FRIESS oil skimmers offer the ultimate solution for swiftly and reliably removing floating oils and fats from virtually any liquid.
Our skimmers are engineered for fast, efficient removal of oils and fats. Whether you’re dealing with coolant, degreasing agents, wastewater, or any other liquid, FRIESS technology has you covered.
How It Works
The heart of the system, and its most essential component, is the oil collector tube. This tube generates a rotational motion at the surface of the liquid, which sets the floating oil into motion. The oil is then drawn up by the tube and delivered to the skimmer. From there, the oil is seamlessly transferred to a waste oil collection tank, leaving you with a consistently oil-free liquid surface.
Key Benefits:
For almost 50 years
we have been finding solutions for cleaning process fluids.
More than 10K projects
have been realized and made customers happy all over the world!
Environmental balance
of our customers is demonstrably improved through FRIESS technologies.
Contents:
In a tube skimmer, oil clings to a specially designed oleophilic tube, which is then stripped clean within the skimmer. The hollow, floating tube operates right at the critical point where oil meets the liquid surface. Welded into an endless loop, this oil collector tube continuously removes oil, no matter the size of the surface area. Whether you’re dealing with small tanks or massive cooling basins and ponds, the tube can be customized to the perfect length to keep your liquids free from tramp oil.
Wherever oil and grease build up and float on the surface of contaminated liquids, an oil skimmer provides the perfect solution for efficiently removing tramp oils and greases. A tube skimmer is designed to handle even the dirtiest environments or thickest oils without a hitch. Its versatility makes it perfect for a wide range of industries, including:
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A belt skimmer operates using a motor, a drive roller, and a mount. The drive roller powers a flat, continuous skimmer belt. A loose pulley roller pulls the belt downward into the floating oil phase, where oil adheres to the belt’s surface. The lower section of the belt moves below the liquid surface, picking up the oil, which is then carried upward. Scrapers remove the oil as the belt returns to its cycle, ensuring clean and efficient oil removal.
Belt skimmers are widely used in cooling lubricant applications, especially in the metalworking industry. They are particularly popular for small coolant tanks found in smaller machine tools, where their compact design and capability make them ideal. With their relatively modest capacity, belt skimmers are perfect for removing the minimal amounts of tramp oil typically found in these tanks.
Occasionally, belt skimmers are also employed in smaller oil separators for oil removal. However, it’s crucial to consider the size of the separator, as belt skimmers are designed for small-scale applications and are not capable of covering larger areas effectively.
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Though both oil skimmers and oil separators use the density difference between oil and water for removal, they operate differently. An oil skimmer continuously removes floating oils from a tank’s surface, whereas an oil separator captures oils and greases by using baffles to retain them within a dedicated tank.
How an Oil Separator Works: An oil separator consists of a tank through which contaminated liquid is pumped. As the liquid settles, the oil and grease rise to the surface. To enhance this process, coalescing packages are often installed to help the oil coalesce more effectively. A baffle system prevents the floating oil and grease from escaping the separator, ensuring that only clean liquid passes through, while the oil remains trapped at the surface.
An oil skimmer removes floating oil directly from the surface of a liquid. While both oil skimmers and oil separators share the goal of oil removal, they operate under different conditions.
In some cases, oil skimmers and oil separators can be combined for maximum efficiency. For example, an oil separator can settle the liquid when natural separation isn’t possible, while the oil skimmer removes the accumulated oil to prevent excessive buildup. This prevents oil from bypassing the separator’s baffles.
This method is utilized in our Skimmtelligent oil separators, which are designed for scenarios where the liquid is too turbulent for a skimmer to operate effectively or when the oil doesn’t naturally float to the surface.
Since 1972, FRIESS GmbH has been developing and producing high-quality oil skimmers in Germany, tailored to meet the diverse needs of various industries. We provide comprehensive services—from consulting and manufacturing to sales and, when needed, on-site assembly.
