Heat treatment adds sealed degreasing system

TTI Group is the first heat treatment business in the UK to respond to the Solvents Emissions Directive (SED) legislation by installing an EVT hermetically sealed solvent degreasing system.

TTI Group is the first heat treatment business in the UK to respond to the Solvents Emissions Directive (SED) legislation by installing an EVT hermetically sealed solvent degreasing system.

Formerly known as Senior Heat Treatment, TTI is part of the materials technology division of Aalberts Industries NV and has nine sites in the UK.

All these sites are ISO 9001-accredited, and specific sites also have other approvals such as NADCAP aerospace accreditation.

According to Martin Dyson, TTI Regional Sales Manager: "TTI Group set up a project team to review the effectiveness and costs of component cleaning systems, whether existing systems or possible alternatives, and to assess the future costs and regulation of available systems.

It concluded that for heat treatment processes such as nitriding, Nitrotec and vacuum treatment, where the effectiveness of the pre-process cleaning is of paramount importance, the only cleaning process that satisfies the laid-down criteria is solvent degreasing.

This led to a partnership developing between TTI, EVT Eiberger Pfohler and EVT's UK distributor, IB Industries of Bolton.

The outcome of their discussions was the installation in June 2006 of a hermetically sealed solvent system with a chamber size of 1300 mm x 1300 mm x 700 mm.

This has provided TTI West Bromwich with the equivalent capacity to heat treatment plants using a solvent spray and vapour process, with a regenerating carbon absorption system removing the last traces of solvent from the chamber prior to the finish of the cleaning cycle.

"The decision to choose EVT was based on the system's capability to satisfy new legislation, its robust design and its compact size," says Martin Dyson.

"It is also energy-efficient and operationally effective by delivering the desired hourly throughputs.

These features combined with a competitive price, a bespoke design offering low maintenance costs, and UK-based after-sales service and support made the decision relatively easy.

EVT offers a broad range of these environmentally-friendly systems, from small, standard, sealed solvent cleaning systems to custom-made systems up to 4 m x 2 m x 2 m capacity that satisfy all the requirements of the strict German legislation in place since the 1990s.

The EVT Gigant, for example, can clean and degrease large components or large volumes of small components within its 2 m x 1 m x 1 m working envelope at a rate of 2 to 4 charges/hour, with vapour and optional stages of spray, immersion and ultrasonic.

It is designed as either top or front loading and can rotate or oscillate components at any stage in the cycle.

Multiple filtration and oil distillation keeps the solvent free from contamination, and the cleaning and degreasing process is monitored and controlled via a 9-inch touch screen.

Carbon adsorption and solvent concentration controlled to less than 1 g/m3 guarantees compliance with SED and European VOC requirements, while additional features such as vacuum distillation, vertical parts movement and activated carbon filter systems are easily integrated into the EVT system, if required.

The EVT range, which features stainless steel construction allied to high quality welding procedures, also includes fluid management facilities that can be interconnected with the SAFE-TAINER system provided by SAFECHEM, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.

This SAFE-TAINER system comprises two separate containers each with a standard drum inside, one for fresh and one for used solvent.

With the steel container protecting the drum from damage or spills, the SAFE-TAINER system is both integrally bunded and portable, ensuring safe and simple on-site storage and transfer.

With a few simple connections, fresh and waste solvent transfer is easily and safely achieved within a virtually sealed system.

By installing a hermetically sealed solvent degreaser from EVT in combination with the closed-loop SAFE-TAINER system, TTI is benefiting from the high-quality cleaning performance of chlorinated solvents used in a safe and sustainable manner - thereby complying with legislative requirements and contributing significantly to care of the environment.

As a supplier of chlorinated solvents, SAFECHEM offers a range of consultancy and other services that enable customers to effectively manage the product specific risks of solvents and to apply Chemical Management Services to the entire life cycle of the chemical.

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