Understanding the Different Choices in Metal and Fluid Recycling

Why would a company choose a chip wringer system for metal recycling over a briquetter system that compresses the chips into compact pucks? Is one of the two a more cost-effective choice?

Not necessarily, says Mike Hook, national sales manager for Prab. One consideration is the local scrap dealer, and what premium this firm is willing to pay for pucks over chips. Another consideration is transportation distance and cost, since the pucks are easier to ship.

This question was one of the points addressed in the recent webinar presentation Mr. Hook gave on managing waste streams in the machine shop—both metal waste and fluid waste. Investing to manage either of these streams more effectively can save cost in various ways, including via reuse, control of disposal and even the conversion of some of the waste into a revenue stream.

The value in the webinar (an archived version is available here) is that it touches quickly on various options for chip and coolant handling. Equipment discussed includes shredders, chip wringers, briquetters, tramp oil separators, magnetic and filter-media separators, centrifuges and coolant recycling systems—all arguably underappreciated equipment with the potential for significant impact on the economics of the shop.

In the area of chip handling, Mr. Hook discussed the familiar option of a conveyor system under the floor. He also showed the application of a cleaner alternative: a shop that had implemented a system that shreds chips at the machine tools so they can be sent through an above-ground pneumatic system to a cyclone for drying and a silo to await pickup. For this shop (which has high cleanliness requirements), the result is an environmentally friendly system realizing hands-off chip management from generation to pickup.