Each year more businesses in the machine tool industry discover the value of using oil mist collectors. It is well known for years that oil mist is potentially hazardous to workers and that mist collectors are highly effective in combating this problem. What many machine shop owners performing CNC operations often don’t realize is that a mist collector offers many other benefits and cost savings. Let’s take a look at 5 reasons why oil mist collectors can save money on typical machining applications using the Trion Mini Mist Eliminator as an example:

1. Easy Installation & Maintenance Installing the Mini M.E. is remarkably simple. Just about anyone in your companies maintenance department should be able to install the Mini M.E. without any problems. Simply cut a hole in the machine enclosure and bolt the unit in. It can be wired to your machine controls if you wish or just plug it into a standard electrical outlet. The Mini M.E. is virtually maintenance free. All you have to do is wash the filters periodically, depending on your particular application.
2. Energy Efficient The Mini M.E. can save money on energy costs in a variety of ways. It uses electrostatic collection cells instead of filter media which clog and impedes airflow. This means the fan has to run at a higher rate of speed, using more electricity. The Mini M.E. also has an energy saving variable speed control and can be wired to the machine center controls so the unit shuts off when the machine does.
3. No Expensive Filters To Replace One of the biggest drawbacks of media based filters in oil mist collectors, besides reducing airflow, is the high cost of filter replacement. Filters, liners and pads can run into the thousands annually if you are using several units. By using electrostatic collector cells and washable pre-filters, the Mini M.E. eliminates filter expenses entirely.
4. Allows Coolant To Be Recycled Today’s high cost of oil affects a wide array of petroleum based products. Machine shop owners will tell you that cutting fluids are no exception. A great way to reduce this cost is to recycle the coolant oil. The Mini M.E. removes the large particles from the cutting fluids and allows it to collect and drain back into the machines reservoir to be recycled through the machine.
5. Reduces Housekeeping Costs Many CNC machining centers and screw machine operations have problems with airborne oil mist. When the mist settles, it covers everything from workers, to machines to walls and floors. The coolant mist can damage sensitive electronic parts and make floors dangerously slippery. The Mini M.E. removes the oil from the air to free up your maintenance people for more important tasks.

The problems with oil mist in the workplace are well documented. Check out oil mist collectors and discover how cost effective they can be for your application.

We’ve all seen the commercials for certain residential air cleaners that claim to use the same technology used in the United States Submarine Fleet, but most people don’t know that same technology is used in every electrostatic precipitator!  Whether it’s been redesigned and stamped out from China, or hand built by American workers, legally they can ALL call it the same technology.  But do you know who actually engineered and produced those electrostatic precipitators and air cleaners for the United States submarines?  Trion.  The same Trion that produces the Mini Mist Eliminator.

Now, I’ve pulled apart plenty of electronic cells from all sorts of manufacturers from every part of the world.  And you can see right away which ones are flimsy little pieces of junk and which ones are heavy duty hunks of machinery.  And I know that every foreman’s worst nightmare is  having a machine go down, bringing production to a hault until someone can figure out how to fix it.  That’s why, for industrial equipment, you have got to check it inside and out.  Here’s what I look for in a mist collector cell…

Insulators seperate electrical contacts from the rest of the sheet metal.  Depending on your application, bridging can occur here, too.  This is very important, especially when collecting mist from metalworking operations.  That’s why when it comes to insulators in your electrostatic oil mist eliminator, size matters… and so does material.  Iv’e seen insulators usually made of plastic.  The Trion Mist Eliminator uses BIG honkin’ insulators made of ceramic!

In the middle of the insulator is your contact hardware.  Most times this is a spring that contacts metal inside the unit when the cell is in place.  A common cause for the equipment to go down is a broken or bent contact spring.  If the bend isn’t to close to the insulator, a lot of people just cut the spring down a little shorter.  Sometimes this works, but the spring will move around and not make a good contact anymore.  Usually, you have to order a new spring.

OR… just buy a Trion unit that doesn’t use springs.  Instead they use little metal plungers with the spring protected inside.

OK, last thing is overall metal thickness and durability.  How about 18 gage Galvanized Steel?!  Baked on paint finish and sealed bearings!!  This thing is a tank.  When you look at the equipment side by side, inside and out, there’s no question.  This little Trion Mini Mist Eliminator is worth a lot more than the price tag.