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7CleanCsts.doc

When it comes to cleaning procedures in the machine shop, rebuilders don't want to see their money go down the drain.

So it's important to remember when deciding on a specific approach to cleaning to strive for cleaning effectiveness, while at the same time, staying in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

In order for a machine shop to have a positive return on investment, cleaning systems and procedures must be cost-efficient. It's been estimated by many in the industry that, depending on the product line and the type of cleaning equipment and system in use, cleaning accounts for 30 cents or more of each dollar spent by the shop on overhead. But there are a number of ways machine shops can reduce their cost of cleaning.

To begin with, there's the initial cost of the equipment itself. Depending on the equipment, machinery used for cleaning can range anywhere between several hundred dollars for small parts washers into the tens of thousand of dollars for industrial-sized spraywashers and thermal ovens. Other costs rebuilders should consider include options and accessories for the equipment, finance charges and a maintenance contract, if available. If you consider leasing equipment, determine the terms of the agreement, finance charges and monthly payments and how these compare to buying outright.

Then there's the issue of what type of equipment would best suit your shop. Cleaning processes are divided into three categories: thermal cleaning, which includes convection, direct flame and rotisserie ovens; wet cleaning, which includes hot tanks and other units designed to clean with hot water or chemical solutions, jet spray washers, small parts cleaners and ultrasonic cleaners; and abrasive cleaning, which includes shot and bead blasting and shot removal equipment.

Due to the types of engine components cleaned, customer demands and time restraints, many rebuilders choose to use a variety of individual cleaning units or systems for their cleaning requirements. Talking to others who use the same processes and equipment can help you get a better handle on purchasing and operating costs. For a list of manufacturers and suppliers of cleaning equipment, see Automotive Rebuilder's annual Automotive/Truck Purchasing Directory contained in the January, 1997 issue.

There are other considerations rebuilders should address to reduce cleaning costs. For example, when purchasing equipment, research equipment capacity and determine how many parts can be cleaned in a batch, or whether the equipment has the flexibility to do only a few parts without being cost-prohibitive.

The amount of time it takes to clean a batch of parts also is important. Find out if these times will fit into your work flow schedule. Faster cleaning may not be necessary if production and customer demand does not require it. On the other hand, increasing the cleaning throughput may increase rebuilding productivity.

Another cost associated with cleaning is labor. According to Automotive Rebuilder's Machine Shop Market Profile (see June, 1997 issue), about 14.8% of engine machining and rebuilding production work involves disassembly and cleaning. Although disassembly and cleaning in past years has accounted for the highest percentage of total machine production in the shop, the time spent on this work dropped just behind valve guide and seat work at 15.6%, according to results from our 1996 survey of engine rebuilders.

Bob Olson, founder of Enviro-Comp, a Laural, NY-based consulting firm helping rebuilders comply with EPA and OSHA regulations, said this reduction in the amount of production work may be the result of improvements made to cleaning equipment from manufacturers, as well as a better understanding of cleaning technology by rebuilders. Olson said as a consultant, he travels to shops to study their cleaning practices. Then he provides the shop a plan to improve the current methods in hopes of reducing costs, time and generated wastes. "No two rebuilders do the same cleaning work," said Olson. "But each shop can be shown how to save money."

Olson explained one engine rebuilder he worked with used only wet cleaning processes in the shop. Through Olson's plans of utilizing other cleaning methods such as dry processes, that rebuilder saw a reduction in cleaning and disposal costs from about $60,000 a year to about $8,000. Olson suggested that rebuilders should consider look at different cleaning processes, adding they may find some cost savings.

Yet Olson said there are many rebuilders who feel they do not need to change their cleaning methods. "These rebuilder do not want to change because they feel they can still clean the same way they've been doing it for the past 20 years," said Olson. "If they looked at other alternatives, they may find they could be saving themselves a lot of money. But a lot of rebuilders don't have the willingness to change on their own."

