Parts Washer Line Earns Six US Patents

April 1, 2001
ChemFree Corp, a Norcross GA-based manufacturer of pollution-free bioremediating parts washers, has been issued six utility patents by the United States

ChemFree Corp, a Norcross GA-based manufacturer of pollution-free bioremediating parts washers, has been issued six utility patents by the United States Patent Office for its SmartWasher line. Inventors listed on the issued patents are James McClure, Thomas McNally, Francis Marks, and Leland Strange, all of the Atlanta GA area.

The SmartWasher was developed in the early 1990s in response to air quality and environmental concerns. ChemFree engineers developed a system that employed bioremediation — using naturally occurring microbes to break down the waste oil into its harmless components. Early tests found that a bioremediating parts washer operated at peak efficiency even after months of use. Properly maintained, it could eliminate the need for oil skimming or special disposal of the skimmed oil and gray water generated by conventional aqueous parts washers.

ChemFree staff, working daily with test sites, refined the SmartWasher through 30 prototypes. The first commercial delivery was made to BellSouth in October 1994.