If you operate two Tacchella grinding machines that share the same coolant circuit, you’re well aware of the problem: more machines, more sludge, less stability.

The Grinding Technology Case

Grinding Technologyis a precision grinding company that operates two Tacchella grinding machines fed by a single shared filtration system. As production volumes increased, the existing coolant circuit began to show its limitations: instability in the coolant bath, dimensional drift during the shift, and reactive rather than scheduled maintenance.

The goal of the project was not to install “a larger filter,” but to builda filtration systemcapable of ensuring the long-term stability of both machines, eliminating disposable filter media, and minimizing downtime due to cleaning and clogging.

Integrated System Architecture

Circular distribution tank with a sloped bottom

In place of the rectangular tank, a circular recirculation tank with a sloped, anti-sedimentation bottom was designed, with a capacity of 420 liters per minute.
The circular geometry eliminates corners: the sloped bottom naturally guides the sludge toward the suction point, avoiding dead zones where sludge accumulates and ensuring a uniform and predictable return flow to the filter.
This choice has a direct impact: both Tacchella grinding machines receive identical return conditions, regardless of local variations in sludge load.

Dedicated magnetic separator: Kalamit 350 with SEW

Before the refrigerant reaches the drum filter, it passes through theKalamit 350, a magnetic separator that removes ferrous particles in a preliminary stage.
TheKalamit 350is driven by anSEW gearmotor: this is not a brand choice, but a choice based on architectural reliability, because if the Kalamit stops, the entire line stops and both Tacchella machines lose their filtered return.
A robust gearmotor like SEW, designed for continuous operation under load, reduces the risk of a plant shutdown at a critical point, andGrinding Technologyhad already standardized on SEW for other company applications.
Specifying SEW for this filtration system meant: same spare parts, same in-house technical expertise, same level of operational continuity.

Self-cleaning filtration: Spin

The Spin is a self-cleaning drum filter that operates continuously without consumable cartridges.
A dedicated wash manifold, with a compressed air line, regenerates the drum in a countercurrent flow, maintaining constant filtration capacity even under varying particulate loads.
Unlike traditional cartridge filters, the Spin does not require downtime for media replacement: automatic regeneration via compressed air occurs during operation.

Sludge dewatering and closed-loop system: CLC 1100

The sludge discharged from the Spin drum Spin conveyed to the CLC 1100 compactor, mounted directly at the discharge outlet, which reduces the sludge volume by up to 65 percent, resulting in lower disposal costs.
The critical point is the leachate: the wash liquid exiting the compactor is not treated as waste but is drained via a screw conveyor and returned directly to the recirculation tank.
In this way, the coolant is not lost: it circulates, is purified in the filter, returns to the tank, and is recirculated in aclosed loop.
For a continuous grinding line, this closed-loop leachate cycle reduces downtime for manual tank cleaning and maximizes refrigerant recovery.

Final filtration: MAHLE 15-micron revolver filter

The coolant purified in the 2,800-liter compartmentalized tank passes through a 15-micronMAHLEself-cleaning revolver filter before being sent to the grinding machines, ensuring the fineness required for precision grinding.
In this context, 15 microns is the difference between dimensional stability and tolerance drift.
The MAHLE revolver filter maintains a constant flow rate of 210 liters per minute even with varying particulate loads, thanks to automatic regeneration.

The results

Process stability across two machines. Both Tacchella machines operate under the same coolant conditions. Dimensional accuracy is repeatable. There are no longer any intra-shift variations.

Zero average consumption. The Spin is self-cleaning. No need to change cartridges during production runs. No plant downtime for filter maintenance.

Reduction in reactive maintenance. The circular tank with a sloped bottom, combined with the closed-loop leachate system via the CLC 1100, has eliminated the need for unscheduled tank cleanings. Maintenance is now scheduled.

Line continuity. With robust SEW gearmotors installed at critical points (Kalamit 350 and Spin ), the risk of a system shutdown caused by a mechanical component is reduced. The shared line no longer has any unmanaged single points of failure.

Economic sustainability. The reduction in waste volume achieved through CLC 1100 compaction, combined with the closed-loop leachate system, has lowered refrigerant disposal costs. The system recovers and recirculates as much of the flow as possible.

Conclusion: Architecture, not components

What Micronfilter designed for Grinding Technology SpA is not “just a bigger filter,” buta system architecturein which each component addresses a specific issue on the shared line.
The circular recirculation tank stabilizes the flow, the Kalamit 350 with SEW ensures mechanical robustness at a critical point, the Spin filters with self-cleaning capability without consumables, the CLC 1100 compacts the sludge and closes the leachate cycle, while the MAHLE 15-micron revolver filter guarantees the final fineness.
For those operating two or more grinding machines on a shared line, this model becomes a benchmark solution: not a one-off modification, but a complete redesign focused on process stability and operational reliability.