An oil skimmer is a machine that removes floating oil and grease from liquid. Specifically, the floating oil adheres to skimming media, such as a belt, tube, rope, mop, or disk. Then, the media runs back to the machine to be wiped clean. Additionally, weir style skimmers use a pump to collect floating oils.
An oil skimmer is a mechanical device designed to remove floating oil from the surface of water or other liquids. Because oil is lighter than water, it rises to the surface — and that’s where skimmers do their job.
Whether in an industrial sump, a coolant tank, or an open body of water after a spill, oil skimmers help separate and recover this surface oil for reuse or disposal. Consequently, this process not only keeps systems clean but also prevents environmental contamination and regulatory violations.
Oil and water mixtures derived from manufacturing processes and food processing facilities that are held in large holding tanks or pits. In these applications, oil is usually removed by an oil skimmer or it can be pumped out for disposal. Skimming the floating oils with little water content can reduce the cost of disposal and lower the contingent liabilities of industrial wastewater discharge.
Grease Grabber Belt Oil Skimmer Model
The Abanaki Grease Grabber is a dependable and effective means of skimming oil and floating grease from water, under the most demanding conditions. The Grease Grabber makes use of the differences in specific gravity and surface tension between oil and water. These physical characteristics allow the skimmer belt to attract grease, oil, and other hydrocarbon liquids as the belt passes through the surface of the water. The skimmer belt specifically selected for your application.
Texture pinch rollers pull the belt over the idler pulley and through the angled wiper blades, where grease is removed before passing through the pinch rollers. The grease is rolled off into a heated hopper, which maintains fluidity for easy drainage through a 4″ ID discharge port. Belt tension is maintained by the weight of a free riding tail pulley. The tail pulley is tethered to the underside of the Grease Grabber to prevent accidental loss.
Grease Grabber Belt Oil Skimmer Key Features
- Removes floating grease and heavy oil from water.
- Elevates skimmed grease up to 100 feet or more, for easy discharge into drums.
- Removes up to 160 gallons of grease per hour.
- Reduces fluid disposal costs.
- Helps meet government requirements for water discharge.
- Designed for the most demanding conditions.
- Corrosion-resistant materials.
- Customized belt lengths and materials.
- Belt and wiper materials unaffected by most greases and oils.
- Removable guards and other features make maintenance a breeze.
Grease Grabber Belt Oil Skimmer Operation Limits
| Oil Removal Rate : | 160 gph (606 lph); Removal rate is based on Brooks Technology Plexelene 750™ grease in ordinary water. |
| Motor : | Fractional hp TEFC, 115/230 VAC, single phase, 60 Hz, gear motor |
| Heater : | Integral 2400 watt heater |
| Belt Material : | Specifically selected for your application |
| Belt Width : | 8 inches (20.3 cm) |
| Belt Length : | User specified (up to 100′, measured from the center of head pulley to center of tail pulley) |
| Wiper Material : | Ceramic UHMW hybrid standard (other materials available) |
| Mounting Method : | Flat surface mount is standard (boom mast mount optional) |
| Mounting Area : | Appx. 28″ X 9″ (71.12 cm X 22.86 cm) |
| Weight : | Complete drive unit without tail pulley or belt: Appx. 240 lbs. (109 kg). |
| Two lifting hooks installed on drive unit. | |
| Tail pulley: 10 lbs (4.5 kg) | |
| Options (Specify) : | 304 Stainless Steel Housing |
| Boom mast mounting | |
| Remote ON/OFF switch | |
| Tail pulley, belt cage and teather assembly for turbulent liquids | |
| Timers | |
| Operating Limits : | Temperature: 125° F (52° C) with elastomer belt. 212° F (100° C) with corrosion-resistant steel belt. |
| pH of liquid: Between 3 and 13 for ambient temperatures. | |
| Standard Configuration : | The Abanaki Grease Grabber is supplied with a hinged motor guard, raised by a gas spring when released. An additional guard covers the drive roll area. Other standard componentry includes a fixed wiper blade assembly, skimmer belt, tail pulley and ON/OFF push-button control with indicator lamp. The unit comes with assembly instructions. |
* Operating limits refer to liquid temperature. Consult the factory for advice on your particular operating conditions.
