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High Profile RV Manufacturer Reduces Hazardous Waste Volume

A recreational vehicle manufacturer in Indiana had a small waste stream they wanted the process to reduce the quantity of hazardous material they shipped off site.

Since most of the RV surface was constructed of pre-coated materials, the painting they did at this location was limited to striping and similar decorative applications. Solvents were also used to wipe down the panels to be sure that labels and decals adhered well. The waste solvents are accumulated from the cleaning process, paint lines and paint sprayers. They accumulated approximately 55 gallons daily of MEK and Toluene.

All parties agree that running a pilot scale distillation test at PRI’s laboratory was a good idea. Testing would confirm the operating parameters of the system, the percentage of solvent that was recoverable, the usability of the recovered solvent, and the consistency of the still bottoms. The customer chose to witness the test and visit our manufacturing facility to see first hand how distillation units are manufactured.

After testing was completed, an SC-155 unit was picked as the core of a complete distillation system. With the reduction in virgin solvent purchases and cost of waste disposal, the SC-155 system had a six month payback with a 198% return on investment. They were equally pleased with the reduction in hazardous waste they shipped off site. Volume from this operation was reduced by more than 80%, reducing both their costs and potential liabilities.