Reference projects in water treatment
Find below a selection of our recently installed Atec systems in the field of water treatment in different countries and industries.
Upon request, we will be happy to send you data on older and/or other reference projects.
Task:
The customer cleans battery cans from contamination with an oil based lubricant. The cleaning bath has a very limited lifetime due to the high contamination with dirt and oil.
Solution:
Atec Miditube membrane filtration system as special version for the treatment of hot alkaline degreasing bath.
Task:
The customer uses a caustic potash (KOH) cleaner solution to wash paint off of stainless steel parts and tanks. The useful life of the caustic potash solution is limited due to the rising concentration of dirt (e.g. pigment particles from special paints). The result is high costs for disposal and replacement of the caustic potash cleaner solution.
Solution:
Atec Miditube membrane filtration system as special version for the treatment of hot caustic / alkaline process liquids. Removes dirt from caustic cleaner solution and enhances lifetime of the cleaner sifnificantly.
from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate
Task:
For the treatment of wastewater from two systems for vibratory grinding the customer uses the typical physical-chemical process: Dosing of flocculant / polymer followed by a separation of the flocked solids with a centrifuge.
The process works well for the removal of particles, but has its limitations when it comes to the removal of oil, which may remain in the water and rise in concentration. Another very common problem is that bacteria remain in the water, multiply and reach extreme concentrations, which leads to several problems at once:
- strong smell / odor
- health hazard for operators and staff
- high biocide consumption, however biocide use is more and more limited by legal regulations
- bacteria may consume the compound used in the process, which leads to high chemical consumption
Solution:
Atec Miditube membrane filtration system cleans alternately the water from both vibratory grinding systems. The filtration unit works parallel to the centrifuge. While the centrifuge removes the “coarse dirt” (mainly particles), the membrane filtration system removes fine particles, oil and bacteria. The bacteria concentration is minimized. The process is more stable, without odor nuisance and health hazards for the staff. The chemical consumption is reduced as well.
Task:
In the process of metal forming, the customer uses a dry lubricant. After the forming process, this lubricant has to be washed off from the metal parts. This takes place in an acidic cleaning bath in a standard continuous washing system. The concentration of the particles from the lubricant in the wash water limits its useful life and makes the quality of the washing process quite unstable.
Solution:
Atec Minitube membrane filtration system continuously removes particles and other dirt from the bath. The useful life is multiplied and the process quality improved to meet the requirements.
Task:
The customer cleans recycled plastic granules for the fabrication of IBC tanks using two fully automated washing machines. The dirty granules are cleaned using a hot caustic soda / lye solution. Depending on the origin of the granules the dirt / contamination varies (oil, particles, fibers, organics, etc.).
Due to the sometimes very heavy dirt ingress, the service life of the lye baths is very limited, as the cleaning performance decreases with increasing dirt concentration.
Solution:
Atec’s Miditube membrane filtration system, specially designed for hot caustic soda, continuously removes contaminants from the baths. The system is equipped with 24 special ceramic membranes.
from left: raw water, concentrate, permeate
Task:
The end customer needs drinking water to supply the workers at the Dahra oil field in Libya. In the past, the water was transported laboriously and costly across the desert in tanker trucks.
Solution:
Atec is supplying three identical membrane filtration systems with submerged ceramic membranes. Each filtration system treats approximately 25 m³/h of brackish water by removing contaminants and bacteria.
In a subsequent treatment step (provided by the customer), the filtrate is desalinated using reverse osmosis systems.
Task:
The customer has numerous small washing/degreasing systems using aqueous cleaners for degreasing metal parts after machining. Heavy and sometimes fluctuating levels of dirt impair the quality of the washing process and significantly reduce the service life of the washing fluids. This leads to quality issues with component cleanliness and personnel costs for bath inspection and bath changes.
In addition, electrolyte waste is generated at several ECM systems.
Solution:
Atec Minitube membrane filtration systems remove oil and particles from the degreasing bath. This ensures a washing process with consistent quality and reduces the costs of bath maintenance and changes.
Thanks to their compact footprint of approximately 1 m², the systems can be installed decentrally directly next to the respective washing system. If necessary, they can also be quickly and easily relocated to another location.
The Atec Minitube filtration system also treats waste electrolyte from ECM systems, allowing the electrolyte to be reused in the process.
