Essential Guide to CNC Machine Oil Skimmers: Boost Performance & Reduce Contamination

Oil Skimmer for CNC Machines

An oil skimmer for CNC machines is able to provide the machine tools with reliable and simple operation, in order to eliminate the oil contamination in the working fluids during metal machining. The oil skimmer, which is also known as CNC oil skimmer or belt oil skimmer, can ensure and improve the high performance of CNC machines. 

The main purposes of the oil skimmer for CNC machines include significantly removing or limiting the tramp oils, increasing the quality and efficiency of the coolant system, lengthening the change intervals of coolants, and reducing the contamination from unwanted fumes, pungent, and tramp oil in coolant system in the machine tank. 

Tramp oil is a common problem in most CNC machine tools operations. Typically, the source of tramp oil is the lubricants like lubricating oil, which prevent raw bar stock from rusting or the leakage of hydraulic oil systems. It not only contaminates the sump tank but also reduces the effectiveness.

Oil skimmer for CNC machines, which is mostly a CNC belt oil skimmer, can lift and remove the floating oil from the surface of coolants. The “belt” here refers to the belt-shaped oil skimming media, which is responsible for collecting and carrying the unwanted tramp oil away from the coolant system. Then, on the surface of the working fluids, the oil and grease can be wiped clean. 

On other oil skimming devices, in addition to the belt, there are disk, tube, mop, and rope to serve as the oil skimmer media. Typically, belt oil skimmer for CNC machines is made from stainless steel, the material is ideal for harsh environments like industrial production lines, or in chemical industry applications.

Applications of Oil Skimmer

Oil skimmer for CNC machines is increasingly popular since it is simple to use, cost-efficient, reliable, and durable. It can effectively purify the working fluids by removing the grease and oil. Only by using the belt oil skimmer, a high level of purity of the coolant system can be achieved. 

The oil skimming devices can be utilized in a broad variety of applications, including sump tanks, wastewater tanks, wells, pressure spray operations, ultrasonic cleaners, parts washing units, oil leakage pits. A belt oil skimmer is available for processing hot, acid, alkaline liquids, making it also preferred in chemical applications. The primary goal of oil skimmer for CNC machines is removing tramp oils, and this brings multiple benefits for CNC machine tools.
For starters, eliminating the unwanted oil can maintain a safer metal work environment, which is free of hazardous oil-laden smoke and bacteria. Secondly, the processed coolant system can provide greater production efficiency, permitting the CNC machine tools to work at the max operating rate and also allowing better consistency and product quality. 

Last but not least, carrying away tramp oil from the coolants by belt oil skimmer also saves the costs considerably, since the equipment can run within the design parameters without the risks of overheating. The CNC machines can, as a result, have longer lifespans.

Principle of Oil Skimmer for CNC Machines

How can an oil skimming device remove the unwanted oil from the coolant system of CNC machines? The mixture of water and oil has 2 physical properties, one of them is the surface tension and affinity, and another one is the specific gravity. Oil skimmer for CNC machines varies in sizes, designs, and applications, but all kinds of oil skimming devices rely on these two properties to work on the tramp oils.

When it comes to the affinity and the surface tension between oil and water, we all know that oil has a low affinity to water. This property makes the oil in the fluids tend to bond to itself or bond to other substances. Also, the surface tension helps the tramp oils and other contamination effectively adhere to the skimming media (belt) and leave from the working coolants. 

On the other hand, the specific gravity also helps eliminate the unwanted oil. Compared to most hydrocarbons, water has higher specific gravity, and the oil is a light non-aqueous liquid, therefore the oil is easily separated from water in the mixture fluids. In general, the unwanted oil, which has a low specific weight, can travel up to the liquid surface, which helps the oil adhere to the belt.

How Does Oil Skimmer Work? 

The vital elements of belt oil skimmer for CNC machines include the skimming media, which is the belt, the wiper, the heater, and also the pulley. In the coolant system, oil has a stronger affinity to the skimming media over than water. Utilizing the feature of oil, when the belt passes through the surface of coolants, the floating oil will cling to the belt, the processes rely on the physical properties mentioned previously. 

After the unwanted tramp oil is separated from the coolants, the oil will be wiped away through a wiper blade or a pinch roller. The heater is the element to supply the driving force that can constantly discharge the tramp oil outward. Sometimes, the oil becomes solid grease clumps and mats, the operators have to break up the solid oil with additional devices to ensure the oil skimming can continuously perform, including an aerator, spray bar, or mechanical apparatus.

Since the skimming belts have to pass through the surface of the coolants, many operators also use arms, flanges to install the belts over the oil collecting area. The belt is supported on a motor-driven pulley, which is usually secured with a retainer chain. These metal components mentioned here are typically made from stainless steel that provides corrosion resistance. To ensure additional protection and longer life, the pulley can be coated with powder.