced from machining operations is contaminated with oils, emulsions, metal dust and water. Unfortunately, in order to recycle swarf, it needs to be clean, dry and free of any contaminants. Rotajet has solved this problem by designing a size reduction, washing and degreasing system perfect for this situation.

Recycling swarf is particularly important when processing high-value super alloys where the material lost in the machining operation represents a significant loss in profits. Our systems are used to size reduce, degrease and dry the alloys prior to it being processed in vacuum furnaces, allowing our customers to recycle the lost materials.

Size Reduction

Swarf is normally tangled together and generally acts as a bulk mass. To process the swarf, the material needs to be reduced in size to 10-20mm chips, this not only allows the material to be easily conveyed and processed, but it also increases bulk density. To efficiently carry out the size reduction a four shaft shredder fitted with high torque motors and hardened blades is used. Once the material is shredded, the chips fall through the screen onto a Rotajet swan neck conveyor. 

To remove any ferrous contamination from the superalloy chips an overband magnet is used above the Rotajet swan neck conveyor. To achieve optimum capacities the speed of both the shredder and the conveyor are controlled by a central PLC.

The metal chips are fed from the swan neck conveyor onto a Rotajet vibro feed hopper; this ensures the chips are uniformly fed into the Rotajet Swarf washing machine.  

Swarf Washing & Degreasing

The Rotajet RJ-PWW2000 is designed to degrease and wash swarf and metal chips using heated aqueous detergents in high volume and at high pressure. The swarf is transferred through the washing machine using an inclined screw conveyor.  As the material is transferred upwards by the screw, the washing detergent is sprayed at high pressure onto the swarf via 45° knife spray nozzles. 

The swarf is cleaned by both chemical cleaning action and also the impingement from the force of the spray nozzles. The used cleaning solution is then transferred to a bulk storage vessel where it is heated and filtered before being recirculated. 

To rinse and remove any remaining chemicals from the swarf a Rotajet RJ-PWR2000 is used. The operation of the RJ-PWR2000 and the RJ-PWW2000 is identical however fresh water is used to remove the remaining degreasing solution. A recirculation rinse and final fresh water rinse is used to ensure the swarf is completely free from contamination before drying.

Swarf Drying:

Once rinsed the swarf is fed into an RJ-PWD2000 dryer which is heated using electric or gas depending on your requirements. The machine is fitted with a high volume recirculating air system, in which the heated air is blown onto the wet swarf. At high temperatures, any moisture is rapidly removed. Once dried the clean, dry swarf is loaded into bulk bags ready for transit.