Most machine shop operators think of metalworking fluids (MWF, or coolant) as a necessary nuisance, something that blows chips off the part. In fact, the most important jobs for all MWF are keeping the tool cool so it lasts longer, and lubricating the tool edge so that it makes a faster and cleaner cut.
Today’s MWF are a sophisticated soup of chemicals that all try to do the same thing, blend the best properties of oil into the best properties of water. Along the way the compounders who make these MWF try for other goals as well: rust inhibition, tolerance of a wide range of water hardness, ability to work with many metals, and even environmental safety.
Three major forces are making us take better care of our MWF. First, coolants have become expensive. Second, the increasing cost of labor means they are more expensive to take care of. Third and finally, the cost of disposal has increased. In order to keep our coolants working properly for years we have to understand how they work, and why they go bad. The rest of these basics will cover the hows and whys behind MWF maintenance. An understanding of what is happening with your coolant can lead to positive outcomes such as longer lasting coolant before it will need changing or major maintenance.
The three factors affecting coolant
Chemistry, is where it all starts. MWF are a complex blend of many chemicals, whether organic or fully synthetic. The basic function of these chemicals is to allow oil to emulsify into water, but they also must be able to resist corrosion of steel, not alter the surface of aluminum, to maintain pH stability around 9 to 10, and to resist breakdown from the extreme heat of the tool tip.
Biology, is where it all ends, because microbes are the real enemy of all MWF. Whether you fight infections with an antibiotic, or enjoy beer with your cheese, you have dealt with a microbe in some form. Given the right conditions and a little bit of time, your pristine sump can go from having only a few hundred microbes in every milliliter (about ten drops) to over a million.
Mechanics, is what makes the MWF work, and what keeps them working. The pump forces fluids through pipes and onto the workpiece. The fluids then splash down into the collection sump. Oils from the ways, leaking seals, and from other sources ends up in the sump as well, eventually floating on top of the MWF. Chips and dirt from the machine also find their way into the sump, and this collection of fluids and particles presents a very different problem of coolant maintenance for every sump.
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About Zebra Skimmers:
Our mission has always been simple. It is to provide the metal working industry with the oil skimmers and metalworking fluid management systems they need to complete jobs quickly and efficiently. Innovative and affordable solutions have gained us many accolades. Our continued growth is due in no small part to our excellent customer service… Not to mention our satisfaction guarantees and the performance of our tools.
Among our diverse options of oil skimmers and metal working fluid management systems, you can expect to find:
- Coolant management equipment, which includes coolant mixers, proportioning pumps, and also coolant automation systems to mix and deliver fluid solutions at the desired concentrations.
- Industrial oil skimmers, including tramp oil belt skimmers, disk skimmers, tube oil skimmers, and individual sump coalescers as well for the removal of surface and tramp oils from fluids.
- Aeration or circulation equipment and sump odor control tablets to control fluid odor and overall machine shop smell
- Industrial fluid monitoring equipment, including brix refractometers to verify fluid solution concentrations, pH test strips and also water hardness testing sticks.