In addition to oil skimmers, we offer a range of solutions for oil-water separation, cooling lubricant maintenance, and oil purification. At FRIESS, we prioritize environmental protection while delivering cost-saving solutions, ensuring that sustainability and efficiency go hand in hand.
Before purchasing an oil skimmer, we ask you to complete a short questionnaire that provides us with crucial details about your specific needs. We can send you this form as a PDF upon request. Key information includes:
Typically, we deliver our oil skimmers within one week. Installation is simple and straightforward, requiring our assistance only in special cases.
The key advantage of the tube skimmer lies in its ability to cover the entire surface of the tank. Since the floating tube skims oil and grease from all parts of the liquid surface through its constant rotary motion, it ensures complete oil removal without missing any areas. The oil collector tube can also be customized to the necessary length, allowing it to cover the full width or length of a tank for maximum efficiency.
In contrast, a belt skimmer’s stationary belt cannot achieve the same level of surface coverage. As a result, it takes more time to remove the oil, and in many cases, it may not reach all areas, leading to incomplete oil removal. This makes tube skimmers a more efficient choice for larger surfaces or tanks where full coverage is essential.
Industrial Wastewater – Key Information
When dealing with industrial wastewater, companies must comply with regulations for both purification and disposal. Beyond safety precautions, businesses are required to implement systems that facilitate wastewater recycling. The type of contaminants in the wastewater largely depends on the specific industry. For floating contaminants such as oils and fats, FRIESS GmbH provides German-made oil skimmers and oil separators that offer reliable solutions for wastewater treatment. By effectively removing oils and greases, these systems make further treatment easier and reduce the need for excessive chemicals to meet required discharge levels.
It’s essential to check with your local municipality to determine the exact contamination values required for wastewater discharge, as these regulations can vary by region. However, using oil skimmers simplifies the treatment of oily wastewater, helping you meet regulatory limits with less effort and greater efficiency.
Using an oil skimmer contributes to sustainability by extending the lifespan of process fluids, such as cooling lubricants and washing water. By effectively removing tramp oils, the fluid maintains its functional parameters for a longer period, reducing the need for frequent fluid changes and extending its usage.
This not only conserves the raw materials required to produce these fluids but also decreases the volume of waste that must be disposed of. With less frequent replacements, fewer chemicals and oils are consumed and discarded, resulting in more efficient resource use. This increased sustainability benefits the environment by minimizing the need for raw materials and reducing the environmental impact associated with waste disposal.
FRIESS oil skimmers are designed for durability, which inherently reduces maintenance costs. Their robust construction ensures minimal need for attention, allowing maintenance staff to focus on other critical tasks. This translates to lower operational costs over the long term.
Additionally, by removing tramp oils, FRIESS oil skimmers help maintain cleaner fluids, such as cooling lubricants, which improves the overall manufacturing process and reduces the risk of costly defects. Cleaner fluids contribute to longer machine life and more efficient production, leading to fewer interruptions and enhanced performance.
The oil and grease collected by the skimmer is typically disposed of. Depending on its water content, disposal companies may even pay for the oil. However, if the oil is heavily contaminated, disposal costs may apply. While processing oil for reuse is an option, it is often cost-prohibitive, so a cost-benefit analysis is essential.
By extending the service life of fluids through the removal of tramp oil, you reduce the need for frequent fluid replacement, which directly saves money on procurement and lowers your overall operational costs.
FRIESS oil skimmers are constructed from high-quality materials such as stainless steel and ceramics, making them ideal for a wide range of applications. These materials ensure durability and resistance to corrosion, allowing the skimmers to perform reliably even in demanding industrial environments.
For particularly aggressive conditions, such as highly acidic or alkaline applications (e.g., acid baths or alkaline cleaning processes), we offer skimmers made from enhanced materials. In such cases, we can produce the skimmers using higher-grade stainless steel (SS316) or specialized plastics, ensuring they are suitable for almost the entire pH value spectrum.