Avoiding coolant waste

In March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the Producer Price Index rose by 11.2% during the past year – the largest annual increase since the agency began tracking data in 2010. When the world shut down in 2020 to stop the spread of COVID-19, operations were completely suspended or conducted at a fraction of their normal capacity. This created the 2021 supply chain crisis that continues today. Now, inflation is the challenge defining 2022.

To offset rising costs, manufacturers are investing in automation, searching for alternative suppliers, and investing in local supply chains to reduce shipping time and expenses. Analyzing and refining cutting fluid management processes can dramatically lower operation costs.

The true cost of coolant waste

In most manufacturing operations, cutting fluid comprises less than 1% of the total budget, so business leaders look to cut expenses in larger categories, such as labor and machinery. Since coolant affects many operations within a facility, ignoring cutting fluids results in missed opportunities to save money.

Common ways cutting fluid waste occurs include:

• Using too high of a concentration in the sump, resulting in over-consumption
• Poor coolant selection and management leads to poor sump life, reduced machine uptime, and increased waste stream

Even without bacteria growth, contaminants in dirty cutting fluid can hinder performance. Cutting fluid touches every machine, operator, and part, so its quality and performance impacts everything.

The ability for fluid to cool and lubricate cutting tools affects cutting efficiency and tool life which determines the finish quality of parts and the level of rework needed. Wrong or poorly managed cutting fluid can decrease operational efficiency.

Contaminated cutting fluid can create a health hazard for employees, causing issues with dermatitis, odors, reduced air quality, and slip hazards that create risk and possible turnover for manufacturers. Neglecting cutting fluid maintenance can increase cutting tool costs, reduce labor productivity, and increase machine maintenance costs through corrosion, seal compatibility issues, increased spindle load, machine downtime, and the extra costs to replace cutting fluid prematurely.

Controlling expenses with cutting fluid management

When cutting fluid is properly managed, it can create a cascade of savings in nearly every budget category. Three steps include:

1. Start with the right coolant: Opting for the cheapest cutting fluid can cost manufacturers more in the long run. Low-quality coolants require high concentrations to perform adequately and often have poor sump life. Some require biocides and other tank-side additives because they have poor bacteria resistance, little corrosion protection, and a tendency to foam. Manufacturers should choose fluids optimized for materials they work with and operations they perform daily. Next-generation advanced cutting fluids, such as TRIM MicroSol 642RX, have medical and multi-material compatibility, high lubricity, and cooling ability for any type of operation while improving a manufacturer’s environmental profile. These fluids may have higher upfront costs but provide long-term savings.

Cutting fluid management begins with measuring and controlling concentration daily to ensure it’s within the manufacturer-recommended range. Too high of a concentration can lead to waste, residues, and skin irritation, but too low can hinder performance with poor tool and sump life along with corrosion issues. Observe the fluid in the sump for signs of tramp oil and fine contamination to remove it on a regular basis.

3. Invest in coolant recycling systems: Manually cleaning fluid can be time consuming, and manufacturers often fail to realize the potential of proper coolant management. Fluid recycling systems bring automation to the management process and do a more thorough job of cleaning. One system can continuously remove tramp oil, chips, and fine particles to achieve maximum performance and sump life, minimizing machine downtime. This reduces a manufacturer’s waste stream, fluid spend, and environmental impact.

Manage cutting fluid to manage inflation

It’s not easy to predict inflation’s impact on manufacturers in the coming years. The best way to manage this uncertainty is to reduce costs in areas manufacturers control; proper cutting fluid management can provide immediate benefits. Manufacturers should leverage coolant maintenance as the basis for any expense-cutting strategy because it can maximize savings in every area of operation.

About the author: Justin Geach is the business development manager of Master Fluid Solutions.

Master Fluid Solutions
https://www.masterfluids.com
IMTS 2022 Booth #431956