The customer already has a total of 12 Atec Minitube filtration systems in operation at two locations in Germany. Additional systems are planned.
Task:
The customer operates several laser cutting systems for very thin copper tubes. This process generates cooling water contaminated with contaminant particles (copper and scale). Reuse in the process is very limited without treatment.
Solution:
The contaminated cooling water is pumped into a central wastewater tank. An Atec Minitube membrane filtration system removes the contaminants from the used cooling water. The filtrate flows into a central filtrate tank and is pumped from there to the five laser cutting systems. Coordination between the laser cutting systems, Atec Miditube, and the fill levels of the respective tanks is handled by a central control cabinet with a PLC.
left: permeate
middle / right: concentrates
Task:
Acidic wastewater from pretreatment for the powder coating process contains dissolved metals, as well as fluorine and sulfate. The high maintenance costs for an installed evaporator system were no longer affordable.
Solution:
Replacement of the evaporator system with a 3-stage treatment system in a continuous process:
- Continuous neutralization with highly reactive lime milk (45%)
- Filtration of the neutralized suspension with an Atec Miditube membrane filtration system
- Adsorption filtration with reverse osmosis for recovery as process water
Task:
The customer cleans steel components using a highly alkaline hot degreasing process. The ingress of contaminants (oil, particles, rust) limits the bath life and negatively impacts the washing/process quality.
Solution:
Atec Miditube membrane filtration system removes oil and rust particles from the hot alkaline degreasing bath. The consumption of bath chemicals (cleaning agent) was reduced by 80% immediately.
from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate
Task:
The customer has two caustic soda tanks (approx. 10 and 12 m³) for pickling and chemical milling of aluminum components. Contaminants, oil, and graphite (from lubricants/release agents) are introduced into the tanks via the workpiece carriers and components. This leads to short bath life and correspondingly high costs for bath changes, disposal, and refilling.
Solution:
Two Atec Minitube membrane filtration systems, specially designed for caustic soda filtration up to 90 °C. The filtrate is absolutely clear and free of turbidity and is returned directly to the tank. The bath life is increased, bath change costs are reduced, and process quality is improved.
from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate
Task:
The customer washes stainless steel parts and tanks contaminated with paint using a hot potassium hydroxide cleaning solution. The wash solution’s service life is limited by the contaminants (e.g., pigments from the special paints). This results in high costs for disposal and refilling.
Solution:
Atec Minitube membrane filtration system in a special design for the treatment of hot caustic solution.
from left: concentrate, raw water, permeate
Task:
In large immersion degreasing processes, aluminum components are cleaned of oil and particles for subsequent coating processes (anodizing, powder coating). The ingress of dirt impairs the washing results and limits the bath’s service life.
Solution:
An Atec Miditube membrane filtration system with ceramic membranes continuously removes contaminants from the bath. The bath’s service life and washing quality are significantly improved.
The cleaning agent itself is not removed by filtration but remains in the bath. Nevertheless, cleaning agent is consumed or lost during the washing process itself and through carryover, i.e., the cleaning agent concentration in the bath decreases over time. A dosing pump integrated into the Miditube allows for fully automatic addition of cleaning agent based on volume and/or conductivity. This allows the bath to be continuously operated in optimal operating condition with low contamination and optimal cleaning agent concentration.
from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate
Task:
Wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry. Contaminated with various pollutants, depending on current production.
Solution:
Membrane bioreactor (MBR) consisting of biological/activated sludge (provided by the customer) and a two-stage membrane filtration process:
- Atec modular miditube ultrafiltration system: Modular and expandable membrane filtration system for separating the activated sludge.
- Atec nanofiltration: Removes dissolved substances and trace substances from the wastewater.
This two-stage filtration process allows the discharge limits for the wastewater to be met.
Task:
Treatment of a degreasing bath with the aim of extending its service life and improving cleaning quality.
The German parent company has a used Atec cartridge filter, built in 2014, which will no longer be needed at the German site after 2022. This system is to be overhauled and refurbished for new use at the site in India.
Solution:
General overhaul of the Atec cartridge filter cross-flow filtration system: Upgrade of the PLC and HMI; replacement of the valve terminal; replacement of sensors, membranes, and seals; functional tests at Atec.
