RK International Machine Tools Limited launches the ‘Foodie,’ which will revolutionise machine tool tank cleaning in the UK with efficiency and sustainability.

Following a recent visit to the TIMTOS 2025 exhibition, RK International Machine Tools Limited, a leading UK machine tool supplier, today announces the availability of the HC FENG Foodie Chip and Sludge Removal Machines for the UK & Ireland. This makes swarf and chip coolant tank cleaning made easy and productive. Indeed, Easy cleaning with FOODIE is now accessible to many workshops.

This innovative system is poised to transform metal cutting machine coolant tank cleaning, offering efficient cleaning options with FOODIE. It offers significant improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and environmental sustainability for manufacturers nationwide.

Manually cleaning machine coolant tanks is traditionally a labour-intensive process. It is time-consuming and often unpleasant, involving up to eight steps, including powering off the machine, draining fluids, removing sludge, and replacing coolant. This leads to considerable machine downtime and exposes workers to health risks. Accumulated metal chips and sludge in the coolant act as abrasives, significantly reducing tool life and impacting machining precision. Infrequent cleaning exacerbates these issues and increases costs for coolant replacement and wastewater treatment.

Addressing these challenges, RK International Machine Tools Limited introduces the HC FENG Foodie. This system is designed for efficient chip and sludge extraction, which embodies the principles of easy cleaning with FOODIE. It safely removes coolants, chips, and swarf with a high-power pneumatic pump and suction spout. By keeping coolant clean and free from abrasive particles, Foodie helps maintain machine efficiency, optimise tool life, and reduce cleaning times to a minimum.

“Our service team see weekly how many machine coolant systems are treated in today’s busy workshop,” comments Simon Rood, Director & General Manager at RK International. “The compact footprint and capability of the Foodie make the unit appealing and are a must for any workshop. Having seen first hand the Foodie in operation, you can see how the contaminated swarf and coolant is ‘eaten’ by this efficient piece of equipment. Taking into consideration that the Foodie has a ‘no-tank-capacity’, the only time to stop the Foodie is when the swarf filter reaches capacity,” concludes Simon Rood.

The Foodie aligns with environmental protection and sustainable development goals (ESG). It promotes a circular economy by allowing cutting fluid to be fully recycled, which makes for easy cleaning using FOODIE, reducing wastewater treatment and recovery costs. The air pressure-driven system eliminates electrical plugs, enhancing safety and reducing energy consumption. It is suitable for various machining centres, lathes and turning machines, plus a wide range of other machines. It handles neat oil and water-soluble coolants, and filters all types of chips from materials like aluminium, copper, plastic, steel, iron, and brass. Its lightweight (56kg) and moveable design allows one unit to service multiple machines, providing easy cleaning techniques with FOODIE to different sectors.

The system is capable of filtering aluminium, copper, plastic, steel, iron, or brass chips from a 300-litre tank in as little as 2 minutes, making the cleaning process easy with FOODIE methods, with only 5% residuals left. Crucially, the Foodie allows cleaning without the need for machine downtime.

Foodie is air pressure-driven and requires no electrical plugs, allowing easy cleaning solutions with FOODIE without compromising safety. This enhances safety by eliminating electrical hazards in wet environments and contributes to energy savings. It features a double diaphragm pneumatic pump with no electric parts. This is built for safe, long-lived operation without overload or spark issues.

A major benefit is that the Foodie unit requires no consumables. It uses washable and reusable filter baskets made with 304 stainless steel filtering mesh, available in optional accuracies. This eliminates ongoing costs associated with disposable filters used in many alternative systems.

Foodie is designed to be used without requiring the machine to stop production. This maximises machine utilisation, offering easy cleaning during machining cycles using the FOODIE system.

The FOODIE effectively filters all types of chips, including non-magnetic ones, and works with a wide range of materials. It works with both water-soluble and neat oil coolants. Case studies show success filtering difficult materials like bakelite and glass fibre powder chips.

The lightweight (56kg) and movable design allows for easy transportation and use on multiple machines. Maintenance is simplified with an openable front door for accessing inner parts.

The Foodie is a powerful solution for manufacturers, providing significant time and cost savings. It supports environmental goals through coolant recycling and reduced waste.

RK International Machine Tools Limited is pleased to offer this innovative technology, enabling seamless cleaning with the Foodie system for their customers to enhance efficiency and sustainability.

See more info >>> https://www.rk-int.com/product-category/other-equipment/filtration/

Watch the videos: >>>https://youtu.be/iOh2CQ8luLY?si=l6O26m3kdcrAisJ8 (WARNING – shows poorly treated machine tool coolany tanks).