Replacing a Saucepan with the Oil Grabber Model 4 Belt Oil Skimmer
Using a saucepan with a long handle to remove oil from interceptors and drains at a used car recycling facility might sound wildly frustrating to you, but that was the reality at Albert Looms (UK). Operations Manager Ray Kirk explains that “removing the oil was one of those jobs that has to be done but is time consuming and no one really wants to do it.”
The Problem: Vehicle recycling facilities like Albert Looms frequently collect oil in interceptors, drainage channels, and collection pits as part of normal operations. While the amount of oil may not justify a large treatment system, it still requires regular removal to maintain system performance and environmental compliance.
The Solution: The skimmer installed by Albert Looms in 2008 is Abanaki Corporation’s Oil Grabber Model 4 Belt Oil Skimmer. The Model 4 can separate oil at a rate up to 20 gph (gallons per hour), lift recovered oil up to 100 feet without pumps, and will maintain skimming efficiency with fluctuating fluid levels—even at depths as shallow as one foot.
Kirk explained that the facility had their doubts as to how effective an oil skimmer might be, but that the “machine really has lived up to all our expectations.” Their current process is much simpler than the saucepan charade, and involves “[checking] the interceptor once a week and the drains on a daily basis. If we need to remove any oil, we drop the belt in and let it run.”
The system was designed to allow operators to quickly deploy the skimmer whenever oil accumulated in interceptors or drainage systems. Once in operation, the belt continuously attracted and removed floating oil from the water surface, eliminating the need for manual collection methods. In Kirk’s own words, the Model 4’s successful application at Albert Looms “couldn’t be simpler.”
Measurable Results: Simplified routine oil management tasks for facility personnel, and no more long-winded saucepan antics.
- Reduced labor associated with interceptor and drain maintenance
- Provided a quick and easy method for removing accumulated oil when needed
- Maintained effectiveness in systems with fluctuating water levels
- Allowed deployment in a variety of drainage and interceptor applications without pumps
Looking for a Simpler Way to Remove Oil from Interceptors and Drains?
Manual oil removal can consume valuable maintenance time and create unnecessary labor costs. If the saucepan method sounds even remotely familiar, it’s time to think about how oil skimming might make things a lot easier for your operation.
Abanaki manufactures a wide range of models built to suit hundreds of different applications. Belt skimmers like the Model 4 from Abanaki Corporation provide a simple, dependable method for removing floating oil from interceptors, drains, and collection systems that reduce maintenance effort and help improve operational efficiency.
The site has now closed, but the Model 4 was a staple in their operation for many years, and was sold to another company in the used car recycling facility.
Want to learn more? There are additional case studies available here, and we encourage you to reach out to one of our industry expert reps at 440-543-7400 for a free consultation.
Happy skimming!
