The necessity of clean water
Among the considerations for purchasing a water filtration system is the fact that many top-of-the-line fabrication equipment requires clean water to improve polish quality and extend machine life
Water is the number one priority for the stone fabrication shop. Without it, we cannot operate. Effective recycling and proper safe disposal of waste is critical.
Equipment needs a continuous source of water to keep your shop running efficiently. All tools require water and in turn produce thousands of gallons of wastewater. A single 200-gallon per minute shop water delivery system delivers 24 million gallons of water annually (single shift operation) to cut and polish marble, granite, quartz and ceramic materials.
While no two stone fabrication factories are the same, they all have one thing in common. The need for water. Water recycling is becoming more critical as stone fabricators continue to automate. Shops with CNC routers, CNC saws, robot saws and edge polishers often require more water than available through normal municipal sources. These expensive machines demand clean water to improve polish quality and extend machine life. The processes of recycling shop wastewater to be effectively reused vary between different filtration systems. It is important to consider several factors when purchasing a water recycling system.
Start by calculating your current water needs. Consider any potential additions in new machinery and their needs. How often do you have to shovel or pump your waste-water collection pit? How do you dispose of the waste? What is the cost of that process? How much are you currently paying for municipal water and sewer?
Ebbco Inc. offers complete closed loop water filtration systems. Multiple filters are employed to address the variety of debris created in real world fabrication factories. Typical unprocessed wastewater contains 500+ micron down to sub-micron suspended particles. Ebbco’s water system starts with our Lobster Pot flume screen, keeping large debris from entering the pit. The waste pit is kept turbulent with our Pit Sweeper package, greatly reducing the need to pump or shovel waste manually. Ebbco Inc. uses a heavy-duty low RPM vertical seal-less pit pump unit to deliver water through a Centrifugal/Cyclonic Filtration system to filter wastewater down to 10-micron, and into a conical storage tank. All particles larger than 10-micron are automatically purged into disposable bags for easy, compliant disposal. Processed water is then delivered at high pressure to the entire shop. When crystal clear water is required, Ebbco supplies Hurricane filtration units, available in several configurations. Hurricane filtration units deliver .075-micron water at point of use with no down time. Hurricane filtration units can be added to any system. The cartridges are cleanable and reusable for hundreds of hours.
Water recycling is not only necessary in today’s machinery driven world, it is critical to our local environments. Proper recycling is a win/win for stone fabricators. The major benefits are adequate water flow, increased water pressure, extended tool and machine life, with significantly less environmental impact.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
