Month: February 2014

Metal working fluids enhance the lifespan of different metals used in the metal working process. In addition, these fluids have a superior maintenance quotient that improves performance. The commonly used products under this category are coolants and lubricants.

Whereas various manufacturing units use lubricants to prevent wear and tear, coolants are widely used in the automotive rebuilding and repair industry. The modern categories of these fluids include neo-synthetic, synthetic, and soluble.

Areas of Application
As aforementioned, the uses of these fluids are in the prevention of friction and cooling of metals during the metal working processes. So, they are used in areas involving metal fabrication. In addition, they are used in protection and treatment of the surface between the work surface and the cutting tool.

You can still use them to eliminate fines, chips, and other residues in several operations such as boring, grinding, threading, tapping, gear shaping, milling, reaming, hack sawing and drilling.

Handling Tips
You need to handle all metal cutting fluids carefully to avoid health risks. So, do not use them when you have cuts, wounds or cracks on your skin surface. These fluids may affect your respiratory tract and cause breathing problems. Mishandling them can result in cancer cases as well.

So, safety measures may include keeping the exposures low. Moreover, always obtain safety guidelines from the manufacturer. It’s worth noting that using bio-based fluids is much safer than the petroleum-based ones as they don’t pose health hazards.

Selecting the Right Type
To get the best results, remember to choose the right type of fluid. Each fluid has its unique task from making of wires and coins to the large scale machining for aerospace and medical applications. Some fluids are perfect for manganese phosphate surfaces while other work well on other coating applications.

Metal cutting fluids are simply oil or water based fluids that are used when cutting metals. They are mainly used in the manufacturing industry to produce a wide array of items like wire, coins and other complex products.

Why they are used

When cutting a metal, these fluids help to cool the cutting surface, reduce the friction and improve the tool life. They also help to keep the fumes and dust at bay, which minimizes the exposure of metal parts to harmful chemicals like formaldehyde.

The Available Types

Choosing the right fluid is essential because it will finally affect your productivity as well as the lifespan of your machinery. So, you should understand the four different types of fluids available before choosing one that works for your situation as parts and factories have unique necessities. The four categories to choose from include:

• Soluble oils – Are fantastic lubricants but they leave a heavy oil residue
• Straight oils – Are very easy to manage though they generate a great amount of heat
• Semi-synthetic oils – They produce great rust control though they may foam
• Synthetics – Are low foam thought not great lubricants

Thus, choosing the right type depends on the work you would like to accomplish because each solution has different properties. Besides, the fluids will have varying effects on different machines and parts. Therefore, remember to select them based on your needs and also on the potential advantages of each fluid.

How to use them safely

After choosing a suitable fluid, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Besides, consider the following:

• Use the correct speed to avoid generating excessive mist or vapor
• Allow a time delay before you open the machine doors to enhance ventilation
• Stick to good working practices when cleaning up and mixing fluids
• Keep the place ventilated by opening windows or doors

If your company would like to increase the factory throughput, reduce tool maintenance costs and improve product quality in a safe environment, then you may want to start using bio-based metal cutting fluids. These fluids have superior viscosity and excellent lubricity. To achieve the goal of energy independence and a cleaner surrounding, then you may use bio-based or vegetable oils.

1. Reduce Friction
   Petroleum lubricants contain additives such as sulphur and chlorine that provide lubricity. However, bio-based lubricants have unique lubricity that doesn’t rely on chemical additives. Their added lubricity lowers friction. Reduced friction in turn reduces cutting forces. This leads to low heat during the cutting process. Less friction also extends the tool life by reducing the wear on the cutting tools.
2. High Flash Point – Less smoke and fire risk
   Bio-based oils have a higher flash point than the petroleum ones. Flash points usually reduce with decrease in viscosity. The flash point of petroleum is around 148 degrees C or 300 degrees F while bio-based oil has the flash point of about 310 degrees C or 590 degrees F. The high flash point reduces smoke and fire risks when cutting metals.
3. Easy Cleanup
   It is easy to clean up bio-based coolants and oils from machines. You simply need to use water and soap. Besides, when left on steel parts, bio-based residue prevents rusting. The oils are non-staining on several metals, including aluminium alloys and brass.
4. Safe to use
   These lubricants are not ecologically hazardous before being used. They can produce mist that forms large droplets, which fall near the source. When using these lubricants, you should not worry about dermatitis after the fluids get to your skin.

Case studies show a real improvement in surface finish, tool life, and productivity when using bio-based lubricants. A manufacturer of Detroit gear ran production twice a day. However, tool costs reduced profits on this part. They chose to switch from petroleum-based oils to bio-based cutting oils. The tool life improved by 300 percent and so, vegetable oils are efficient.