Oil mists filtration: SO.TEC installs a brand-new plant in France

A well-known French multinational corporation in the automotive sector has chosen SO.TEC plants to solve the problem of oil mists deriving from the cold heading of fasteners. The filtration plant was built in two stages (50,000 m3/h + 50,000 m3/h), each lasting about four months, including time for installation and turnkey delivery with related accessories.

Fumes and oil mists not only damage and wear out machinery with consequent slowdowns in production, but are also extremely harmful to workers' health for several reasons. First, they can cause respiratory and skin diseases. Second, they increase the risk of workplace injuries, as they make floors greasy and slippery, and are highly flammable.

After a careful assessment of the heading machines to be served, of the location, and of the size of the area, SO.TEC opted for a centralized Supercompact 100,000 OD plant with a capacity of 100,000 m3/h. The installation also features a PLC controlled panel, a spark detection system, and an extinguishing system in case of fire.

The filtration process takes place in two phases: in the first one, the aspirator separates oil particles larger than 1 micron, as well as dust or other impurities present in the air. Afterwards, thanks to the special Microless® coalescing filters, the system proceeds to separate the submicron oil particles (which represent about 90% of the total oil in the sucked air). Thanks to the new purifying plant, the French Group is now able to significantly cut oil emissions in the air and eliminate the characteristic "plume" effect at the chimney.

This is not the first time that the well-known multinational company has relied on SO.TEC experts to solve its filtration problems. The beginning of the collaboration dates back to 2009, when SO.TEC installed a Mini-Max 5000 O/D filter on a National Formax FX45 cold heading machine. The partnership has then continued over the years, with the remediation of all the company’s facilities in France.