Innovative parts washer improves environment and health at Altus AFB

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Seidl
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  An environmentally-friendly parts washer at 97th Vehicle Maintenance is getting attention for using oil-eating microbes, which means workers are no longer exposed to the solvents previously used.

The system uses "bioremediation" to avoid the waste streams of liquid found in traditional parts cleaning system. Bioremediation is the accelerated break down of organic compounds through the use of enzymes, bacteria, or fungi. The new parts washer uses a patented liquid and filter pad to wash away dirt, oil, and other pollutants quickly and completely without exposing the workers or the environments to harsh chemicals.

"The old system used to be petroleum based. Well, this stuff right uses something micro-bacteria based; basically the solvent is harmless," said Bulent Uygur, shop foreman at Vehicle Maintenance, 97th Logistics Readiness Group. "There's nothing in there that harms you, you don't even have to have any kind of protective equipment but unfortunately the stuff we're cleaning, the old greases and oil, has got stuff in it."

Mr. Uygur added that the 'green' liquid is pH-neutral, non-caustic, and water based, but workers at Altus AFB do still use standard personal protective equipment. The petroleum products being washed away can be hazardous until removed, and workers use protection to protect them from that.

"We will continue using the protective equipment, because the dirt and oil is the same," said Mr. Uygur.

With the new parts washer, workers simply use a spray hose with a bristle nozzle attached to scrub down vehicle parts. The water based 'juice' is filtered by a pad in the self-contained sink to remove solid waste and can be poured down a standard drainage system with no harmful effect to the environment.

"The old unit had to have accumulated sludge drained off every other week and weekly we put the old machine in cleaning mode which takes 8 hours," said Mr. Uygyr.

With the new system, there is no cleaning mode down time, and no hazardous sludge to be removed; workers simply top up the supplied cleaning liquid and change the filter pad every three months.

"The solvent here, you could dump it in the drain. We have a waste process stream being checked and we're going to find out what we're creating here and once that happens we want to push it worldwide," said Mr. Uygyr. "On busy days we clean as many as 40 to 50 parts," said Mr. Uygyr, adding that the cost using of the old system was $350 per year, and the new system is estimated to be $220 per year.

For more information on the new 'green' parts washer, call 481- 6517.