Advantages of Using an Oil Skimmer in the Machining Industry

The use of a machine center skimmer holds many benefits including:

  • Reduction of Disposal Costs: The cost of disposing oil laden coolant is more expensive than the disposing of oil.
  • Recycling Opportunities: In some instances, companies may be able to re-use the skimmed oil elsewhere or sell it for recycling, choosing to keep their part of the world cleaner.
  • Extend Coolant Life: Having oil free coolant can also extend its usefulness and effectiveness, reducing the expense on maintenance and coolant replacement.
  • Esthetic Benefits: Removing the oil from a machine coolant tank will cut down on the amount of smoke generated from the cutting tool coming into contact with oil laden coolant thereby creating a visibly cleaner workplace.
  • Extend Tool Life: Removing floating surface oils while aerating and refreshing coolant will extend tool life as well.
  • Avoid EPA Violations: Many machining and metal working shops turn to aqueous parts cleaning because of limits imposed by the EPA on the discharge of emissions and wastes.
  • Hygienic Benefits: Keeping coolant oxygenated and oil-free reduces the “rotten egg” odor and bacterial levels are lowered resulting in a cleaner work environment.

Machine Center Skimmer Solutions

Abanaki has a number of proven machine center skimmer solutions for a variety of issues that are common within the machining industry such as the tube, belt, and disk oil skimmers.


The Abanaki TubeTastic!™ Oil Skimmer can be used on machining centers with little or no access to the coolant sump from above. This unit can skim oil from chip conveyors or even totally enclosed machining centers.

The Mighty Disk™ Oil Skimmer is an inexpensive way to remove unwanted tramp oils from coolants and parts washers, but with all the quality that you expect from Abanaki.

The Mighty Mini® SST Oil Skimmer is an ideal solution to unwanted oil in coolants and parts washers therefore extending the life of coolant and wash water.