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Glass Grinding Fabrication Centri-Flow System
US Centrifuge Systems assists LMI Glass in expansion of glass grinding fabrication plant and builds Centri-Flow™ system.
Before US Centrifuge Systems
LMI Glass is a midsize manufacturer of mirrors, showers, wardrobe doors and ventilated shelving for residential homes and apartments. The mirror department, lead by supervisor Tom Forsyth, polishes and bevels more than 150,000 square feet of glass and mirror every month.
In 2000, Larry Methvin, found and owner of LMI Glass, asked Mr. Forsyth to design and build the fabrication department at the company's new 80,000 square foot plant in Ontario, California. The new department layout would need to accommodate four polishers, two beveling machines and a central coolant filtration system.
Beyond the Centrifuge
US Centrifuge Systems expanded its research and development in 1999 with a successful waste-to-energy system that can now convert up 8 tons of waste within one hour of operation into renewable energy. Sister company Organic Power Solutions was established, and now, high-value co-products are created and used in the production of in-house renewable energy or sold to third-party utility companies. View waste-to-energy.
Forsyth was frustrated with the inefficiencies of the current system. The beveling machines contained three 300-gallon tanks that had to be drained every three to four weeks, requiring four employees to spend at least half a day digging out the 18 inches of glass sediment. The polisher contained two 150-gallon tanks that needed cleaning out every other week. All in all, LMI was incurring 500 hours of downtime per year to clean the beveling and polishing lines.
Solutions
A complete system comprised of a collection pit, processing tank, centrifuge and clean coolant return tank was designed for LMI Glass.
US Centrifuge Systems recommended a large automatic model centrifuge. The beveling and polishing machines were lowered into the floor to create a worker-friendly height. A coolant trough leading to the centrifuge filtration system was installed under all of the machines. The trough slopes downward, using gravity to return dirty coolant to the centrifuge. From the collection pit, dirty coolant is pumped to US Centrifuge Systems Centri-Flow™ System where the glass grindings are condensed. The dirty coolant then goes to the continuous flow, automatic cleaning centrifuge.
Results
With its US Centrifuge Systems filtration and clarification system, LMI Glass' coolant use has been dramatically reduced. LMI now consumes only one drum of coolant per year, instead of the previously required six to eight drums. Machine downtime has been completely eliminated. An added benefit LMI received is that diamond wheels only need replacement every few months, as compared to once a month before the system.
Receive help with a properly designed automatic centrifuge system or solve existing glass grinding fabrication and coolant problems. Contact US Centrifuge Systems.
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