Rick Gable, co-owner of Gable Auto Parts & Machine, Inc., an 11-man machining shop in Akron, OH, said labor costs, which include time spent loading and unloading parts, as well as additional scrubbing, pre-cleaning and post-cleaning of components, are effected by a number of factors. Gable, who has one full-time employee to handle tear-down and cleaning work at the shop, said it's important to provide fair pay for this position. "Even though cleaning is considered an entry-level job, some shops will make the mistake of hiring just about anybody," Gable explained. "This is really an important position. As an owner, you have to really consider who you hire for that job. You don't want someone who will mix parts up or won't clean the heads or block."

Gable said labor costs for cleaning don't pertain only to the cleaning of parts. "Even though we have good equipment, there's still some moderate upkeep of the machines which you have to pay someone to do," Gable said. "You have to lube the equipment and remove the sludge to improve cleaning efficiency, which in turn help to lower cleaning time costs." 'And then there's the issue of consumables. Gable said costs to operate wet systems vary depending on the chemical or detergent used, the concentration required and the amounts used. Gable also said regardless of the chemical cleaning method used, replacement of the chemicals and solid material filters is necessary. "Your cleaning times and costs will also depend on the strength of the cleaning solution," Gable said. "Let's say the average time to clean using recycled solution is about an hour. When you use cleaning chemicals that are fresh, parts come out in no time at all.'

"As the solution gets dirty, you have to keep 'sweetening' it up by adding more chemicals. Of course it's not going to clean like fresh solution, but it's too expensive to always use fresh solution. And failure to 'sweeten', the solution is going to add to your cleaning time."
For abrasive cleaning, costs include the media, shot blast or glass beads. When purchasing media or shot, consider, too, the life span of the material. Although stainless steel shot costs several times more than cast iron shot, it also lasts longer and may be a consideration when looking to reduce expenses.

Leo Croisetiere of R & L Engines, Inc., Dover, NH, said the amount of work a shop does will also dictate how it addresses cleaning costs. "Whether you do $500,000 a year or $5 million a year, there's going to be a different approach to cleaning, and this approach will affect your costs," Croisetiere said.

Croisetiere explained his eight-man shop is very diversified, and that much of its rebuilding work is on passenger cars for local dealerships. "Who your customers are will affect how you clean," he said. "Because we have to be able to deliver heads in a matter of hours, we started using a fast-burn (oven) system (a direct flame process) on the cast iron heads and blocks about five to six years ago."

But for the aluminum parts, Croisetiere said the wet system of cleaning works best for him. "We found cleaning aluminum with heat (dry cleaning) was not effective for us because it took too much time. Using a wet pre-clean solution on parts, followed by a jet washer and then a bead blaster, we can get machined heads back to our customers quicker," he said.

Gable, who also uses both wet and thermal cleaning methods in his shop, said he would like to just concentrate on one method. "But for now, we're limited to what we can afford, so we have to use both ways," he said. "We'll clean a lot of crankshafts and connecting rods in the caustic tanks because it's available. But it's also where we clean our diesel blocks and heads because these are too large for our thermal equipment. Our diesel stuff has to be put in the hot tank."

Olson said changing cleaning practices may also lead to a better understanding of EPA regulations. Although some EPA penalties handed down to shops can be anywhere from $100 for missing/unavailable documentation on chemicals used in the shop, Olson said at times fines issued to shops that are out of compliance can reach anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000. "That's a cost many shops would best do without," he said.

Olson said when selecting cleaning processes, one of the most important considerations is the issue of waste disposal, adding there are some misconceptions regarding the disposal of cleaning wastes.

Steven Bolkan, senior manager of research and development at Church & Dwight Co., makers of ARM & HAMMER® cleaning products agrees. Bolkan has recently spoken out on the issue of disposal of aqueous cleaning solutions and the regulations pertaining to them, saying these issues are "misunderstood by the market and misrepresented by some manufacturers of cleaning products."

Bolkan said the issue came to a head in September of 1996, when California's South Coast Air Quality Management District passed Bill 1171, calling for a switch from solvent-based cleaners to aqueous cleaners over the next 18 months. Bolkan said the bill increased the intensity of competition among manufacturers of aqueous cleaners, who sought to portray their products as so "safe" that they can be disposed of directly down the drain. "This is misleading and in practice dead wrong," Bolkan said, adding some aqueous cleaners can be disposed of directly into the drain if they have not been used in any cleaning operation and if they conform to local Privately Owned Treatment Waste (POTW) regulations.

