Washer Washer Rescues Manufacturer’s Upgrade Project
“We were dead in the water …”
Sta-Rite Industries (Delavan, WI), a manufacturer of water pumping systems, wanted to upgrade its pre-paint parts washing operations by purchasing aqueous cleaning recycling equipment. The company's targets for reclamation: a 3,000 gallon primary washer tank, which held a combination phospatizing/degreasing solution that was replaced twice a year, and a second, similarly sized wash tank that held less-contaminated water. But after receiving quotes for $45,000 to $50,000, plus expenses, for recycling equipment, Sta-Rite was ready to table the project. “At that price, we were dead in the water,” says Sta-Rite environmental engineer John Raymond. “And then Arbortech approached us.”
Arbortech’s (McHenry, IL) Washer Washer system offered a more
economical alternative than other products Sta-Rite had seen. The
system works by pumping contaminated solution across a membrane
filter. The water that passes is returned directly back into the
parts washer. Water that is rejected returns to the process tank,
where contaminants are concentrated and eventually removed The
Washer Washer has a small 3 x 5 foot footprint. from the
loop—typically hauled away or sent for subsequent treatment. Through
this multiple pass operation, about 90 to 99 gallons out of every
100 can be processed for reuse.
"After seeing a demonstration with a one-gallon sample, I remember
thinking how ridiculously small their equipment seemed, especially
when compared to the other proposals. Their pricing was low, almost
too low to be credible,” said Raymond. Arbortech “did a great
demonstration, but at full-scale, I had my doubts.”
Raymond decided to do an onsite pilot at Sta-Rite’s facility.
“Investing time and a few dollars to see if we could actually cut
the cost for recycling the two washers by more than half seemed very
worthwhile. We saved 60 percent compared to the other two quotes by
implementing two Washer Washers.”
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The Washer Washer has a small 3x5 footprint |
Wastewater before and after processing |
Washer Washer Features
The system has a small 3 x 5 foot
footprint, taking up less floor space than competitive products.
Construction materials have been selected to withstand extreme
temperature (up to 200° F) and pH conditions (0 to 14).
Benefits of using a Washer Washer include:
• Less frequent new bath make-up can cut water usage by 75 to 90
percent. Rinses remain so clean that overflows can often be
substantially reduced adn sometimes even shut off completely.
• No need to boost wash bath temperature as cleaning quality
diminishes from contamination build-up - Washer Washer keeps the
bath clean.
• Maintenance may take as little as five to 10 minutes a week,
meaning that labor hours can be assigned elsewhere.
• Fewer gallons to dispose, plus decreased water content, often
produces lower per gallon charges
• Fewer rejects caused by faulty cleaning.
"Designed for simplicity, Washer Washers are easy to install, easy
to run, easy to troubleshoot and easy on the pocketbook. Paybacks of
less than one year are common, often just from savings on cleaning
chemistry purchases," says Ray Graffia, President of Arbortech. "All
around," says John raymond, " Arbortech's washer Washer was a
wonderful discovery that has helped us prevent pollution, improve
our painting process and add dollars to our bottom line."
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