Down the drain?

Glass processors have only months to ‘tap’ into EU funded grants to improve the management of their waste water, according to Bohle.

With the UK teetering on the brink of a hard Brexit, EU funding streams are about to run dry, the company said.

Bohle warned that glass processors could miss out on grants to fund up to 50% of the purchase cost of coolant and cleaning management systems, lowering their operating costs, improving edge quality and reducing the environmental impact of their operations.

Dave Broxton, managing director of Bohle, said: “EU grants of up to 50% of purchase costs are currently available to fund improvements to manufacturing processes, which deliver efficiencies, and which reduce waste, including waste water.

“With the high levels of usage of water as coolant in glass processing there is a major opportunity to improve product quality, lower your operating costs, while also reducing your environmental impact by improving the way that you manage coolant.”

According to Bohle, clean water (especially with added coolant) increases the performance of machinery by up to 20% and the service life of tools by up to 30%, but it can all too easily become contaminated with particles from drilling, polishing and grinding.

This carries a potentially far higher price tag in lost man hours, falling product quality, in addition to reduced service life of equipment.

Modelling by Bohle reveals that using just 400 litres of water as part of your weekly cleaning cycle equates to a yearly water consumption of approximately 20,000 litres as well as high cost for its disposal.

Suitable for a wide assortment of grinding, drilling and sawing glass equipment, Bohle sedimentors remove contaminants from coolants and water, including filtering glass particles of <5µm or less while reducing energy usage.

Combined with improved product quality and increased service life, as well as trimming around 10% off the costs of water disposal, Bohle said sedimentors will pay back against purchase costs in as little as a year.

“This is on the assumption that you’re funding the purchase in its entirety yourself. If you can secure grant funding for half of the cost, a sedimentor could pay for itself in as little as six months,” Dave said.

Under the EU funding scheme, businesses can apply for a 50% contribution towards projects with a maximum capital cost of £25,000 (maximum £12,500 grant). This is accessed through the Growth Hub network and Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Bohle said it could also support businesses through the application process.