Reference projects in water treatment<\/h1>\n
Find below a selection of our recently installed Atec systems in the field of water treatment in different countries and industries.<\/p>\n
Upon request, we will be happy to send you data on older and\/or other reference projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Battery industry - Cleaning bath - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nAtec Miditube membrane filtration system as special version for the treatment of hot alkaline degreasing bath.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Surface treatment - Caustic potash - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nAtec 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.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/PXL_20240429_133705523-300x226.jpg\")
from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Automotive industry - Vibratory grinding - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nFor 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.<\/p>\n
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:<\/p>\n
\n- strong smell \/ odor<\/strong><\/li>\n
- health hazard<\/strong> for operators and staff<\/li>\n
- high biocide consumption<\/strong>, however biocide use is more and more limited<\/strong> by legal regulations<\/li>\n
- bacteria may consume the compound used in the process, which leads to high chemical consumption<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nAtec 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Automotive industry - Acidic cleaning bath - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nIn 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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nAtec 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Recycling of plastic granules - Caustic soda - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.).<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nAtec’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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/IMG-20250207-WA0044-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/IMG_3790-300x225.jpg\")
from left: raw water, concentrate, permeate<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Oil field - Drinking water - Libya - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nAtec is supplying three identical membrane filtration systems with submerged ceramic membranes. Each filtration system treats approximately 25 m\u00b3\/h of brackish water by removing contaminants and bacteria.<\/p>\n
In a subsequent treatment step (provided by the customer), the filtrate is desalinated using reverse osmosis systems.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/PXL_20250214_090526714-300x226.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/PXL_20250214_090922409-300x226.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Automotive supplier - Degreasing baths & ECM - Germany - several projects 2018 - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
In addition, electrolyte waste is generated at several ECM systems.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nAtec 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.<\/p>\n
Thanks to their compact footprint of approximately 1 m\u00b2, 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.<\/p>\n
The Atec Minitube filtration system also treats waste electrolyte from ECM systems, allowing the electrolyte to be reused in the process.<\/p>\n
The customer already has a total of 12 Atec Minitube filtration systems in operation at two locations in Germany. Additional systems are planned.<\/p>\n
![\"3](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/20221101_161212-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Laser cutting - Cooling water - Germany - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/PXL_20250124_105536160-300x226.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/PXL_20250124_074131269-300x226.jpg\")
left: permeate
middle \/ right: concentrates<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Powder coating - Wastewater - Austria - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nAcidic 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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nReplacement of the evaporator system with a 3-stage treatment system in a continuous process:<\/p>\n
\n- Continuous neutralization with highly reactive lime milk (45%)<\/li>\n
- Filtration of the neutralized suspension with an Atec Miditube membrane filtration system<\/li>\n
- Adsorption filtration with reverse osmosis for recovery as process water<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/05_25-Mewo-4-300x154.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/05_25-Mewo-1-300x292.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Steel processing - Hot alkaline degreasing - Austria - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe customer cleans steel components using a highly alkaline hot degreasing process.<\/span><\/span> The ingress of contaminants (oil, particles, rust) limits the bath life and negatively impacts the washing\/process quality.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSolution<\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAtec 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.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/Filtrat-4-225x300.jpg\")
from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/MicrosoftTeams-image-6-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Aluminum processing - Caustic soda - Germany - 2023<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask:<\/span><\/p>\nThe customer has two caustic soda tanks (approx. 10 and 12 m\u00b3) 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.<\/p>\n
Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\nTwo Atec Minitube membrane filtration systems, specially designed for caustic soda filtration up to 90 \u00b0C. 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.<\/p>\n
![\"zwei](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/PXL_20240516_131310352-300x226.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"rohwasser](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/20231107_082755-300x225.jpg\")
from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Surface treatment - Caustic potash - Germany - 2023<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>\nTask<\/span>:<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
Solution:<\/p>\n
Atec Minitube membrane filtration system in a special design for the treatment of hot caustic solution.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/20230920_175545-300x225.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n Atec Miditube membrane filtration system as special version for the treatment of hot alkaline degreasing bath.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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:<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.).<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n from left: raw water, concentrate, permeate<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n Atec is supplying three identical membrane filtration systems with submerged ceramic membranes. Each filtration system treats approximately 25 m\u00b3\/h of brackish water by removing contaminants and bacteria.<\/p>\n In a subsequent treatment step (provided by the customer), the filtrate is desalinated using reverse osmosis systems.<\/p>\n Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In addition, electrolyte waste is generated at several ECM systems.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Thanks to their compact footprint of approximately 1 m\u00b2, 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.<\/p>\n The Atec Minitube filtration system also treats waste electrolyte from ECM systems, allowing the electrolyte to be reused in the process.<\/p>\n The customer already has a total of 12 Atec Minitube filtration systems in operation at two locations in Germany. Additional systems are planned.<\/p>\n Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n left: permeate Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n Replacement of the evaporator system with a 3-stage treatment system in a continuous process:<\/p>\n Task<\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The customer cleans steel components using a highly alkaline hot degreasing process.<\/span><\/span> The ingress of contaminants (oil, particles, rust) limits the bath life and negatively impacts the washing\/process quality.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate<\/p><\/div>\n Task:<\/span><\/p>\n The customer has two caustic soda tanks (approx. 10 and 12 m\u00b3) 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.<\/p>\n Solution<\/span>:<\/p>\n Two Atec Minitube membrane filtration systems, specially designed for caustic soda filtration up to 90 \u00b0C. 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.<\/p>\n from left: raw water, permeate, concentrate<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Task<\/span>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Solution:<\/p>\n Atec Minitube membrane filtration system in a special design for the treatment of hot caustic solution.<\/p>\n<\/i><\/i><\/span>Surface treatment - Caustic potash - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Automotive industry - Vibratory grinding - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Automotive industry - Acidic cleaning bath - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Recycling of plastic granules - Caustic soda - Germany - 2025<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/p>\n<\/i><\/i><\/span>Oil field - Drinking water - Libya - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Automotive supplier - Degreasing baths & ECM - Germany - several projects 2018 - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Laser cutting - Cooling water - Germany - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/p>\n
middle \/ right: concentrates<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Powder coating - Wastewater - Austria - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
\n
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Steel processing - Hot alkaline degreasing - Austria - 2024<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Aluminum processing - Caustic soda - Germany - 2023<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/p>\n<\/i><\/i><\/span>Surface treatment - Caustic potash - Germany - 2023<\/span><\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/IMG_9369-300x225.jpg\")
![\"Atec](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/5-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"rohwasser](\"https:\/\/www.atec-nu.de\/hpfiles\/uploads\/11_01_23_Piesslinger-300x157.jpg\")