How to maintain metalworking fluids to optimum standards

Carillon Industrial Services Will-Fill
Carillon Industrial Services Will-Fill

Metalworking fluids play a vital role in the machining process but sometimes maintaining them to optimum standards can be neglected.

Fixing the fluid conundrum

Ed Hill visited Carillon Industrial Services to hear about a new add-on system that automatically maintains and monitors coolant and cutting fluid condition.

It has to be said that when it comes to machining, the importance of metalworking fluids can get somewhat overlooked. Perhaps understandably precision engineers are predominantly interested in the latest multi-axis CNC machining technology with all the latest bells and whistles when it comes to making new production investments.

It’s easy to see these machines as the solution to any manufacturing challenge, but without the coolant coursing – in fact being pumped – through their veins, many machining tasks would fail or be so inefficient as to be impractical.

Primarily cutting oils and fluids provide lubrication but there are other demands as well. Swarf removal, temperature control, surface finish, cutting tool life and cycle times are all greatly influenced by cutting fluids which these days are often made up of a water/oil miscible solution.

However, maintaining this mix so it performs at optimal levels can be a tedious and sometimes arduous task. Coolant needs to be regularly topped up due to evaporation and the fact that much of it is lost as it clings to the swarf leaving the machine. Coolants can also be a breeding ground for bacteria leading to a lowering of performance, build-up of smell and increasing the irritant levels of the mixture for workers who come into contact with it.

Add the fact that because production environments are increasingly low staffed or unmanned for round the clock and lights out production, and due to health and safety issues many of the old anti-bacterial constituents that used to be added to coolants such as formaldehyde and boric acid have been banned, it becomes increasingly difficult to constantly monitor coolant levels and performance.

The Will-Fill’s compact footprint means it can be easily installed

Automated control


However, now there is a new automated metalworking fluid device offered in the UK that is designed to tackle all these issues and more.

The Will-Fill, available from UK and Ireland agent Carillon Industrial Services (CIS), is a device that can be retrofitted to machine tools that constantly measures, adjusts and collects data about the coolant in the sump of the machine.

Shawn Reader, CIS Will-Fill sales engineer comments: “We believe we are bringing this product to the market just at the right time because our customers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of keeping coolant performance at optimum levels.

“The manufacturing process is becoming so advanced these days it makes much greater demands on coolants. Cycle times are lower, accuracy is better and there is very little room for downtime. It’s no longer an option just to cross your fingers and hope everything to do with the coolant will be fine.”

The Will-Fill constantly measures seven different elements of the coolant: pH levels; the concentration of oil and water; the electrical conductivity (water hardness); temperature; oil usage; water usage and coolant level.

It also constantly collects this data so that it can be sent via the cloud to a PC or alert the user if any serious issues arise.

Will-Fill constantly monitors coolant and compiles useful data

The system, which is able to work with any brand of metalworking fluid, also constantly adjusts mix ratios and levels to any quantities set for the specific needs of the machining task, releasing operators to focus on the cutting process rather than topping up or checking ph levels. It can also detect any leaks in the coolant system if they occur.

By regularly topping up and adjusting coolant the Will-Fill means machine shops actually use less coolant and can get an accurate costing of how much they use. It also helps companies comply with health and safety and environmental issues.

Clive Judd, lubricants manager at CIS explains: “When it comes to the environment, if you maintain your coolant at optimum levels then it lasts longer, that means less cost to dispose of it. There is also a health and safety element – it minimises the machine operator’s exposure to coolant and helps maintain its performance without harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde.”

Shawn Reader adds: “The device has a cycle that aerates the emulsion in the sump. Our customers say that once the Will-Fill is up and working the ph and coolant levels remain stable and there is no fluctuation because it is making micro-adjustments and top ups the whole time.

“Even when the machine tool is not working the Will-Fill can still aerate the coolant which helps to maintain its condition. This is particularly helpful if a machine is not operating at a weekend when the coolant can stagnate leading to anaerobic conditions which create bacteria.”

The Will-Fill comes in three different sizes – D120, D220 and D520 – depending on the depth of the sump in the machine tool. The device also includes a ticker display with information about the coolant’s condition for operators attending the machine as well as LED warning lights and buzzers to alert them if there is a sudden problem. With a footprint of just 200mm square it can easily be fitted to any CNC machine.

“It is compact – in fact most machines have spare pump locations and there is usually one or two available. The Will-Fill can be easily fitted to these,” Mr Reader says.

Invented by Belgian machine shop owner Pieter Dierickx, the Will-Fill was originally developed to monitor the coolant in his own 5-axis CNC machines being used on the family owned business’ factory floor. As well as monitoring coolant it also provides data that will satisfy health and safety inspections.

The Will-Fill system attached to a Grob 5-axis machining centre at CIS’s Product Proving Centre in High Wycombe

Slip-up savings


Perhaps the most important benefit is that it helps machines keep in tolerance and reduces the risk of a workpiece being scrapped.

“A coolant failure that leads to scrap can be catastrophic,” Mr Reader asserts. “When people ask about return on investment of this machine, one thing you can’t plan for is a machine breakdown that could cost you £20-30,000 while your machining a very expensive workpiece.”

Mr Judd adds: “We know one company that makes bearing casings down to 2µm tolerances during 24-hour lights out production. Each morning they top up the coolant levels in the drum but this causes thermal shock which means they lose tolerance for a few hours until the coolant comes back to the right temperature. With the Will-Fill this sort of problem is avoided because it monitors and adjusts the coolant continually making the whole machining process more stable.”

Mr Reader estimates that the Will-Fill leads to approximately 20% longer coolant life, although this can vary depending on the type of machining process, material and conditions in which a part is being made.

Predominantly a supplier of tooling and other consumables for precision engineers, the Will-Fill fits neatly into CIS’ portfolio and it can be seen working on a Grob 5-axis machining centre at its Product Proving Centre in High Wycombe.

The company will also provide support for the machine, although with its solid-state electronics and simple pumping mechanism CIS says there is very little that can go wrong with the system.

In an era of the Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 the Will-Fill turns what can be a laborious manual task into an automated one which greatly reduces demands on the operator, collects and monitors valuable data and results in better all-round machining performance.

“When we visit potential customers, we sometimes find they are not aware that they have any problems with their metalworking fluids, but when they start to focus on it, they realise there are issues they need to solve,” Mr Reader notes.

“The Will-Fill is a device that encapsulates Industry 4.0. It enables users to take predictive, adaptive and corrective actions based on the data that is available. It’s about protecting the integrity of the whole machining process.”

He concludes: “When you look at all the cost savings and add these factors together: manual filling; tooling life; coolant amounts; disposal costs; increased uptime and health and safety, the Will-Fill provides users with substantial savings.”

Carillon Industrial Services www.cis-tools.co.uk

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