I. Background
The main contaminants of cutting fluid are metal powder, grit fines, floating oil, free water, as well as microorganisms. These contaminants degrade coolant performance, reduce tool life, and can cause health issues for operators.
II. Problem Statement
A machining facility was experiencing:
- Rapid coolant degradation requiring frequent replacement
- Shortened tool life due to contaminated coolant
- Unpleasant odors from bacterial growth
- High disposal costs for spent coolant
III. VWALVE Solution
VWALVE installed a tramp oil skimmer system to continuously remove floating oil from the coolant sump. The rope mop skimmer design provides:
- Maximum oil recovery rate of 100 gallons per hour
- Variable speed control for different oil loading conditions
- Stainless steel construction for corrosion resistance
- Compact design fitting most sump configurations
IV. Results
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Coolant Life | 3 months | 9 months |
| Tool Life | Baseline | +40% |
| Disposal Cost | Baseline | -65% |
| Odor Complaints | Weekly | None |
| Operator Satisfaction | Low | High |
IIV. On-site Communication
Nick: Since the current detection of aluminum powder content has reached the upper limit of the measuring range, the actual content can be determined by testing after dilution, and the aluminum powder content from the stretching machine can also be measured. Is there any leakage in the valves of the emulsion filtration system?
Ben: There is a lot of foam today. The waste emulsion skimmed by the oil skimmer contains a large amount of water but a small amount of aluminum powder.
Jack: A preliminary qualitative analysis of the delivered emulsion was conducted today. Preliminary qualitative results: When 20ml of the emulsion was filtered through a 5μm membrane, particles larger than 5μm were retained, covering 30-40% of the membrane surface area (black aluminum powder); particles ranging from 2.5μm to 4.9μm covered 80-90% of the surface area.
Ben: Is this result generally acceptable or unsatisfactory?
Jack: The membrane with particles ≥5μm needs to be dried and measured tomorrow. The black substance identified in the qualitative analysis is a mixture of black oil and aluminum powder, so microscopic testing is required after dehydration!
…………………………one week later………………………………………….
Nick: Has there been any progress on installing the additional oil skimmer we discussed yesterday? According to current statistics, the customer is still replacing cutting tools frequently, so we need to consider further improving the emulsion.
Ben: The oil skimmer for the intermediate coating tank has been installed, and the substance skimmed from the tank is quite concentrated. The installation of the oil skimmer for the sewage tank has also been improved.
Nick: Test the content of aluminum powder and tramp oil.
Ben: It was tested at 100 yesterday, and the emulsion has become much whiter. The tramp oil content has been controlled at 1.3%.
Nick: Did you provide the standard values for aluminum powder content and emulsion? Are these standards reasonable?
Jack: In accordance with industry standards, the effective concentration of the emulsion is 4.1% as shown in the table, which is acceptable; a slightly higher effective concentration is beneficial for machining.
