Understanding proportioning pump mix ratios is crucial. This is especially true when it involves the delicate balance of coolant and water. It’s not just numbers. It’s a carefully calibrated dance that ensures the efficiency and performance of your mixture.
For instance, one of our flagship products, the MIXPP518 Proportioning Pump, demonstrates a flexible range of mix ratios. The variability caters to various needs, from a gentle 1-part coolant to 70 parts water (a ratio of 1:70 or 1.4%) to a more robust 1-part coolant to 7 parts water (expressed as 1:7 or 12.3%).
But beware.
These percentages are not to be confused with BRIX concentration readings!
Here’s where it gets fascinating.
A Real-World Example:
I recently had a call with a client using Fuchs ECOCOOL 711. This coolant has a refractometer correction factor of 1.4.
The recommended usage concentrations for this coolant, expressed as a water-to-coolant ratio, lie between 20:1 (equivalent to ~5%) and 10:1 (corresponding to ~9%). This falls within the mixture range of the MIXPP518.
How do we find the precise refractometer reading for the customer’s target of 10% BRIX?
Take the aimed concentration and divide it by the correction factor.
In the case of ECOCOOL 711, with its 1.4 correction factor, the refractometer reading would be ~ 7.2 (10/1.4).
Simple yet precise!
Integrating a Digital BRIX Refractometer to monitor the coolant is a game-changing innovation. It adds a new dimension of accuracy and control to this process.
Unlike traditional optical methods, a digital BRIX refractometer provides real-time, precise measurements of the coolant’s concentration. This is because the ratios are consistently maintained. Units such as the Misco, can enhance efficiency and minimizes the risk of errors that can lead to costly downtime or quality issues.
The ability to continuously monitor the coolant with a digital BRIX refractometer also is a significant step forward in predictive maintenance and process optimization. It aligns with the industry’s move towards greater automation and data-driven decision-making. It’s an investment that pays off in improved performance, reduced waste, and the assurance that your coolant systems operate within the correct parameters.
This measurement method is integral to our Dazzle™ 2 Fully Automated solution for mixing, delivering, and monitoring sump-level fluids. By specifically maintaining a consistent BRIX reading and sump level monitoring, your machines are automatically set to operate at their peak performance.
Learn more about the Dazzle 2™ system here.
10 Reasons Why Proportioning Pumps Are Important
Proportioning pumps offer several unique benefits in various industrial applications, particularly where precise control of fluid mixing is required.
Precision Control: Proportioning pumps significantly enable highly accurate control over the mixing ratios of coolant and water. Therefore, this ensures that the final mixture meets your exact specifications required for a particular process or application.
Cost-Effective: Proportioning pumps reduce coolant waste and enhance efficiency. They do this by automating the mixing process and delivering precise amounts of fluids.
Enhanced Safety: Automated mixing reduces the need to manually handle potentially hazardous materials. It also helps maintain safety standards and minimize the risk of accidents or spills.
Versatility: These pumps can handle various liquids with different viscosities and chemical compositions. This additionally makes them suitable for diverse applications across many industries.
Reliable Quality: These pumps maintain consistency in fluid mixing. This results in consistent overall product quality.
Energy Efficiency: Proportioning pumps are engineered for efficient energy utilization. It bakes a big difference particularly in comparison to other conventional mixing techniques.
Here is where it gets interesting…
Integration with Automation Systems: Modern proportioning pumps can be integrated into broader automation systems like the Dazzle™ 1 Coolant Automation system. This flexibility further streamlines a facility’s operations while enhancing their productivity.
Adaptability to Different Ratios: The MIXPP518 example above demonstrates that proportioning pumps can quickly adapt to different mixing ratios. This adaptability allows for quick adjustments to the process parameters as needed without significant downtime.
Maintenance and Reliability: Proportioning pumps are known for their reliability and ease of maintenance. Regular maintenance schedules and overall timely interventions keep them running smoothly. This reduces your risk of unplanned downtime.
Compliance with Regulations: These pumps especially help industries comply with stringent regulations related to environmental, safety, and quality control standards. They do this by ensuring you precise control over the chemical composition of mixtures.
Overall, the use of proportioning pumps in various applications offers a blend of efficiency, control, safety, and adaptability that’s hard to match. Their design and function align with modern industrial needs. This indeed makes them an invaluable tool for modern manufacturing and processing environments.
This technical detail is just a glimpse of what Zebra Skimmers offers. Providing world-class customer service and technical support is the hallmark of our reputation since our founding. We are passionate about our work and always here to help because we want you to get the best out of our products.
Need assistance or want to learn more?
Reach us at 440.528.0699. Your success is our success!
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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.