Abanaki Corporation offers the Oil Grabber Model 8 oil skimmer for the food processing industry where plant maintenance engineers are looking for the lowest cost, most reliable method of removing food greases and oils from the wastewater stream. Abanaki skimmers use the differences in specific gravity and surface tension between oil and water, allowing the belt to attract frying oils, vegetable oils, greases, and animal fats as the belt passes through the surface of the water. The simple belt-and-motor approach is proven to operate unattended and reliably for decades with little maintenance.
To avoid fines from government and municipal sewer districts, food processing plants must limit the amount of oils discharged into the environment. Oils and greases entering a plant’s wastewater stream in the process line or during sanitary washdowns, must be removed continuously. The Model 8 oil skimmer provides a continuously operating belt and wiper that can remove up to 40 gallons per hour of oil and grease from water and water-based solutions. Depending on the characteristics of the liquid, the Model 8 oil skimmer is capable of reducing oil content to fewer than five parts-per-million in water. Another benefit of using an Abanaki oil skimmer comes from the recaptured greases and oils, which can be used to manufacture other products such as pet food.
Using an upper and lower pulley system, the oil skimmer belt runs through contaminated liquid to pick up oil from the surface. The belt travels over the head pulley and then passes through tandem wiper blades, from which oil is scraped off both sides and discharged. The tail pulley features flanges that allow the pulley to roll freely on the inside of the belt without becoming dislodged in turbulent applications. No bearings are needed; the unit does not need to be fastened to the tank. An optional tether and cage assembly is offered to prevent the tail pulley from being dislodged. The Oil Grabber Model 8 can be used in tanks with depths as shallow as one foot or as deep as 100 feet. More information is available at www.abanaki.com/087.