Coolant management best practices

Metalworking operations looking to strengthen their bottom lines may want to explore ways to get the most service out of cutting tools.

How effectively a parts manufacturer manages cutting tools can impact profit margins, especially during times of challenging market conditions, such as when material costs are high, interest rates are rising or there’s a recession. Companies that maximize tool life position themselves for more profitable operations over the long run. One key to tool longevity is maintaining best practices for coolant management.

Although purchasing high-quality cutting tools is an important first step to maximize tool life, it’s not the only consideration. Coolant purity also plays a major role in overall tool life.

By preventing tools from exceeding critical temperature ranges during machining, coolant performs a pivotal function. However, cutting fluids are subject to deterioration over time as they become contaminated with tramp oils, metal fines and bacteria. If coolant deteriorates to the point where its lubricity becomes ineffective, tools dull prematurely, break frequently and fail to meet part tolerances for surface finish and size.

Further, as coolant breaks down, it damages not only machine tools but pumps, sumps and even electronic components. Machine parts and interiors become vulnerable to rust and corrosion, equipment surfaces suffer from abrasion, and tramp oil mist causes mechanical failures and prematurely clogs air filters.

Keeping coolant clean through automated coolant recycling systems has been shown to extend tool life by up to 25% or more. Image courtesy of Prab

Automated Coolant Recycling

Continuously monitoring coolant to ensure that it meets the manufacturer’s recommended concentration level is the most important parameter for extending tool and coolant life. However, testing coolant, adjusting coolant concentration levels and treating contaminated coolant with biocides requires time and attention that could be allocated to activities that add value to parts.

Coolant recycling equipment automates the management of coolant quality by separating solids from liquids and removing free-floating and mechanically dispersed contaminants, including tramp oils and bacteria. These systems also automatically adjust fluid concentration for fluid recovery.

Clean, recycled coolant reduces sump maintenance, improves part quality and prolongs tool life. Case studies have shown that tool life can be extended by up to 25% with effective coolant recycling equipment. For example, a manufacturer of metal aerospace components installed a Prab Guardian coolant recycling system at its facility in the Pacific Northwest. The plant used Fuchs Ecocool water-soluble coolant with a total sump capacity of 16,277 L (4,300 gal.). When the manufacturer began automating the filtration of its cutting fluid through the centralized coolant recycling system, average tool life at the facility increased dramatically:

Drills — 209%

Turning tools — 78%

Forming tools — 66%

Boring tools — 47%