Grease Oil Skimmer Belt Conquers the Most Demanding Interceptor Pit
North Star Steel, a seamless pipe mini-mill in Youngstown, Ohio, needed a cost-effective, low maintenance solution to oil and grease contamination of their descaling water system, including the sand beds filtering this circulating water.
During a day’s operation, up to 100 gallons of oil and grease from open gears, drive chains, bearings and other sources get washed into wastewater flumes by cooling water. The flumes carry the water to concrete interceptor (descaling) pits located below grade and upstream of the sand beds. The flow rate of the system is about 10,000 gallons per minute.
Over the years, Dave Giancola, plant maintenance engineer at North Star Steel, has tried floating booms, floating suction (pump) skimmers and moving media in the form of tubes and mops to remove the oil and grease – all with no success.
Giancola then turned to Abanaki Corporation, Oil Skimmer Belt Division in Chagrin Falls, Ohio for a solution. After analyzing the situation, Abanaki’s oil skimmer, the Grease Grabber® was recommended and tested at North Star Steel. The Grease Grabber makes use of the differences in specific gravity and surface tension between oil and water. This allows the oil skimmer belt to attract grease, oil and other hydrocarbon liquids as the belt passes through the surface of the water, even under the most turbulent conditions. Because of the skimmer’s sleek construction, it was easily installed on the catwalk at the edge of the mill’s final interceptor pit.
According to Giancola, “At first, our personnel were skeptical that the Grease Grabber’s smooth belt could really pick up oil and grease. However, it wasn’t long before they were seeing it remove 400 – 500 gallons of oil and grease a week from the interceptor pit.”
The only maintenance required has been routine cleaning of the unit’s wiper blades, a procedure that takes about 20 minutes a month.
Creative Skimmer Belt Solution Endures Environment and Reduces Costs
WCI Steel, a steel manufacturer in Warren, Ohio, needed an uncommon solution to a fairly common problem – removing grease and other contaminants from their outdoor circulating water system. They turned to Abanaki Corporation, Oil Skimmer Division in Chagrin Falls, Ohio for the answer.
Each week, WCI Steel uses 200 gallons of grease on a roll out table to keep steel slabs from rolling off the caster. Much of this grease is washed into a 40,000 gallon outdoor interceptor pit by cooling water sprayed on the newly poured slabs. If grease isn’t removed before filtering, the system’s sand bed quickly becomes clogged.
Before turning to Abanaki, Bob Gregory, supervisor of caster water treatment for WCI Steel, tried several methods of grease removal with little luck. He was looking for a custom-designed skimmer belt that required minimal upkeep.
Abanaki provided Gregory with the Grease Grabber®, a state-of-the-art skimmer belt that makes use of the differences in specific gravity and surface tension between oil and water. This allows the skimmer belt to attract grease, oil and other hydrocarbon liquids as the belt passes through the surface of the water, even under the most turbulent conditions.
Abanaki customized several skimmer features to meet WCI Steel’s unique needs. The belt length was modified to ensure the belt surface stays in contact with the 14-ft of pit water, even at its lowest level. A heavy-duty drive was used to ensure the belt and drive assembly will elevate skimmed grease from virtually any tank depth. CRV wiper blades were beefed up to more effectively remove grease in cold temperatures. What’s more, Abanaki increased the pulley shoulders of the belt to keep it centered, even when subjected to twisting caused by turbulence. Finally, a number of features were designed-in to meet WCI Steel’s low maintenance request.
According to Gregory, “With the current design, we have a system that works and it survives in our outdoor environment…By protecting our sand bed filter, it pays for itself.”
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