Creating Positive Impacts on People, Planet and Profit Within The Materials Processing Sector

With a global focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, our customer operates a materials processing plant that cleans and sorts waste materials with the intention of maximising their resale value back into the manufacturing chain. Hydro-X Engineering (HXE) were engaged to deploy bespoke solutions that further reduce waste, boost positive impacts and create hidden efficiencies. Ultimately, delivering a future-facing experience and process.

  • Customer plant cleans and sorts waste before returning into the manufacturing chain. 
  • Excessive levels of contaminated wastewater required specialist and costly disposal. 
  • HXE installed a Test and Trial Filtration Rig to test process engineering concepts. 
  • Customer was able to better understand processes and see increased efficiency.
  • HXE lowered the amount of contamination and consulted on full scale system.

Context

Excessive amounts of contaminated wastewater – which required specialist disposal – was costing our customer significant haulage costs while putting added time and responsibility pressures on site staff. HXE were engaged to reduce this waste in order to mitigate financial and logistical pressures created by these costs.

After initial consultations with the client, we quickly established the problem that they were facing. As part of their processing line, material was washed in hot water with added chemicals, cleaners and antifoams. This water was then recirculated until the quality deteriorates so much that it is out of specification and unusable.

At the point of no return, the customer had to transfer this wastewater to tanks and dispose of it via contaminated waste contractors at considerable cost.

As well as these damaging financial implications, their current one-use system of water usage meant that it was having a negative impact on the company’s carbon footprint. An urgent CSR issue that is becoming increasingly important to almost every business with long-term ambitions.

HXE’s system therefore had to be easy to operate, minimising the time impact on the plant operators themselves, but most importantly, it had to be able to reduce waste from the site. Reduce trips to waste disposal. And reduce the overall carbon footprint associated with this type of haulage.

All of these goals were achieved after careful consultation with our customer, using accurately projected ROI calculations including Total Cost of Ownership before the project began.

Solution

After initial discussions and fact finding site visits, HXE agreed with the customer that there were multiple potential solutions available. These varied from operational improvements, to process engineering and filtration, to wastewater treatment. The recommended next step was to arrange on- site trials to prove efficacy, collect data, and improve the accuracy of the Total Cost of Ownership projections.

HXE utilised our Test and Trial Filtration Rig, enabling us to test process engineering concepts (see Image) before agreeing with the customer in advance what the success criteria of the trial would be. This included ascertaining the longevity of the consumables within the system and its associated running costs.

The trial involved filtering the water through three stages of filtration and treatment. Within each stage we graduated the filtration as well as including various ‘polishing’ steps to confirm best results. The intended outcome of this was to provide the customer with cleaner water, enabling them to reuse it, lowering their wastage, as well as improving their carbon footprint. Not only this, but the process would also help the company reduce the Total Cost of Ownership of their plant.

Value

During the first set of tests that were conducted on site, the customer was impressed with the initial results. Importantly, they showed that levels of contamination in the HXE filtered water were markedly lower than their existing process water usage.

Following this positive step, together with the customer, the HXE team agreed to scaling up the system. Utilising valuable results gathered during the trial as well as additional jar tests and analysis to reduce contamination even further.

This ability to quickly and effectively deliver against their needs and budgetary concerns, prove concepts with trials, and then walk the customer through data, results and future recommendations set HXE apart in the eyes of our customer.

It’s a way of working that enables us to solve the water challenges of the future while adding value to our customers’ businesses with our highly professional, consultative, productive, bespoke, future- proofed approach to water and wastewater engineering.

If you too are looking to reduce waste, increase process efficiencies, or unlock hidden opportunities with a modern engineering company, talk to us at Hydro-X Engineering today.

Discuss your project with one of the Hydro-X Engineering team today.

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