Bolkan explained once the cleaning process begins, the wash bath may be contaminated with heavy metals, oils, aerosol sprays or even chlorinated solvents. These materials must be disposed of in accordance with state and local regulations, and not directly down the drain. "It is a violation of POTW requirements for industrial aqueous waste to be disposed of without being properly treated," Bolkan said. "Companies are liable if waste they generate is disposed of improperly. They should be wary of manufacturers who try to sell an aqueous cleaner with misleading and potentially dangerous references to do-it-yourself disposal."

In order to comply with state and local regulations, as well as EPA and OSHA requirements, many shops today are looking toward contracting out their waste removal through companies like Safety-Kleen of Elgin, Il, and Interchem of Memphis, TN.
Olson warns rebuilders who plan to contract out the removal of their wastes should research these companies thoroughly. He said machine shops and rebuilders must be aware of EPA guidelines on wastes generated from their cleaning. "Many firms have relied on scavenger or removal firms to determine what type of waste they have and the final disposal method for each waste stream," Olson said. "However, not all removal firms are as honest as people think, and the removal companies do have less risk than the waste producer."

Gable said his shop uses the waste disposal services of Interchem. "It's been a big help for us," Gable explained. "When we have a barrel of waste, we just call them and they send someone to pick it up. They've taken a lot of the worry out of the disposal process."

Interchem is a full-service hazardous waste transportation and disposal division of the International Chemical Corp. Cost to remove a 55-gallon, DOT-approved drum is about $395 for Interchem customers, and about $495 for rebuilders who are interested in the waste disposal program only.

"The great thing about these disposal companies is you can put any cleaning waste in the container," Gable said. "It can be sludge from a hot tank or ash from our thermal cleaners. As long as you let them know what it is, it's gone. And they handle the forms and record-keeping, too, which for us is a great relief."

Levita Couch, sales and marketing executive for Interchem, said more and more rebuilders are taking advantage of waste disposal companies each year. "Our waste disposal program is a great service for rebuilding shops who want to stay in compliance and up-to-date with today's EPA laws and regulations without having to do the work themselves," she said. "Rebuilders are realizing the importance of 'cradle-to-grave' liabilities."

To handle the issues of removing used solution and wastes, R & L has contracted with Safety-Kleen. "We just pay them to take care of waste instead of dealing with it ourselves," Croisetiere said. "Not only is it cheaper for us to have Safety-Kleen handle our disposal wastes, but I don't have to worry about manpower or finding a separate hauler. They come in on regular intervals and service our waste. We found without a doubt that this is the best method for a diversified shop like ours."

Scott Stolberg, president of A & A Midwest Distributing, a Las Vegas, NV-based core supplier, has found another way of treating water that flows from his facility's disassembly/teardown area ñ oil digesting microbes.

Stolberg said the microbes, used in the final stage of a three-part wastewater management process, act as a waste accelerator by digesting the oil and contaminants, reducing the amount of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) released by his facility to the state's acceptable level of 10 parts per million.

Stolberg said when his core facility layout was designed in 1991, many of the stormwater release regulations for Nevada, as well as the U.S., were not yet complete. "Had I known these regulations were going to be modified, I would have opted to spend more money adding a pump station to the back of our facility to pump our stormwater to the sanitary sewer which requires a TPH of 100 parts per million or less," he explained. "Our tests have shown we're way under that amount now."

Stolberg said in order to get his facility in compliance with storm sewer laws, he worked a lot with the state's EPA to develop a design that would be the most cost-efficient for his business. He added having the water pumped out by a septic hauler would be too expensive. "The EPA was very helpful and patient with this water treatment design," Stolberg said. Stolberg said A & A spent about a year-and-a-half on the water treatment plan, adding the entire process, which includes aerating, feeding and adding the microbes daily costs about $350 a month.

