Industrial Wastewater Recycling System

Discover how mechanical vapor recompression can turn industrial wastewater into reusable process water while reducing disposal volumes and operating costs.

This guide explores how the technology works, its industrial applications, and the key considerations for implementing a wastewater reclamation system.

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01 / MVR FUNDAMENTALS

What Is a Mechanical Vapor-Recompression Evaporator System?

A mechanical vapor-recompression evaporator system is a wastewater treatment technology that separates water from contaminants through vacuum evaporation and vapor compression.

Unlike conventional thermal evaporators that continuously consume external heat from steam, natural gas, or electric heaters, an MVR system recovers and reuses the latent heat generated during evaporation. This dramatically reduces energy consumption while maintaining high water recovery rates.

Wastewater_Reclaimation_System

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Before and After BEaring Cleaning Solution Recycling

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Before and After FPI Rinse Water Recycling

before-and-after-FPI-die-casting-emulsion

Before and After Die Casting Releasing Lubricant Recycling

Step 1: Wastewater Preheating

Incoming wastewater is preheated using heat already present in the outgoing distilled water stream. This heat recovery significantly improves overall efficiency.
Step 2: Vacuum Evaporation

The wastewater enters the main heat exchanger where evaporation occurs under partial vacuum. Operating under vacuum lowers the boiling point of water and reduces energy requirements.
Step 3: Vapor Separation

Generated vapor passes through a phase separator that removes entrained liquid droplets and contaminants before compression.
Step 4: Mechanical Vapor Recompression

A vapor compressor increases the pressure and temperature of the steam. This compressed vapor contains reusable thermal energy that becomes the primary heat source for continued evaporation.
Step 5: Condensation and Distillate Recovery

The vapor condenses back into water within the heat exchanger. The resulting distillate is clean, high-quality water often suitable for reuse within manufacturing operations.
Step 6: Concentrate Management

The contaminants become concentrated into a significantly smaller waste volume. Instead of disposing of 100% of wastewater, facilities typically dispose of only the concentrated residual stream.

Low Energy Consumption

The Éco-Smart^® consumes approximately 0.25 kWh per gallon treated, making it one of the lowest-energy solutions in its category.

No External Heat Sources

The system does not rely on: Electric heaters, gas burners or steam boilers. This simplifies utility requirements and reduces operating expenses.

No Cooling Water Requirement

The vapor condensation process eliminates the need for cooling water, creating additional utility savings.

Automatic Clean-in-Place (CIP)

An integrated CIP system helps remove scale buildup and maintain long-term heat-transfer efficiency while reducing maintenance interruptions.

Fully Automated Operation

The PLC-controlled platform continuously monitors performance and enables unattended operation.

Few Moving Parts

The design uses relatively few moving components and does not require membranes that must be routinely replaced.

“This is the most user-friendly design of any waste water treatment equipment that I have come across—we are able to operate it with nothing more than the recommended preventive maintenance labor, the rest has been fully automatic...”

Rob Curtis

Chem Trend

	Technology	Water Recovery	Energy Use	Consumables	Concentrate Reduction	Reuse Potential
	MVR Evaporator	High - Up to 98%	Very Low	Minimal	Excellent	High
	Chemical Treatment	Low	Moderate	High	Limited	Low
	Conventional Thermal Evaporation	High	High	Moderate	High	High
	Membrane Filtration Alone	Moderate	Low	Membranes	Moderate	Moderate
	Haul-and-Dispose	None	N/A	N/A	None	None

The strongest advantage of MVR technology is that it simultaneously addresses:

Water recovery Disposal reduction Process quality improvement Long-term operating cost reduction

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Parts Washing Rinse Water

Aqueous parts washers generate significant rinse-water volumes contaminated with oils, detergents, and suspended solids.

An MVR system recovers water that can often be returned to the process while significantly reducing waste disposal costs.

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Surface Treatment Rinse Water

Surface finishing operations such as cleaning, etching, pickling, and conversion coating consume large amounts of rinse water. Water recycling can dramatically reduce both incoming water requirements and discharge volumes.

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FPI Rinse Water

Fluid Penetrant Inspection (FPI) systems produce dilute wastewater streams that are excellent candidates for MVR treatment because of their relatively high water content.

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Spent Metalworking Fluids

Machining operations often generate wastewater containing emulsified oils and metalworking compounds.

MVR technology effectively separates reusable water while concentrating contaminants into a manageable volume.

