Steel Mill Oil Skimmers
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- Industrial-Grade Durability : Built to survive the worst—heat, grit, hydraulic oil, animal fats, rolling emulsions, and everything else in your water.
- Set It and Forget It : Designed for unattended operation. Many units have run 20+ years with minimal maintenance.
- Application-Specific Builds : Drum skimmers hardened and customized specifically for steel mill use cases—scale pits, clarifiers, retention ponds, and more.
- Serious ROI : Customers recover enough oil to cover up to 50% of the unit cost within one year.
- USA-Made + Expert Support : Proven in the field, approved by major mills, and supported by real engineers—not sales reps.
IN STOCK. READY TO SHIP. PROBLEM SOLVED.
Got an oily water problem? We’ve got Steel Mill Oil Skimmers ready to go. While others make you wait 12-16 weeks, we try to keep these bad boys in stock. Because when you need to “get the oil off the water NOW,” waiting isn’t an option. Just ask.
Steel Mill Oil Skimmer Features
Industrial-Grade Drum Skimmers – Engineered for Extreme Steel Mill Conditions
SteelMAX drum skimmers are designed to meet the toughest oil recovery challenges in steel mill operations. Built for heat, grit, rolling emulsions, and high-volume oily water, these skimmers deliver long-term, unattended operation with minimal maintenance, making them ideal for scale pits, clarifiers, retention ponds, and other industrial water applications.
01
Design
- Rugged industrial construction: Hardened frames and components withstand hydraulic oil, animal fats, rolling emulsions, and abrasive scale particles.
- Heavy-duty drum engineering: Oleophilic drums maximize hydrocarbon recovery while minimizing water carryover.
- Set-and-forget operation: Designed for unattended service; many units have operated reliably for 20+ years .
- Application-specific customization: Units tailored to steel mill requirements, including pit geometry, water volume, and oil type.
- USA-made reliability: Proven in the field and supported by engineers with real steel industry experience.
02
PERFORMANCE
- High-volume oil recovery: Capable of removing hydraulic oil, rolling emulsions, animal fats, and other industrial hydrocarbons efficiently.
- Minimized waste handling: Low water carryover reduces disposal and separation costs.
- Proven ROI: Many installations recover enough oil to offset up to 50% of the unit cost within one year .
- Industrial versatility: Works in scale pits, clarifiers, retention ponds, basement ponds, and other water-intensive steel operations.
- Long-term durability: Built to survive heat, debris, and chemical exposure for decades of continuous operation.
03
INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE
- Plug-and-play deployment: Ready to operate immediately with minimal setup.
- Low maintenance: Only occasional wiper and drum inspections are required; no complex adjustments needed.
- Flexible pump compatibility: Works with existing plant pumps or dedicated offload systems.
- Accessible design: Compact footprint and ergonomic lifting points simplify installation in confined steel mill environments.
WHY STEEL MILL OIL SKIMMERS MATTER
When continuous oil removal under extreme industrial conditions is essential, SteelMAX skimmers deliver reliable, long-term performance with minimal oversight. Engineered specifically for steel operations, these units handle hydraulic oils, rolling emulsions, animal fats, and other contaminants while minimizing water carryover, reducing disposal costs, and providing durable, unattended operation—proven in the field to run decades without interruption.
Drum Skimmer in a scale pit
The steel mill oil skimming applications are the toughest in the world. The equipment has to be rugged and simple enough to run without any attention or maintenance. There is simply not enough manpower to stay on top of it. It will usually be ignored until it breaks! We have developed specialty skimmers, hardened specifically for the steel industry! Simple and effective skimmers. That’s where we come in! We have a goodly amount of experience and equipment in the steel industry. We know how to match the application to the correct and appropriate technology, which often means: “We’ve already screwed that one up.”
Why Oil is a Constant in Steel Operations
In the steel industry, oil in and on water is a constant. Bless these steel guys. By the very nature of their operations, oil gets spilled or leaked regularly, resulting in lots of floating oil and it needs to be removed.
Steel and oil and water — who says they don’t mix?
In the steel industry, oil in and on water is a constant due to the very nature of their operations. Steel operations require lots of water. All mills have water storage and treatment problems that go hand in hand with the extreme equipment and systems needs for cooling water. Oil gets spilled, dripped or leaked accidently and regularly, resulting in lots of floating oil that needs to be removed from the water so the water can be reused and / or discharged safely.
