ALAR Auto-Vac System Replaces a Filter Press and Sludge Dryer

Problem

Modern Plating Corp. produces 100,000 gallons of wastewater a day that contains metal hydroxide (zinc, iron, nickel and tin) along with trivalent chrome. For several years, Modern Plating had two filter presses – although large – that weren’t keeping up and required around-the-clock labor to maintain and clean the plates. The heavy sludge from the clarifier blinded the filter cloths and caused bottlenecks. The filter press effluent was free of metal hydroxides, but the total suspended solids (TSS) levels were too high for discharge, requiring the filtrate to be sent back to the beginning of the process.

Solution

When Modern Plating was introduced to ALAR, ALAR recommended its Auto-Vac filter to replace the filter presses, conveyor, grinder and sludge dryer. Auto-Vac is a rotary vacuum drum filter pre-coated with a 3" layer of filter media called diatomaceous earth, or DE.

The result was that Modern Plating was able to retrofit the ALAR Auto-Vac to its chemical treatment and clarifier system. The system keeps up with production and filters 75 to 100 gallons of wastewater per minute, operating only one time a day for 8 to 12 hours straight, versus 24-hours for the filter press. ALAR says the AV6120 does not blind or cause bottlenecks, and it is virtually “hands free,” adding that the self-cleaning feature is forgiving of heavy solid and chemical treatments.