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Industrial Centrifuge FAQ

FAQ ABOUT INDUSTRIAL CENTRIFUGES

We have a batch of oil with diesel dissolved in it. Can your centrifuge separate the diesel from the oil?

Industrial Centrifuges work on the principle of different specific gravity separating into different phases under extremely high “g” force. If you have dissolved liquids there is effectively no difference in specific gravity for the centrifuge to separate. Therefore centrifuges of any type cannot separate dissolved liquids or solids dissolved in liquids (i.e. Salt / Water).

Visit our diesel centrifuge page to see an example.

We have oil with 25% or more sludge – can your “self-cleaning” centrifuge separate the oil from the sludge?

“Self-Cleaning” centrifuges are capable of separating upto 5% sludge (by volume) due to the inherent design of these types of centrifuges. For high sludge applications we recommend horizontal decanter type centrifuges which are capable of separating high sludge content fluids upto 30% or more in some cases.

What are the typical applications of a “Manual Clean” centrifuge?

As the name implies, “Manual Clean” centrifuges are designed for liquid/liquid separation of 2 immiscible liquids with no solids or very low solids contamination (< 0.5% by volume). Typical applications include separation of water from diesel fuel; separation of water from turbine lube oil; biodiesel separation from glycerin etc.

What are the typical applications of a “Self Cleaning” centrifuge?

“Self Cleaning” Centrifuges have more extensive uses. They are designed for liquid/liquid/solid separation. Though these are “self cleaning” centrifuges, they can separate fluids with up to 5% (by volume) solids. Any ratio of the 2 immiscible liquids can typically be handled by these types of centrifuges. Typical applications include separation of crude-oil from salt-water and sediment; fuel oil separation from water and sediment; WVO separation from water and sediment; used motor oil separation from water and fine metal particles etc.

What are the typical applications of a Decanter centrifuge?

Decanter centrifuges are widely used for applications with more than 5% solids (up to 50%) by volume. They are designed for 2 phase and 3 phase separation.

Typical applications include crude oil tank bottom sludge; industrial and municipal wastewater; hemp biomass separation; chemical sludge thickening; oilfield drilling mud separation etc.

What are the utilities required for operation of industrial centrifuges? Do they consume a lot of power?

Most industrial centrifuges operate on 460 Volts AC power. The small centrifuges (1-2 GPM) use 1 HP motor and the largest (100+ GPM) can have 50 HP or larger motors on them.

Self-cleaning centrifuges need a clean, potable water supply for the sludge ejection mechanism. City water supply @ 50 psig is sufficient.

Some systems with integral sludge tanks and sludge pumps require compressed air typically at 100 psig.

We need to get a centrifuge for biodiesel separation – does the centrifuge need to be Explosion Proof? If so, can Dolphin supply explosion proof centrifuges?

Requirement of explosion proof components / systems are entirely defined by your local codes (or rules). Dolphin Centrifuge is unable to verify applicability of your local codes. The customer (you) needs to contact the appropriate authorities to ascertain the requirement of such codes.

Dolphin Centrifuge has in-house capability to design and manufacture explosion proof centrifuge systems.

FAQ ABOUT DOLPHIN CENTRIFUGE

Who is Dolphin Centrifuge ? How is Dolphin different from other centrifuge suppliers ?

Dolphin Centrifuge is a Michigan incorporated company specializing in Alfa Laval industrial centrifuges for over 35 years. Industrial Centrifuges is ALL WE DO.

The main difference between Dolphin and other centrifuge suppliers is that Dolphin is essentially a engineering company specializing in industrial centrifuges. Dolphin is NOT a used equipment dealer, who also sells centrifuges.

The other major difference is that Dolphin Centrifuge has an inventory of over 300 good new, re-manufactured and used centrifuges of all sizes and types (all Alfa Laval) – at our Warren, MI factory. This large inventory allows Dolphin to offer pre-selected good, ‘gently’ used centrifuges to prospective customers.

Dolphin does not list equipment that it does not own! All images shown on our web-site are of Dolphin supplied centrifuges – new or remanufactured by Dolphin in Detroit!

Can we see the centrifuge before we buy it? If so, where would we see it?

Absolutely! All prospective customers are welcome to our Warren, MI factory to inspect our centrifuges.

Customers are also invited to witness the testing of their centrifuge system at our facility prior to shipment.

Can we see the centrifuge in operation, before we take delivery?

Yes. In fact, we recommend our customers to visit our Warren, MI factory to see their centrifuges being tested.

We also offer hands-on operational training at our factory at no charge to our customers.

Where is the Reconditioning, Fabrication & Manufacturing work done?

All Re-manufacturing, Fabrication, Assembly, Control System Assembly, Wiring & Testing are done at our Warren, MI factory.

Do you provide on-site start-up and training ? Is it included in the cost of the centrifuge?

In addition to the “no-charge” training available at the Dolphin Centrifuge factory in Warren, MI; we provide on-site start-up and training at your facility.

These services are typically not included in the cost of the base centrifuge system, however we can provide a comprehensive proposal to included start-up & training, on customer request.

What about after-sales support? How long can we expect after-sales support and is there a charge after a defined period?

Dolphin Centrifuge is known for its free “Life-time” after-sales technical support which is included with all centrifuges supplied by us. We routinely get calls from customers who have been operating our centrifuge over many years.

How do we know a industrial centrifuge will work for our process? Does Dolphin Centrifuge provide any testing services to test our product on a industrial centrifuge?

We have supplied centrifuge for over 35 years, for practically all centrifuge applications. We can often tell you if a centrifuge will work for your application based on our experience and the 100s of sample tests we have performed over the years.

Dolphin Centrifuge offers a sample testing service. As part of this service, we  process a small sample (1 gal) of your product through our pilot scale, Alfa Laval disc stack centrifuge

What kind of lead-times are expected from order to shipping for reconditioned centrifuge skids?

Typical lead-times for small centrifuges are in the 4-8 week range whereas larger centrifuges can be anywhere from 12-20 weeks depending on the scope of supply and options selected by the customer.

How does pricing on your reconditioned centrifuges compare with new centrifuges from the OEM?

Generally you can expect our pricing for a reconditioned centrifuge systems (with new skid, new pump, new controls and all new accessories) to be about 50% of similar capacity new centrifuge systems.

Does Dolphin Centrifuge provide any kind of warranty with its reconditioned centrifuges?

Yes, all our reconditioned centrifuges come with a 6-month mechanical warranty with a written warranty statement provided with the formal proposal.

How do we know Dolphin Centrifuge wont disappear after they get our money?! Can you provide references who can confirm your authenticity?

Good Question! As previously mentioned, Dolphin Centrifuge has been in the centrifuge business for over 35+ years during which we have delivered hundreds of centrifuges throughout the world.

Yes, we can provide you references of customers who have been with Dolphin Centrifuge for years.

Also, as mentioned above, you are welcome to visit our facility before you make your final purchase decision. We highly recommend it.

Contact

To get more details email us or call us at (248) 522-2573

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