Atec cartridge filter before shipping
Atec cartridge filter installed in India
Task:
A medium-sized automatic system from Pero for washing / degreasing metal components is experiencing problems with bath life (changed once a week) and the quality of the washing process. Despite the very frequent bath changes and the associated costs and machine downtime, the requirements for component cleanliness are sometimes not met.
Solution:
A compact and fully automatic membrane filtration system from Atec (Minitube type) removes oil and dirt from the bath. This significantly improved bath life and process quality.
Update 2022:
In 2022, the customer was able to completely eliminate the need for a bath change. This means they were able to extend their bath life by approximately 50 times while simultaneously improving the washing and process quality!
Task:
The customer has three large immersion degreasing systems for automobile body parts, each with a capacity of approximately 40 m³. The oil and dirt contamination from the components is considerable. The customer uses a demulsifying cleaner and has a large oil separator in continuous operation for each bath.
Despite the grease separators, the required cleaning quality was often not achieved. Parts had to be cleaned multiple times or re-cleaned manually.
Solution:
An Atec Discfilter system with ceramic flat membranes removes oil and dirt. The system alternates between baths 1, 2, and 3. Switching is fully automatic and time- or volume-controlled.
The Atec membrane filtration significantly improved the bath quality. The cleaning process now runs smoothly, and the desired component cleanliness is achieved.
from left: raw water, concentrate, permeate
University of Hohenheim – Germany – 2020
Task:
In a biogas plant using the pressure fermentation principle, solids are to be separated between the first stage (hydrolysis) and the second stage (anaerobic filter) using membrane filtration. These undissolved solids and turbidity are either not used for methane production (e.g., inorganic substances) or have not yet been fully broken down in the hydrolysis stage.
Solution:
A compact and fully automated Atec Miditube cross-flow filtration system separates these substances and returns the concentrate to the hydrolysis stage. The turbidity-free permeate is passed on to the next stage, where biogas production takes place under pressure (pressure fermentation).
For this demanding application, ceramic tubular membranes with pores in the microfiltration range are selected. These have already proven themselves in preliminary tests and in applications with similar media.
The Atec Miditube system was installed in a 10-foot container for mobile or semi-stationary use. The container is fully insulated and frost-proof.
Control cabinet manufacturer – China – 2020
Task:
Treatment of a wash bath from parts cleaning/degreasing. Removal of particles, oil, and bacteria to extend the service life of the process bath.
Solution:
Innovative Atec Disc Filter based on the proven Atec cartridge filter. Thanks to the special cross-flow filtration principle, this filter type can achieve very high concentration rates. This minimizes the amount of wastewater to be disposed of for the customer.
Metal Processing – Germany – 2020
Task:
Metal particles must be removed from a process water circuit used for the electrochemical deburring of metal parts. The available space is very limited.
Solution:
Atec dead-end filtration system with ceramic membranes for direct integration into the pressure circuit. The use of ceramic dead-end filtration membranes is particularly suitable for the removal of inorganic particles and has a low fouling potential.
Brewery – Denmark – 2019
Task:
The customer wants to test various membrane processes to reduce water consumption (especially in system cleaning). For this purpose, they require compact, fully automated, and robust systems capable of covering the entire spectrum of membrane filtration, from microfiltration for particle removal to reverse osmosis.
Solution:
A combination system for testing micro-, ultra-, and nanofiltration membranes with corresponding operating pressure control based on the proven Atec Miditube Cross Flow filtration systems. The system can be operated in the range of 1 to 25 bar.
A compact high-pressure reverse osmosis system for operation up to 120 bar.
Learn more about this application here.
Surface technology – Austria – 2019
Task:
The customer has two large, highly alkaline immersion cleaning baths as part of a hot-dip galvanizing process, each with a bath volume of approximately 140 m³. These are contaminated with grease, oil, and metal particles.
Solution:
The Atec Miditube filtration system, with a very small footprint of < 1 m² and a membrane area of approximately 3 m², cleans both baths alternately, fully automatically. The continuous removal of contaminants has significantly reduced the contaminant load in the immersion cleaning baths. This eliminates the need to completely drain and refill the baths. This leads to significant savings in personnel, water/wastewater, and chemical consumption, while also protecting the environment.
Food Industry – Germany – 2019
Task:
High organic content and bacterial growth quickly lead to unpleasant odors in a rinsing bath. This makes frequent bath changes and cleaning of the system necessary.