Stolberg believes the EPA and OSHA need not always be looked upon as "the bad guys." "If you make a good effort to try and come into compliance and not just ignore the laws, these agencies will be realistic in their examinations," Stolberg said. "Of course, they will be back to check on your business later, so you need to follow through on your plans or risk being shut down."

OSHA offers free on-site safety checks for small businesses concerned about hazardous materials released from their facility. At the request of employers, OSHA advisors will conduct a hazard survey and assessment of the workplace, and will provide advice to employers on correcting hazards found.

The consultation is a confidential service that is completely separate from enforcement operations. According to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), OSHA consultants will not provide the owner's name, the company's name or any information about the workplace to OSHA's inspection staff, as long as the employer agrees to correct, in a timely manner, any serious hazards uncovered during the consultation visit. Shops interested in obtaining OSHA's document number 3047, "Consultation Services For the Employer," should contact the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. 20401, or call 202-512-1800.

Cost-saving equipment

There are a number of cleaning equipment options available to reduce cleaning costs.

For thermal cleaning ovens, afterburners, which burn away much of the contaminates released from this cleaning process, help reduce the amount of dry wastes generated by a shop.

Filtration systems for wet cleaning processes is a solution other rebuilders use to extend their shop cleaning dollars. Often available as portable models, filtration systems are ideal for rebuilders who use parts washers or hot tanks without such a unit. According to filtration systems designers, these units help extend the service life of parts washer solutions or hot tank chemicals by effectively removing contaminates and hazardous wastes suspended in the solution. The solution is pumped through a filter which traps these contaminates. Because filtration reduces waste disposal, rebuilders can take advantage of longer-lasting cleaning solutions and reduced costs of EPA mandated disposal.

Interchem's Couch said the amount of money to purchase and operate a filtration unit will in turn save you money on cleaning agents. "Filtration units save rebuilders money on caustic and chemical solutions, which can cost up to $500 for a 55-gallon drum," she said.

Oil skimmers, too, are another option to prolong cleaning solution life and reduce disposal costs of contaminated solutions. These units remove unwanted free-floating grease, oil and scum from parts washers and wash tanks. Most units are designed to mount to the tank and can remove up to a gallon or more of oil per hour, depending on oil viscosity.

A technique to reduce waste waters emitted from a shop may also include evaporators. Evaporators may be an alternative for rebuilders who would rather "heat away" waste water as opposed to having it hauled away at a cost of about 50 cents or more a gallon. Improved design technology and high-density refractory ceramic has allowed one cleaning equipment manufacturer to offer a high efficiency waste water evaporator that only requires 180,000 British Thermal Unit Hours (BTUH) to evaporate up to 15 gallons an hour, compared to 225,000 - 250,000 BTUH in other traditional systems. According to the manufacturer, the unique combustion chamber provides as much as 25% in energy savings over conventional designs. These savings in heating can reduce operating costs to as low as five cents a gallon, depending on local fuel costs.

R & L's Croisetiere said he reduces waste water through equipment already in use ñ the jet washer. "First of all, we try to keep our rinsewater accumulation down to a minimum," Croisetiere said. "We added a restrictor in the water line to reduce the flow of water at the wash point. This not only saves us in water usage costs, but it limits the amount of waste water. This rinsewater is then pumped into our jet wash, where about a gallon is burned away each hour and released as steam through the vent.

"We couldn't justify spending the money for an evaporator which is a machine that doesn't ever earn you any money," said Croisetiere. "With this process, we didn't have to."

As long as there is rebuilding work to be done, there will be the need to clean. But how you address the cleaning process is up to each individual shop. Still, Gable said at times he wishes there was a way to have all of his cleaning work done by another. "If I could contract all the cleaning work out, I would." he said. "It would eliminate buying cleaning chemicals, maintenance and the constant aggravation, it would save me a lot of headaches. Of course, it's not practical to do so. Cleaning comes with the territory."

Stolberg added that although the costs to operate the cleaning/disassembly area of his facility may cost him money from his pocket now, it's worth it in the long run. "Our goal is to promote an environmental-friendly facility, it's just good business," Stolberg said. "If I end up selling the business or passing it along to the kids, I don't want to be remembered for something wrong I did 20 years ago because it was cheap."