Author Archives for Paul Montgomery

What Does a Turnkey Automation System for Chip, Scrap, and Coolant Handling Look Like?

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Published September 15, 2026. Last updated September 15, 2026. Quick Answer Q: What does a turnkey automation system for metal chip, scrap, and coolant handling need to include? A: It needs to connect four things that manufacturers used to buy and manage separately: chip conveying, chip processing (wringing and briquetting), coolant filtration and recycling, and the controls layer that ties [...]


What Do Industrial Wastewater Treatment Systems Actually Need to Do?

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Published September 9, 2026. Last updated September 9, 2026. Quick Answer Industrial wastewater treatment systems combine ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, vacuum evaporation, and automated pH adjustment in turnkey configurations to meet EPA and POTW discharge requirements while enabling water reuse. Documented results include up to 90% reductions in wastewater volume and disposal costs, with return on investment typically achieved in 12 [...]


How Much Can Coolant Recycling Systems Actually Save Your Shop?

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Published September 9, 2026. Last updated September 9, 2026. Quick Answer Coolant recycling systems recover 95 to 98% of metalworking coolant for reuse by combining particulate filtration, tramp oil separation, and bacterial control in a single system. Facilities typically cut new coolant purchases by 50 to 75% and disposal costs by up to 90%, with return on investment achieved in [...]


What Does Metal Chip Processing Equipment Actually Do, and What Does It Save You?

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Published September 9, 2026. Last updated September 9, 2026. Quick Answer Metal chip processing equipment reduces scrap volume by up to 91% and recovers up to 98% of the cutting fluid trapped in metal chips and turnings, turning a disposal cost into a documented revenue stream. Systems range from standalone crushers, shredders, wringers, and centrifuges to full crusher/wringer and shredder/wringer [...]


What Is a Metal Scrap Conveyor, and How Do the Main Types Compare?

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Published September 9, 2026. Last updated September 9, 2026. Quick Answer A metal scrap conveyor is an automated system that moves metal chips, turnings, and swarf away from a machine tool to processing, storage, or load-out equipment. The right choice depends on four variables: scrap type, coolant load, throughput volume, and plant layout. PRAB offers 13 configurable conveyor types, including [...]


What Should Be in a Manufacturer’s Metal Scrap Recycling Guide?

2 months ago 2 months ago Published by Leave your thoughts

Published 9/8/2026. Quick Answer A useful metal scrap recycling guide for a manufacturing plant covers five stages in order: sorting scrap by alloy and form at the machine, conveying it away from production without manual handling, recovering coolant or oil before the metal leaves the building, reducing volume through briquetting when the material justifies it, and negotiating with metal scrap [...]


How Can Machine Shops Reduce Water and Sewer Costs?

2 months ago 2 months ago Published by Leave your thoughts

Published September 2, 2026. Last updated September 7, 2026. Quick Answer Machine shops reduce water and sewer costs primarily by treating and reusing process water and coolant on-site instead of sending it to municipal sewer, using industrial wastewater treatment systems, often built around reverse osmosis or evaporation, to recover clean, reusable water from wastewater streams and cut both discharge volume [...]


What Systems Are Suitable for Aerospace Alloys and Titanium Chips?

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Published September 4, 2026. Last updated September 4, 2026. Quick Answer Aerospace machining shops working with titanium and other exotic alloys need metal chip processing equipment built for the specific hazards and value of those chips. Titanium chips pose a fire risk and contain machining fluid that must be recovered, and the material is valuable enough that shredding and briquetting [...]


How Does PRAB Make Equipment Retrofits Predictable Instead of Risky?

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Published September 1, 2026. Last updated September 1, 2026. Quick Answer: PRAB reduces equipment retrofit risk through a structured implementation process built on standardized core equipment platforms, phased installation timelines, scheduled downtime windows, pre-purchase materials and fluid testing, and the Managed Maintenance Program (MMP). Rather than a one-off custom project, a PRAB retrofit follows a repeatable, engineered sequence, backed by [...]


What Is a Zero Liquid Discharge system, (ZLD) and How Does It Work?

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Published August 13, 2026. Last updated October 19, 2026. Quick Answer Zero liquid discharge systems (ZLD) are a wastewater management approach in which a manufacturing facility treats and recovers all of its process wastewater on-site, so no liquid effluent leaves the plant. ZLD systems typically combine pre-treatment (ultrafiltration, oil-water separation), concentration (reverse osmosis), and vacuum evaporation to recover 99% or [...]