Making the choice to add a coolant filtration or recycling system to your shop is always a wise decision. In most shops, the savings in the ongoing costs of waste disposal combined with the reduced use of coolant concentrate means that coolant recycling systems typically pay for themselves in less than a year, even in a relatively small shop.
To determine which options in coolant recycling systems are the best for the shop, a closer look at the pros and cons of central or portable systems is always helpful.
Filtration Required
There are some differences in the filtration ability of the portable and stationary systems, particularly with the top manufacturers who can customize the system to your needs. In general, quality portable and stationary or central recycling systems remove tramp oil, entrained oil, and solid materials to different standards and requirements.
Cost
The smaller and more streamlined designs of the portable coolant recycling systems make them a lower cost option in most cases. However, they are only able to process the coolant from one machining center or piece of equipment at a time, which may mean a busy shop needs several systems.
The central system is larger and can be designed to handle the coolant from all machines. There will be piping required to transport the dirty fluid and return the recycled fluid, and this should be considered as part of the overall cost. Additionally, equipment added needs to be connected to the system, but this is often not a significant cost issue.
Number of Machines and Machine Use
For many shops, the deciding factor is the number of machines and the volume of coolant to be recycled. Keep in mind, with a central system the recycling is done automatically and fluid levels are maintained in the equipment reservoirs, something that can be easy to overlook when using portable units in a busy shop.
