Quick Summary & Key Takeaways
- The Problem: Heavy aluminum machining creates fine chips and sludge that occupy up to 70% of CNC coolant sump capacity, leading to frequent shutdowns and wasted cutting fluid.
- The Solution: Upgrading to a dedicated high-capacity industrial coolant and chip vacuum—such as the Depureco RAM OIL T 500—capable of simultaneous suction, liquid/solid separation, and filtered coolant return.
- The Proven Results:
- Servicing 8 out of 10 CNC tanks without mid-task emptying.
- Instant filtration and recovery of reusable coolant directly back into production.
- In-line filtration possible without completely shutting down machines.
The Challenge: Managing 40–50 Tons of Aluminum Chips and Sump Sludge
High-precision CNC milling and turning generate tremendous amounts of metal chips and fine swarf. In a recent industrial implementation at TaMek AS, a high-volume machining company:
- Massive Swarf Volume: The facility produced between 40 and 50 metric tons of aluminum chips per year.
- Choked Coolant Sumps: Up to 70% of the volume inside CNC coolant tanks was occupied by settled metal deposits, fines, and sludge.
- Frequent Interruptions: Traditional cleaning methods required multiple emptying cycles, constant fluid replacement, and extensive machine downtime.
Fine aluminum particles do not just take up space—they circulate through machine lines, clog pump impellers, degrade surface finishing quality, and shorten the lifespan of water-soluble cutting oils.
TaMek required a dedicated, mobile solution capable of handling high fluid capacities, separating solids from liquids in real-time, and pumping filtered coolant back into active machines without repeated interruptions.
The Solution: Depureco RAM OIL T 500 High-Capacity Vacuum System
Supplied through industrial distribution partner Nor-Swiss, TaMek deployed the Depureco RAM OIL T 500 industrial vacuum for oil and shavings.
Key Equipment Highlights:
- 500-Liter Liquid Storage Capacity: Drastically reduces the frequency of operator trips to dump fluids.
- Integrated Chip Basket & Filter: Mechanical separation of coarse and fine chips before fluid enters the collection chamber.
- Independent Discharge Pump: Rapid, pressurized pumping of filtered coolant directly back into the CNC reservoir or storage totes.
- Heavy-Duty Mobility: Designed for tight workshop aisles, allowing swift servicing from machine to machine.
How It Works: Simultaneous Suction, Separation, and Recovery
Rather than treating sump cleaning and fluid management as separate, labor-heavy processes, the three-phase oil and chip vacuum streamlines the workflow into three concurrent steps:
[1. Suction] [2. Mechanical Separation] [3. Pressurized Return]
Coolant + Metal Chips -----> Swarf trapped in filtration basket --> Filtered coolant pumped back
vacuumed from CNC sump Coolant drops into 500 L tank into CNC machine for reuse
- Rapid Vacuum Extraction: The operator uses specialized heavy-duty vacuum tooling to pull coolant, fine chips, and settled sludge directly from the machine’s sump. As fluid levels drop, hard-to-reach corners and machine channels are easily cleared.
- Instant Chip Separation: As the slurry enters the top chamber, an internal stainless steel filter basket catches metal chips while letting the cutting fluid drain into the lower 500 L holding tank.
- Filtered Fluid Return: Reusable, clean coolant is pumped directly back into the CNC machine, eliminating the need to dispose of good fluid prematurely.
Continuous Filtration Without Machine Shutdown
A critical benefit realized in TaMek’s workshop was the ability to run filtration in bypass mode while machines remained active. By cycling fluid through the vacuum’s separation stages while the CNC was operating, maintenance teams extracted accumulated fines without scheduling full production stoppages.
Additionally, the vacuum serves adjacent machinery—cleaning spillage and recovering cutting oil around briquetting presses used to compact aluminum chips for scrap recycling.
The Results: Measured Maintenance & Cost Benefits
| Metric | Before Optimization | After Implementing Depureco RAM OIL |
|---|---|---|
| Tank Cleaning Capacity | Frequent emptying cycles per machine | 8 of 10 CNC tanks serviced without emptying the unit mid-task |
| Fluid Management | Premature disposal of contaminated coolant | Filtered coolant recovered and returned immediately to machines |
| Machine Availability | Frequent shutdowns for manual scraping & pumping | Routine cleaning performed faster; in-line filtration possible without total shutdown |
| Housekeeping & HSE | Coolant puddles around briquetting and swarf areas | Clean, safe, slip-free workshop environment |
Why Saudi Machine Shops & Metalworking Facilities Need Dedicated Coolant Vacuums
In Saudi Arabia’s expanding manufacturing, industrial contracting, and metal fabrication sectors, equipment longevity and operational uptime are critical KPIs.
Relying on standard wet/dry commercial vacuums or manual bucket-and-pump routines carries serious risks:
- Premature Vacuum Motor Failure: Standard motors lack protection against hydrocarbon vapors and metal fines.
- Costly Coolant Wastage: Dumping unseparated cutting fluids inflates chemical procurement and hazardous waste disposal costs.
- Workplace Safety Risks: Sump cleaning delays lead to bacterial growth, foul odors, and oily floor hazards.
Using heavy-duty three-phase vacuums engineered specifically for oil and swarf guarantees continuous operation, lower total cost of ownership (TCO), and compliance with workplace health and safety standards.
Upgrade Your Workshop Maintenance with RISAS
As an established supplier of specialized industrial equipment in Saudi Arabia, RISAS (Rakaez Industrial Contracting & Supplies) delivers certified industrial vacuum systems engineered for demanding workshop conditions.
Whether your facility requires:
- Industrial Vacuums for Oil and Shavings (including the Depureco RAM series)
- Dust Collectors and Chip Vacuum Cleaners
- Heavy-Duty Three-Phase Vacuum Systems
- Centralized Industrial Vacuum Systems
Our technical team can help you select, deploy, and maintain the right cleaning and fluid-recovery systems for your machining operations across the Kingdom.
👉 Ready to eliminate CNC sump bottlenecks?
Contact RISAS Today or explore our complete lineup of Industrial Vacuum Cleaners for Oil and Shavings.
