Wiltshire based A.J.M. Engineering was one of the first UK companies to install the latest product from Filtermist, the CSX, to separate and remove large amounts of oil mist and iron filing particles generated through its surface grinding operations. 

Filtermist has worked with A.J.M. for a number of years – the company, which was first established in 1964, offers "one stop shop" machining of complex parts to tight tolerances using difficult materials. A.J.M. already uses a number of Filtermist oil mist extraction units on various machines at its 13,500 sq ft facility in Corsham, so approached Filtermist to find out if it offered a solution for separating the moisture and heavy particles generated by A.J.M.’s surface grinding operations.

Coincidentally, Filtermist had recently launched its latest product, the CSX, which was developed specifically to address this issue for clients using heavy grinding machines. The CSX is a low level combined stand that includes an integral cyclone separator, making it ideal for heavy duty applications such as wet grinding. The system draws the air containing the coolant and grinding dust into the low level stand, where it can be easily removed - the pre-filtered air then passes through the extraction unit as usual, increasing the efficiency of the operation.

A.J.M. Operations Manager, Tim Gulliford, explains, “We offer a comprehensive surface grinding service which is utilised by clients in a wide range of sectors including oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and general manufacturing. Before installing the CSX we relied on a basic extractor fan to service the unit where the surface grinding machine is located. We were conscious that we needed to source a specific extraction system for this particular machine as it generates a substantial amount of oil mist and heavy particles when in operation. It would regularly get clogged up with debris meaning an operator would need to spend time cleaning it – using valuable time that could have been spent more productively.”

Filtermist installed a CSX stand attached to an FX5000 and an after-filter to ensure optimum efficiency. Lockable castors hold the low-level stand firmly in place and its compact design means it doesn’t take up too much floor space.

Tim continues, “We installed a CSX in February 2013 and have been delighted with the results. The health of our workers is of paramount importance to us – the surface grinding machine isn’t used all the time, but when it is, it generates a significant amount of oil mist and particles. We wanted to protect our workers from the harmful effects of breathing in contaminated air, as well as improving the operating efficiency of our machine. The CSX has resulted in us meeting both objectives so we’re really pleased.”

The CSX has since been sold to companies in the USA, France and the Czech Republic through Filtermist’s network of global distributors.

Filtermist Managing Director, James Stansfield, says, “We developed the CSX to address the need for effective filtration and removal of the ‘sludge’ generated by grinding applications following feedback from a number of our clients. Whilst ideally suited to grinding, the CSX has also been developed for use in a number of other operations including machining brass and aluminium, which often produce high quantities of small metal chips that can block less robust filter systems. The feedback we’ve received so far has been very encouraging and we’re confident that a large number of our clients will benefit from the addition of the CSX to our standard range.”

Find out more about the CSX by calling 01746 765361 or emailing sales@filtermist.com.