Major PVC Manufacturer Solves Sewage Problem

Major PVC Manufacturer Solves Sewage Problem with Lakos Separators

The Hagerstown, Maryland plant of Certainteed, Inc., produces PVC plastic pipe. The raw material for this process consists basically of a special PVC plastic powder. This plastic powder was regularly contaminating their cooling water. Certainteed had been using 200 mesh self-cleaning screens as a pre-filtration to their individual machine polishing filters. Because of the bulk and the nature of the solids, the screens, when plugged, could not be backwashed properly.

Certainteed then installed a 6” Lakos Industrial Separator to accomplish this continuous pre-filtration requirement. Their original plan was to simply periodically purge the Lakos Separator into the sewer, but the local public sewer authority stated that Certainteed could no longer allow any plastic powder to go into the sewer.

Certainteed then decided to go with a simple solids collection procedure with the use of a forklift dumpster installed below the Lakos Separator.

This allowed Certainteed to run a continuous controlled flow purge into the dumpster controlling turbulence in the vessel and enhancing the settling of the solids in the bottom. The purge required to move the powder from the Lakos temporary collection chamber simply overflows a weir trough and returns into the cooling system along with the solids-free water from the separator outlet. As a result, Certainteed is enjoying much longer operating intervals with their individual machine polishing filtration and this feature greatly reduced production downtime. In addition, they are protecting their heat exchangers from heavy powder deposits.

Officials at Certainteed are so pleased with the result that they have now made plans to install additional Lakos Separators at various other plants throughout their system. Also included are Lakos Super Separators, which remove up to 98% of all solids as small as 44 microns (325 mesh) for even greater effectiveness.

Available in a wide variety of models, Lakos Separators are capable of handling flows from 3 to 12,750 gpm. Special features include the absence of any moving parts to wear out and no screens or filter elements to clean or replace. Additionally, Lakos Separators do not appreciably reduce line pressure, even when being purged. Engineering assistance and further information is available through any Lakos Distributor or direct from our main office in Fresno, California.

Others who have used Lakos Separators for similar applications:

FISHER/GUIDE; Anderson, IN

ERIE COUNTY PLASTICS; Corry, PA

KELVINATOR; Woodville, Southern Australia

GLOMAC PLASTICS; Syracuse, NY

SUMITOMO-DULLES; Shizoka, Japan

FUTUREZ; Marshall, IN

CREATEC CORP; Harrodsburg, KY

AMOCO; Seymour, IN