Filtration System Boosts Oil Lifetime

SKF RecondOil’s technology, which removes even the smallest impurities from circulating oil, is now available in a compact form.

RecondOil Box is a smaller version of SKF’s industrial-scale DST systems, which have previously been applied in large applications in metalworking and quenching. The smaller system is suitable for a broader range of industries and applications, to name a few: general manufacturing, pulp, and paper production, metal production, metal processing, and energy production. 

While conventional filters typically only remove particles in the micron range, the RecondOil Box features Double Separation Technology (DST), which can remove particles down to nano-size from an oil. It acts like a mechanical ‘kidney’ in a machine’s oil circulation system, where it regenerates the oil by progressively removing contaminants, and then returning the oil back into circulation. As the oil is in a closed loop, it’s kept in a highly clean state continuously.

By keeping the oil continuously clean, RecondOil Box can significantly extend oil change intervals. 

“When DST-regeneration is combined with lubrication management and condition monitoring, oil can be circulated and reused for much longer,” says Erik Råwall, Programme Manager at SKF. “Sometimes, it can be circulated indefinitely, allowing a circular use of oil.”

So, as well as reducing the cost of replacing oil, it can also deliver an environmental benefit. A life cycle analysis performed by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute calculated the climate impact of a conventional oil cycle at 3,830 kg CO₂ equivalent per m³ of oil – compared to 8.2 kg CO₂-eq with RecondOil Box.

The nano-clean oil can also improve machine performance across a range of applications. As well as filtering out impurities, RecondOil Box removes free, emulsified, and bound water. It also prevents premature oil degradation by removing oxidation products and soluble and insoluble varnish.

Customers interested in the RecondOil box will be able to obtain the DST system itself, as well as oil condition monitoring, filter changes, and other services.

SKF’s mission is to be the undisputed leader in the bearing business. We do this by offering solutions that reduce friction and CO2 emissions, whilst at the same time increasing machine uptime and performance. Our products and services around the rotating shaft, include bearings, seals, lubrication management, artificial intelligence, and wireless condition monitoring. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2021 were SEK 81 732 million and the number of employees was 42,602. www.skf.com