Solution:
A compact Atec Minitube filtration system in the “dead-end” filtration version cleans the bath and continuously removes (organic) turbidity and bacteria. This inhibits bacterial growth and prevents odor formation. The system is equipped with a dead-end filtration membrane with a large filtration area of approximately 11 m².
Water treatment – Austria – 2018/19
Task:
Test/pilot system for filtration applications in the field of seawater desalination.
Solution:
Atec cartridge filter with ceramic membranes.
Water treatment plant manufacturer – Germany – 2018
Task:
Electrical engineering and automation of a pilot plant for the treatment of oily and greasy industrial wastewater.
Scope of services:
Circuit diagram development, control cabinet construction, S7 programming, visualization, cabling, commissioning, and factory acceptance testing.
Wood processing – Germany – 2018
Task:
The customer has 3-9 m³/h of wastewater from the dewatering of wood chips, depending on the season. This wastewater has a very high content of suspended and turbid matter, as well as wood fibers and wood chips. This leads to low efficiency of the downstream evaporation plant. High operating and maintenance costs are the result. In addition, a large amount of very wet concentrate from the evaporator must be incinerated in the wood-fired power plant for disposal, which requires a high energy input.
Solution:
The wastewater is chemically pretreated in three steps. Pretreatment, consisting of precipitation, neutralization, and flocculation, aggregates fine suspended matter into separable flakes. A screw press with a 0.25 mm wedge wire screen filters the pretreated wastewater and simultaneously dewaters the separated sludge.
This allows the customer to achieve two important goals with one system: It reduces the load on the downstream evaporator and produces a dry press cake that is suitable for combustion in a wood-fired power plant.
Household appliance manufacturer – Case 2 – Germany – 2017
Task:
Oil and dirt accumulate in the cleaning bath. This leads to a short service life of the cleaning bath and fluctuations in process quality.
Solution:
Atec Miditube ultrafiltration system with ceramic ultrafiltration membranes with 6 m² membrane area for the separation of oil and dirt.
Household appliance manufacturer – Case 1 – Germany – 2017
Task:
Oil and dirt accumulate in the cleaning bath. This leads to a short service life of the cleaning bath and fluctuations in process quality.
Solution:
Atec Miditube ultrafiltration system with ceramic ultrafiltration membranes with 3 m² membrane area for the separation of oil and dirt.
University of Stavanger – Norway – 2017
Design and construction of two ultrafiltration systems for filtration experiments in the university laboratory. One system, with tubular ceramic membranes, operates according to the proven cross-flow filtration principle. The other system uses submerged ceramic flat membranes made of silicon carbide (SiC).
Poultry slaughterhouse – Costa Rica – 2017
Task:
Wastewater with very high concentrations of fat and suspended solids
Solution:
Chemical-physical pretreatment of the wastewater using a dissolved air flotation system with a capacity of approximately 25 m³/h. Almost complete removal of suspended solids, as well as grease and oil, and a significant reduction in the organic load (COD/BOD).
Municipal wastewater treatment plant – Costa Rica – 2017
Task:
Mechanical pretreatment of the wastewater and dewatering of the biological excess sludge
Solution:
HUBER Rotamat Ro5 compact system with an automatic perforated plate screen, automatic longitudinal grit trap, and automatic grease separation for mechanical pretreatment of the wastewater. The system has a peak capacity of 100 l/s. An automatic screw press (HUBER S-Press) dewaters the biosludge (approx. 1% dry matter content) to a target value of approximately 20% dry matter content.
Drinking water treatment – Iran – 2016
Task:
Drinking water supply after earthquake. Groundwater with particles/turbidity and occasional bacterial contamination.
Solution:
Container-based compact system with submerged ultrafiltration membranes. Use of very robust and durable ceramic flat membranes. Filtration of 20 l/s or 72 m³/h.
Plug-and-play system: The filtration container is completely ready for installation and only needs to be connected to the raw water, wastewater, and power supply on site.
Pilot plant for customer – Germany – 2016
The customer has developed a novel plant for the treatment of process and wastewater. This combines various engineering processes for physical and chemical-physical water treatment.
Atec is building a pilot plant in close cooperation with the customer so that the customer can test its innovation in practical applications.
Remineralization of desalinated seawater – Austria – 2016
Demineralized seawater is not suitable for direct use as drinking water. It lacks the minerals desired in drinking water.
