The Matchmaker oil mist extractors feature a patented conical filter that, having a filter life of up to five years, requires much less maintenance than other systems. And its high efficiency particulate-arresting (HEPA) filter removes up to 99.97% of particulates measuring 0.3 micron, which is particularly beneficial in applications where dry smoke is created, such as when using neat oil metalworking fluids.
The filter’s performance is monitored by a pressure gauge and a carbon filtration module (active carbon module available as an option) that can be replaced quickly and easily when required. The oil mist filters make use of a pre-filtering system that uses the principle of wind shear to separate oil, smoke, haze and toxic aerosols, with the oil then separated for recycling.
Designed to meet all European standards and surpassing the Euro F8 and F9 limits, the Matchmaker oil filtration system is described as “a highly efficient route to reducing the environmental impact of your day-to-day machining”. In addition to helping to prevent workplace respiratory problems within and reclaim expensive oils, the filters will also reduce fire risk, reduce cleaning bills and allow users to maximise a machine tool’s potential by increasing cutting data.
Alongside the oil filtration systems, also introduced are a series of mobile oil separators for machine coolant systems. Traditionally, belt-type skimmers are used to remove tramp oil, but these can be both inefficient and also require additional manual input to remove the extracted oil. With the Matchmaker oil separator, only one unit is required to service the entire machine shop, thanks to its mobility and requirement only for an air supply, as no electricity is required to operate the unit.
While compact and easy to relocate, the unit can still pump up to 400 litres of coolant per hour. Once next to a machine, the system operates efficiently, removing and separating tramp oil and other contaminants from the coolant emulsion. Maintenance of the unit is also straightforward thanks to the widespread use of stainless steel in its construction, the only maintenance item being the stainless steel filter that requires cleaning occasionally.
Says Matchmaker CNC’s Mike Maskell: “As a machine tool supplier, we were regularly asked for advice in these areas, therefore it makes perfect sense to provide these pieces of equipment, either as part of an original machine order or, as one customer has just instigated, a retrofit solution to the 70 Matchmaker machining centres that it has. Being able to source these solutions from a single point of contact is also a major benefit to customers.”