In addition to the leaked oil, a lot of steel cooling operations actually create oily solutions for rolling, annnealing, and other non processes. Some cold rolling ops use animal fat to make a rolling emulsion / lubricant. It’s lovely when it gets old but it’s pretty cheap and very effective. Some hot strip finishing processes are using a combo of vegetable and fish oil as a rolling soltion.
Steel Customers We’ve Served
Steel customers include: Acme Steel, Bethlehem, Chapparal Steel, Ispat Inland, ISG, Great Lakes Steel, Granite City, NAS, Northstar, WCI, Weirton, LTV, National Steel, Keystone, Laclede Steel, AK Steel, McClouth Steel, Geneva Steel, Nucor/Gallatin, Chicago, Steel Tech, Heidtman Steel, Roll Coaters, Oil Technology, OilTech, Gerdau Steel, Steel Dynamics, Nalco Industrial Outsourcing, NAS, Nalco-Ecolab.
A good portion of these are gone, renamed, bought out and/or merged with other companies.
SteelMAX Skimmer Models & Specs
| MODEL NO. | FDS20RS | FDS34RS | FDS68RS |
|---|---|---|---|
| RECOVERY RATE | 20 GPM | 34 GPM | 77 GPM (smooth) / 170 GPM (grooved) |
| WIDTH | 28" | 34" | 37" |
| LENGTH | 42" | 48" | 92" |
| HEIGHT | 14" | 18" | 18" |
| WEIGHT | 45 LBS | 80 LBS | 100 LBS |
| CONSTRUCTION | - | ANODIZED ALUM | ANODIZED ALUM |
| BROCHURE | Download | Download | Download |
Built for the Pit. Proven in the Field.
- FDS in industrial environment
- SteelMAX getting the job done at a refinery
- FDS working in tough environment
- Drum Skimmer installed and operating
- Drum skimmer operating in a collection pit removing oil from the water
Steel and oil and water — who says they don’t mix? The Steel industry is heat, water and equipment intensive.
Steel Mill Mentality, Skimmer Mentality
RULE #1 — Shut it down! Never? RULE #2 — Keep it running till the downturn. Always!
We have developed specialty skimmers — hardened specifically for the steel industry!
Bottom Line: Steel = Oily Water
STEEL INDUSTRY HAS A LOT OF OILY WATER!
None of that matters to the FLOATING Drum Skimmer (FDS). It’s our tool of choice for the steel industry. It’s tough, rugged, simple and deadly effective. We have units in place at some mills that have been running for over 20 years.
More Applications We’ve Worked
For oil in scale pits, clarifiers, API’s, retention ponds, basement ponds, sewers, sloughs, oil/water separators, ditches — what have you. We’ve been there and have a different way of working it. We’ve already screwed it up — so you don’t have to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Steel Mill Oil Skimmers different from standard skimmers?
These skimmers are engineered specifically for the extreme conditions of steel operations. Built to withstand heat, grit, rolling emulsions, hydraulic oils, and even animal fats, they are rugged, reliable, and capable of long-term unattended operation.
Where are these skimmers typically used in steel mills?
They are ideal for scale pits, clarifiers, retention ponds, basement ponds, API separators, ditches, and other water storage or treatment areas where oil accumulates due to spills, leaks, or industrial processes.
How efficient are SteelMAX skimmers?
Recovery rates vary by model, with the FDS20RS at 20 GPM, FDS34RS at 34 GPM, and FDS68RS at 77 GPM (smooth) / 170 GPM (grooved). Many users recover enough oil in one year to cover up to 50% of the unit’s cost.
How durable and low-maintenance are these skimmers?
Steel Mill Oil Skimmers are built for “set it and forget it” operation. Many units have run 20+ years with minimal maintenance. The industrial-grade construction ensures consistent performance in harsh, high-volume operations.
Can these skimmers handle all types of oils and industrial fluids?
Yes. They are proven to remove hydraulic oils, lube oils, rolling emulsions, animal fats, and other industrial hydrocarbons found in steel mill water systems, keeping water clean for reuse or safe discharge.
Proven Solutions + Industrial Experience
We've learned how to do it right! Skim: Morgoil™, hydraulic, lube, rolling emulsion, animal fat, and more.
- Approved vendor for ARCELOR Mittal Steel, Steel Dynamics, Gallatin, Inland, ISG, National, Arizona, Florida, NUCOR, NAS and more.
- We have ALL TYPES and technologies of oil skimmers and separation equipment for removing oil from water—or vice versa.