The customer has developed a remineralization process. Atec has designed and built a pilot plant for this application for the customer.
Parts cleaning – Turkey – 2016
Task:
Oil and dirt accumulate in the degreasing bath. This leads to a short service life of the degreasing bath and fluctuations in process quality.
Solution:
Atec Minitube ultrafiltration cleans approximately 300 liters per hour. This bath treatment maintains the quality of the degreasing bath consistently high and extends its service life. Chemical and disposal costs are also reduced.
Sanitary ceramics manufacturer – Germany – 2015
Task:
Grinding wastewater from ceramics processing. The water cannot be reused and must be disposed of as wastewater.
Solution:
Atec Miditube ultrafiltration purifies approximately 1 m³ of wastewater per hour, enabling the water to be reused. This saves the customer operating and disposal costs.
Manufacturer of hard metal tools – Austria – 2015
Task:
Wash bath for cleaning parts made of molybdenum and tungsten alloys. The wash bath with cleaner removes cooling lubricant emulsion and metal particles from the parts. The contaminants collect in the wash water and lead to a short wash bath service life.
Solution:
The Atec Minitube filtration system constantly cleans approximately 250 liters of wash water per hour and removes cooling lubricant emulsion and metal particles. A large portion of the cleaner remains in the wash water, significantly increasing its service life and maintaining its quality at a very consistent level. The Atec filtration system saves the customer operating and disposal costs.
Tractor manufacturer – Germany – 2015
Task:
Wash water from the cleaning and degreasing of chassis before painting. Grease/oil and turbidity accumulate in the wash water.
Solution:
Atec Miditube Ultrafiltration purifies approximately 1,000 l/h of degreasing and washing water, thus increasing the service life of the baths. This saves operating and disposal costs and guarantees stable bath and process quality.
Automotive supplier – Germany – 2015
Task:
Wastewater from parts cleaning with high levels of grease/oil, particles, and turbidity. Direct discharge into the sewer is not possible.
Solution:
Atec Miditube ultrafiltration purifies up to 4 m³ of wastewater per day, allowing discharge into the sewer and saving disposal costs.
Metal processing – Germany – 2015
Task:
Atec Minitube Ultrafiltration with 1 m² membrane area
Membrane manufacturer – Germany – 2015
Solution:
Atec Minitube pilot plant. This allows the customer to test their membranes for micro-, ultra-, and nanofiltration in various applications. The system can be operated at pressures of up to 25 bar to achieve good results even in nanofiltration.
Sugar producer / Sugarcane processing – El Salvador – 2014/2015
Task:
High solids content in the wastewater (fibers, suspended solids, etc.) as well as solids in the cooling water channel.
Solution:
Complete system consisting of four screw screens, an automated screening system, and dissolved air flotation (DAF) cleans 150 m³/h of wastewater and 2.5 m³/s of cooling water. Project implemented by GTWE.
Control cabinet manufacturing – Germany – 2014/2015
Task:
High dirt and oil content in the parts washing system.
Solution:
Atec cartridge filter removes oil and dirt. Service life is extended, saving water, chemicals, and wastewater.
Food manufacturer – Germany – 2014
Task:
Large quantities of oils and fats in wastewater
Solution:
Atec Miditube filters 40 m³/day, ensuring compliance with discharge regulations.
Office Building – Costa Rica – 2014
Task:
Arsenic contamination in drinking water
Solution:
Filtration system for arsenic removal at 2,000 liters/hour. Project implemented by GTWE.
Watch manufacturing industry – Switzerland – 2013
Task:
Oil and heavy metals in wastewater
Solution:
Atec Minitube filter with upstream heavy metal removal. Compliance with discharge regulations and significant savings in disposal costs.
Chemical industry – Costa Rica – 2013
Task:
Bacterial contamination in raw water
Solution:
Atec ultrafiltration system for the removal of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Project implemented by GTWE.
Solar industry / wafer production – Germany – 2013
Task:
Silicon solids in the coolant (process water)
Solution:
Atec tube filter with an upstream centrifuge removes all solids.
Contract vibratory finishing / parts cleaning – Germany – 2004 / 2008
Task:
Oil, grease, and particles in the rinsing bath of the vibratory finishing system and the parts cleaning system.
Solution:
Extended service life and improved bath quality with Atec cartridge filters and Atec tube filters