A century of service

coolant management and optimising productivity. As Dave Tudor discovers, Millers Oils ticks all the right boxes.
Specialist lubricant and metalworking fluid supplier, Millers Oils started life over 100 years ago as a family-run independent company and remains so today. Headquartered in Brighouse near Huddersfield, the company employs around 120 people to serve its UK customer base. Additionally, an extensive global distribution network has facilitated a thriving international business encompassing customers across Europe, the Far East, China, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and Bangladesh. Customer service and support ranks high on the agenda at Millers Oils so a dedicated team of field-based engineers is tasked solely with looking after existing and new customers. The Brighouse facility, as well as comprising extensive manufacturing and laboratory facilities is also the first port of call for customer service and applications engineering. With its own analysis laboratory onsite, products can be fully tested and evaluated before being used in real life situations. Around 20% of Millers Oils' industrial business is centred around metalworking cutting fluids with the lion's share of products being water-based solutions, but as technical manager Cliff Whitwell explains, when it comes to cutting metal, the company has all its bases covered. “After over 100 years in the business we seldomly come across an application that we've not encountered before,” he says. “We have a wide range of soluble oils, semi and fully synthetic products as well as heavy-duty EP-based fluids. For customers needing neat metalworking fluids there's our Millicut and Milldraw neat cutting oils which comprise conventional and passive EP types, mineral oil and synthetic and vegetable types.” In addition to supplying cutting fluids for conventional machining processes, Millers Oils also provides products for specialised applications such as spark erosion, honing, tapping, deburring and component washing. Rust preventatives are also available in a number of flavours including neat, solvent deposited and thixotropic types and from a process management perspective via site assessments, Millers Oils can implement full fluid management programmes that encompass environmental considerations, fluid disposal and training. The seal of approval As well as producing its own products, Millers Oils is also a key distributor for Quaker Chemical – a global provider and manufacturer of specialist metalworking fluids. “Quaker's range of products complements our own product portfolio perfectly,” Mr Whitwell enthuses. “Quaker's strength is that many of its products are approved for use at OEM level. A good example of this is its range of label free, Rolls-Royce approved metalworking fluids, rust preventatives, drawing oils, cleaners and quintolubric fire resistant hydraulic oils. “The partnership with Quaker works really well for us,” he adds, “although it is a relatively small part of our overall business. In most situations we can provide a solution from our own product range but if specific approvals are required – such as with aerospace OEMs – the Quaker products are already authorised and certificated. It can take an absolute age to get a product approved from scratch so this arrangement simplifies the process considerably.” Effective management Millers Oils'products are sold directly from the Brighouse headquarters or via a distribution network. This arrangement suits the company's business model, but as Mr Whitwell reveals, where distributors are concerned there is a defined selection process. “The last thing we want is distributors fighting with each other in a particular territory so we are quite selective,” he states. “Not all our distributors are technical so all have direct access to our technical helpline which is manned by technical engineers at our Brighouse facility. “This is absolutely vital to ensure that our customers get first class service, advice and support,” he continues. “Essentially it provides a focal point for all technical questions and applications related queries – which can originate from the distributor or the end user.” According to Mr Whitwell, some of the helpline calls are concerned with coolant management rather than advice on product selection. “We occasionally get calls where customers are complaining that their coolant is foul smelling or dirty and this more often than not derives from poor management,” he affirms. “Once concentration levels drop in a cutting fluid, bacteria can creep in which in turn drops the pH value, causes the foul smell and also can lead to corrosion. “Quite rightly, health and safety legislation is forcing companies to look after their coolant more effectively and this is something we support and endorse 100%. Part of the training we provide therefore is how to look after coolant properly and much of this is centred around keeping concentration levels optimally maintained. This can negate or reduce the need for biocides because the additives in the coolant – when concentration levels are correct – will naturally inhibit the growth of bacteria. That's why over-diluting the coolant with water is a bad idea because it reduces the additive content and can ultimately lead to contamination problems.” He continues: “There are a number of other benefits that effective coolant management can bring. Firstly, it's less likely to harm the operator; secondly it will keep productivity levels up in terms of the machining process itself and thirdly; the coolant will last much longer resulting in enhanced cost-effectiveness. I've seen coolant in machine tool sumps that's two years old – but it still performs excellently simply because it has been looked after. In general, our customers appreciate this and we see it as part of the service to provide advice and support on these issues.” Direct results Mr Whitwell believes that finally customers are accepting the fact that the correct selection of cutting oil, coupled with comprehensive training on how to look after it can significantly enhance productivity and component quality. “Ten years ago, companies tended to overlook cutting fluids in the overall manufacturing equation and invested disproportionate levels of time and money into machine tools and cutting tools,” he observes. “Nowadays things are different. The right selection of cutting fluids that are properly maintained and looked after can have a very direct bearing on the machining process in terms of prolonging cutting tool life through efficient heat dissipation and enhancing surface finish.” As well as being a leading provider of metalworking fluids, a complementary service provided by Millers Oils for subcontractors and machinists is the provision of machine tool lubricants. “We find the two product areas go hand in hand for many of our customers,” Mr Whitwell concludes. “Also our extensive ranges of hydraulic, slideway, gearbox and compressor oils – to mention just a few other products from our portfolio – means that customers can meet all their industrial lubrication needs from a single source.” Millers Oils will be exhibiting on Stand 8650 at the Autosport International exhibition from 13-16 January 2011. Millers Oils
www.millersoils.co.uk