Transform your cleaning process: Key advantages with GEA
- Consistently clean washing lye: Maintains effective cleaning and degreasing
- Extended cleaning liquid life: Fewer replacements, lower consumption
- Recovered drawing oil: Valuable oil is recycled, not wasted
- Reduced tool wear: Cleaner processes protect expensive equipment
- Improved component quality: Enhanced surface finish and dimensional accuracy
- Lower disposal costs: Oil-free wash water can be disposed of more cost-effectively
- Sustainable operations: Less special waste, reduced environmental impact
The role of washing lye in modern metalworking
In metal forming and automotive supplier industries, washing lye plays a critical role in cleaning and degreasing components after machining. For example in the automotive industry deep drawing presses, operating with forces up to 2,000 tons and generating localized temperatures of up to 2,000 °C, require drawing oil to be sprayed onto high-deformation zones. This protects expensive tools and ensures dimensional accuracy of car body parts.
Before further processing, components must be thoroughly degreased in immersion baths. However, tramp oil and metal particles can quickly contaminate the washing lye, leading to recontamination of components, increased tool wear and compromised surface quality. Continuous removal of these impurities is essential for maintaining cleaning efficiency and product quality.
GEA’s solution: Simultaneous separation and oil recovery
GEA separators are seamlessly integrated into your production process, removing oil and solid particles from washing lye in a single step. This ensures consistently high cleaning efficiency, significantly reduces washing lye consumption and extends the life of your cleaning liquids.
Our technology also recovers concentrated drawing oil, which can be enriched with additives and reused in the drawing process - reducing waste and supporting sustainability.
Partner with GEA for reliable and sustainable cleaning
With proven separator technology and global expertise, GEA helps manufacturers optimize cleaning systems, reduce costs, and improve product quality.
Contact GEA today to discover how our washing lye treatment solutions can support your production and sustainability goals.
Products & Technologies
Showing 3 of 3

Centrifugal Separator
GEA separators are designed for liquid-based applications. Using centrifugal force, they are used for separating suspensions consisting of two or more phases of different densities, i.e. they can be used for liquid-liquid separation, for liquid-liquid-solid separation or for liquid-solid separation. They are equally as effective at separating liq...

Jet pumps
Jet pumps, also referred to as ejectors, are devices for the conveyance, compression or mixing of gases, vapors, liquids or solids and for the production of vacuum in which a gaseous or liquid medium serves as the motive force.

Liquid Mixers
Mixing is a vital process in the production of a diverse range of products in a wide range of industries. Based on our extensive experience and technological know-how, GEA offers a variety of batch, continuous and in-house custom designed mixing solutions for unique applications that meet specific customer needs.
Downloads
GEA Insights

Innovating for impact: shaping better solutions for customers
Industrial production is being asked to use fewer resources, become smarter and keep equipment productive for longer. At GEA, that is changing how innovation happens: engineering, customer insight, digital expertise and service come together earlier – when a solution can still be shaped at its core.


