Apparatus and method for cleaning metal smallware

A cleaning apparatus for metal smallware comprising:

• a washing chamber apt to receive a solvent and a batch of metal smallware soiled with a lubricant and configured to carry out a washing cycle to remove at least part of the lubricant from the batch of metal smallware soiled with the lubricant, by means of the solvent;
• suction means connected to said washing chamber and configured to carry out a discharge cycle by sucking a gaseous mixture comprising air and the solvent from said washing chamber;
• a main absorption column having a first side and a second side opposite each other, wherein said first side is hydraulically connected to said suction means to receive the gaseous mixture from said suction means and said second side is hydraulically connected to a supply duct to receive an absorption liquid from said supply duct, wherein said main absorption column is configured to cause an interaction between the gaseous mixture received from said suction means and the absorption liquid received from said supply duct to perform chemical absorption of a fraction of the solvent present in the gaseous mixture in the absorption liquid;
• a main supply tank for the absorption liquid, hydraulically connected to said supply duct to supply said supply duct with the absorption liquid;
• and
• a stripper connected to said washing chamber to receive from said washing chamber a liquid mixture comprising the lubricant and the solvent and configured to separate the lubricant from the solvent, wherein said stripper is in fluid communication with said supply duct via said main supply tank to supply said main supply tank with the lubricant separated by said stripper.