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Heat Treatment Operations

Rinse and quench-related wastewater from heat-treating processes can be treated and reclaimed to reduce disposal requirements.

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Oily and Die-Casting Emulsions

Die-casting facilities frequently manage wastewater streams containing oils and emulsions that are expensive to haul away. MVR technology provides a practical recycling alternative.

ES-400: 400 gal/day

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ES-800: 800 gal/day

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ES-1500: 1,500 gal/day

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ES-3200: 3,200 gal/day

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ES-6000: 6,000 gal/day

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NDT-Fluorescent-penetrant-inspection-in-automotive-1

Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection Immersion Systems (FPI)

Each liquid penetrant and FPI system is custom-designed to meet the customer's specifications, parts, and production output criteria.

Learn more about our FPI systems

09 / CUSTOMER CASE STUDY

Case Study: Hydraulic Cylinder Manufacturer

A hydraulic cylinder manufacturer generating approximately 1,400 gallons of wastewater per day needed an internal treatment solution to avoid costly third-party waste disposal. The wastewater contained oil, alkaline detergents, metalworking fluids, and metals.

Challenges

Determining MVR suitability
Managing free oil contamination
Ensuring reusable distillate quality
Maintaining low operator involvement
Achieving a rapid financial payback

Solution

PROCECO conducted wastewater characterization and determined MVR technology was suitable. An oil skimmer was recommended to reduce free oil loading, while activated carbon polishing was incorporated to reduce trace hydrocarbons in the distillate.

Results

Up to 98% wastewater recovery

Distillate suitable for reuse
Compliance with discharge limits
Approximately 96% reduction in treatment costs
Payback period of less than one year
Improved cleaning and surface-treatment consistency

Information Gain: The Hidden Quality Benefit

Most wastewater discussions focus on disposal savings. However, one of the most overlooked advantages is process stability. When recycled water is readily available at low cost, manufacturers can refresh cleaning and rinse tanks more frequently. The result is improved bath control, more consistent chemistry, and better product quality. This operational benefit can be as valuable as the disposal savings themselves.

01-characterize-wastewater

1. Characterize the Wastewater

Always perform laboratory analysis before selecting equipment. Key parameters: Oil and grease, TDS, COD, pH, Metals, Chlorides, Fluorides, Phosphates

02-remove-free-oil

2. Remove Free Oil Upstream

Simple oil separation can significantly improve evaporator performance and reduce maintenance requirements.

03-pre-treatment

3. Pre-Treatment Process

Ensure the wastewater has a neutral or slightly alkaline pH. In some cases, treatment for heavy metals is also required.

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4. Consider Post-Treatment

Some wastewater streams may benefit from activated carbon polishing or additional finishing treatment before reuse.

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5. Optimize Water Usage First

Recycling & water conservation: Counterflow or Cascade rinses, Spray recovery, Improved part drainage, Conductivity-controlled rinse systems, Carbon Filters, UV light, DI Mixed Bed process or RO membranes

Ultrafiltration (UF): A Complementary Water Treatment Technology

While the PROCECO Éco-Smart^® MVR system is ideal for recovering water from dilute wastewater streams, ultrafiltration (UF) is designed to remove emulsified oils and suspended solids from process solutions. PROCECO's ceramic membrane UF systems can extend cleaning bath life, reduce chemical consumption, and lower waste disposal costs.

For applications with high oil content, UF is often used alongside MVR technology. The UF system removes oils and solids upstream, allowing the evaporator to operate more efficiently and maximize water recovery.

Discover PROCECO's UF Technology

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11 / EVALUATE YOUR WASTEWATER

Reduce Wastewater Costs Without Sacrificing Production Quality

For manufacturers generating rinse water, metalworking fluid waste, FPI wastewater, or surface-treatment effluent, a mechanical vapor-recompression evaporator system offers a practical path toward water reuse, lower disposal costs, and greater operational sustainability.

The PROCECO Éco-Smart^® combines high water recovery rates, exceptionally low energy consumption, automated operation, and scalable capacity to help facilities transition from wastewater disposal to wastewater reclamation. With recovery rates of up to 98%, rapid payback potential, and support for closed-loop manufacturing processes, it represents one of the most effective technologies available for industrial wastewater recycling.

Ready to evaluate your wastewater stream? Contact a PROCECO wastewater treatment specialist for a wastewater assessment, recovery analysis, and customized ROI evaluation.