A coolant recycling system filters chips, fines, and tramp oil out of metalworking fluid while it's still in the sump — no drain-down, no full sump replacement, and no stopped machine. This guide covers how portable coolant recycling systems work, how to size one, and ERE's CoolVac™ AS-3000 for shops filtering coolant on-site.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Coolant Recycling System?
- Why Recycle Cutting Fluid Instead of Replacing It?
- How Does a Portable Coolant Filtration System Work?
- How Do You Size a Coolant Recycling System?
- What's Included in ERE's CoolVac™ AS-3000?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Coolant Recycling System?
A coolant recycling system is portable filtration equipment that draws used cutting fluid out of a machine sump, strips out metal chips, fines, and tramp oil, and returns clean coolant to the same sump — without draining it and without stopping the machine it's servicing.
Where It's Used
Coolant recycling shows up wherever water-based cutting or grinding fluid accumulates metal fines and free-floating oil faster than it can be used up: CNC machining centers, surface and cylindrical grinding, and general metal fabrication shops running multiple coolant-fed machines off shared or per-machine sumps.
- CNC turning and milling sumps loading up with fine chips
- Grinding operations where abrasive fines cloud the coolant fast
- Shops where tramp oil from way lubricants or hydraulic leaks floats on the coolant surface
- Multi-machine shops looking to extend coolant life between full changeouts
Why Recycle Cutting Fluid Instead of Replacing It?
Because a full sump changeout costs downtime, labor, and disposal fees for fluid that's often still usable once the chips, fines, and tramp oil are pulled out — recycling in place avoids all three.
| Factor | Draining & replacing the sump | On-site coolant recycling |
|---|---|---|
| Machine downtime | Machine is down for drain, clean-out, and refill | Runs while filtering — no stoppage required |
| Labor | Manual sump scraping and disposal handling | Connect, run, swap the filter bag |
| Disposal volume | Full sump volume treated as waste | Only the separated chips, fines, and tramp oil are discarded |
| Coolant cost | Full fluid replacement each cycle | Same coolant charge extended across more cycles |
There's also a health and disposal angle. Degraded metalworking fluid — coolant that's gone rancid or is loaded with tramp oil and fines — is the source of most of the contact dermatitis and respiratory irritation CCOHS documents for metalworking fluid exposure, so keeping the sump clean is a shop-floor safety item, not just a machining-quality one. And whatever tramp oil and used coolant residue eventually does get discarded still falls under Canada's federal hazardous waste framework — used oil is explicitly listed (HAZ2) in Environment and Climate Change Canada's hazardous waste classification guide. Recycling on-site shrinks that volume; it doesn't eliminate the obligation on what's left over.
How Does a Portable Coolant Filtration System Work?
A portable coolant filtration system works like a wet/dry vacuum running on shop air: it draws fluid from the sump, pushes it through a removable filter bag that catches chips and fines, and returns the clean coolant — all while the machine keeps running, the same way a dialysis machine filters blood without stopping the patient's circulation.
- Connect the shop air supply. The unit runs entirely on compressed air — no electrical hookup needed.
- Position the pickup wand in the sump. The wand draws fluid from wherever chips and fines have settled.
- Activate to draw coolant through the bag filter. A removable, interchangeable filter bag catches everything from large chips down to fine grind fines.
- Return filtered coolant to the sump. Clean fluid goes back in immediately — the sump is never fully drained.
- Skim and discard tramp oil, replace the filter bag when loaded. Free-floating tramp oil is pulled off the surface separately, preventing the rancid odor it causes if left to accumulate.
For shops where oil separation is the primary problem rather than chip filtration, ERE's OlioSep-Mini™ Coolant Separation Filtration System targets tramp oil removal specifically — see the full coolant separation collection to compare both approaches.
How Do You Size a Coolant Recycling System?
A coolant recycling system is sized on sump volume, the flow rate needed to turn that volume over on a useful cycle, and how fine a filter mesh the shop's specific chips and fines require.
- Sump volume and turnover time. A larger sump needs either a higher flow rate or a longer filtering run to fully turn over.
- Peak flow capacity. Match the unit's maximum GPM to how quickly the shop needs the sump filtered — ERE's CoolVac™ AS-3000 handles up to 80 GPM (300 L/min).
- Filter mesh fineness. Fine grinding fines need a tighter mesh than coarse turning chips; a bag filter's interchangeable design lets the same unit handle both by swapping bags.
- Available shop air. Confirm compressed air supply meets the unit's requirement before committing — the CoolVac™ needs up to 150 PSI at 21 cfm max consumption.
For fluid types beyond straight coolant — grinding oils, gear-cutting oils, extruding oils, gun-drilling oils, and wire-drawing fluids — confirm compatibility against the unit's spec sheet before ordering. Request a quote with sump volume and fluid type for a sized recommendation.
What's Included in ERE's CoolVac™ AS-3000?
ERE's CoolVac™ AS-3000 is a portable, shop-air-powered coolant filtration system built to filter and recover cutting fluid in place, without stopping the machine it services.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Filtration max flow capacity | 80 GPM (300 L/min) |
| Filtration recovery capacity | 2.5 gal (9 L) |
| Filtration mesh | SUS standard double mesh |
| Air requirement | Up to 150 PSI (10 bar) |
| Max air consumption | 21 cfm (0.6 m³/min) |
| Net weight | 125 lbs (56 kg) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 33.25" x 14.75" x 31.9" (845 x 400 x 810 mm) |
It's built on wheels for moving between machines in the same shop, and the interchangeable bag filter covers everything from large chips to fine grinding fines without swapping the whole unit. For sump water that also needs pH correction before discharge, see our guide to pH adjustment systems for wastewater.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a coolant recycling system remove from cutting fluid?
It removes metal chips, fine grinding particulate, and free-floating tramp oil from the coolant, returning cleaned fluid to the same sump without a full drain and refill.
Can a coolant recycling system run without stopping the machine?
Yes. Units like ERE's CoolVac™ AS-3000 filter the sump while the machine keeps running, similar to how a dialysis system filters blood without stopping circulation.
Is used coolant considered hazardous waste in Canada?
Used oil, including tramp oil separated out of metalworking coolant, is explicitly classified as hazardous waste (HAZ2) under Environment and Climate Change Canada's federal hazardous waste framework. Recycling coolant on-site reduces how much needs to be discarded, but doesn't remove the disposal obligation on the residue.
How much shop air does a portable coolant recycling system need?
ERE's CoolVac™ AS-3000 needs up to 150 PSI (10 bar) of shop air with a maximum consumption of 21 cfm (0.6 m³/min) — confirm your compressor can sustain that before ordering.
What fluids can a coolant recycling system handle besides water-based coolant?
The CoolVac™ is compatible with machine coolants, grinding oils, gear-cutting oils, extruding oils, gun-drilling oils, and wire-drawing fluids — confirm compatibility against the specific fluid in use before ordering.
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- Industrial Water Filtration Systems: Types, Applications & Selection Guide for Canada
- Oil/Water Separators: The Complete Industrial Guide
Need help sizing a coolant recycling system?
ERE Inc. has been Canada's environmental equipment specialist for 30+ years. Talk to a real engineer about your sump volume, fluid type, and flow requirements.
→ Request a Quote | 1-888-287-EREC | Browse Coolant Separation | sales@ereinc.com
Lire en français : Systèmes de recyclage du liquide de refroidissement : comment ça fonctionne