Completing the supply and service circle

Environmental Technologies has announced a partnership with Switzerland's Motorex. The agreement will see the creation of a new sales and support service for manufacturing companies looking for leading edge metalworking fluids and coolant handling systems. Solutions reports. The metalworking industry is defined by its drive for innovation encompassing state of the art materials, increasingly complex machining processes, ground-breaking tools and highly efficient machine tools. At the same time, suppliers of machined parts face cost down pressures along with an expectation to minimise the impact on people and the environment wherever possible. Metalworking fluids and liquid materials are right in the centre of this area of conflict, and they have to be developed to deliver maximum performance around the clock behind the scenes. This new partnership will provide customers with a cradle to grave approach to metalworking use and consumption.

“We are very excited about our new cooperation with Environmental Technologies, our partner for industrial products in the UK and Irish markets,” says Stephan Lanner, Motorex's head of business unit and management board member. “Environmental Technologies has the ability and know-how to introduce, sell and service our industrial products in a demanding marketplace.”

The synergy between the two companies will deliver significant benefits to customers by enhancing productivity, reducing machining costs, overall manufacturing costs and environmental impact.

“From the perspective of a supplier of coolant recycling and management systems we see all too often customers changing oil supplier to shave a few pence off a litre of product. This is all well and good, but if nothing changes on the shopfloor, apart from the colour of the drums there is little benefit for a business,” comments James Byrom, managing director, Environmental Technologies.

“We are constantly asked ‘how can we reduce our metalworking fluid spend?' The straightforward answer, as we have proven many times over to countless customers, is that the real savings come from properly managing a fluid from the moment it comes out of the barrel.”

Big reductions

What this means is accurate mixing, monitoring health and safety issues, the efficient movement of product around the factory, and finally cleaning and recycling. The majority of these objectives can be achieved with the Cardev range of coolant mixing, handling and recycling systems, along with swarf management equipment, which on its own will dramatically reduce the volume of metalworking fluid required. A further benefit is the significant cost reductions achievable through reduced disposal costs for used fluids. “Our process involves enhanced training, onsite support, improved monitoring, and access to a range of bespoke equipment,” Mr Byrom continues. “The direct results of correct fluid management are increased tool life, improved machine uptime, reduced health and safety concerns, and happier and more productive operators. Once the metalworking fluid is correctly managed only then can the customer fully appreciate the real benefits of high quality fluid. That is why we have taken the opportunity to complete the circle and partner with Motorex in the UK and Ireland.”

Environmental Technologies will be responsible for the sales and support of the full range of Motorex's high performance Swissline industrial range; Swisscool miscible high performance metalworking fluids, Swisscut neat cutting oils, Swissgrind grinding fluids and oils, and Spindleline long-life spindle oils and coolants. In addition the complementary range of Motorex industrial lubricants products, cleaning and corrosion protection products and machine tool oils. Day to day management of this partnership will fall to Alan Dalton, Environmental Technologies' sales manager, who has extensive experience in the metalworking fluid sector.

He says: “We knew that if we wanted to enter what is a highly competitive and technical market we had to be confident in the products that we could offer to customers. With their core competence, industrywide experience in lubrication technology and close collaborative working relationships with machine and cutting tool manufacturers, Motorex is an ideal partner. Their products all required environmental directives and guidelines.

“Given our existing customer base we also needed a range of metalworking fluids that was strong on water miscible products and equally strong on the sometimes overlooked neat cutting oils, spindle oils, and coolants,” he adds. “Motorex gives us that, along with the high performance we needed and the capability of living up to the potential increased lifespan we can offer through efficient fluid management.”

Environmental Technologies will now be able to optimise its vast experience of the metalworking sector gained through the supply of equipment to end users and oil companies, both in the UK and internationally.

“The knowledge we have means that we understand the best ways to unlock the potential of high performance, long-life metalworking fluids,” Mr Byrom affirms. “By bringing together that experience with the products available from Motorex we now have the product portfolio to extend the high service levels to support our customer base.

“The key driver in this technical partnership is to ensure that we give the customer the best overall technical solution, while eliminating the conflict of reducing metalworking fluid consumption for customers versus the need to make volume product sales. Our focus will firmly be on what is best for the customer.”

On the market

The timing of this announcement between Motorex and Environmental Technologies is ideal with Motorex bringing its latest cutting fluid development to market. The new high performance water miscible Motorex Magnum UX 550, part of the Swisscool range, is a boron and bactericide free product. Due to its new formulation it will allow higher cutting speeds and feeds, helping to increase the productivity of modern machine shops.

In the area of neat cutting oils there is the Motorex Ortho NF-X product line. Making use of Vmax technology, Ortho NF-X cutting oils make targeted use of the heat and pressure generated in the cutting process by using synergistic chemical effects to transform the performance of the machining process. Motorex claims its Ortho NF-X products generate some of the highest chip removal capacity and increased productivity in the industry, while featuring excellent compatibility with machines and human health.

Working closely with Environmental Technologies will be Motorex's area sales and coolant applications manager Joerg Haas, who already has extensive knowledge of the UK market.

He concludes: “Each of our customers has a different requirement depending on their own technical needs and applications. Our products are designed for sustainable, safe and long-term use. When combined with Environmental Technologies' extensive experience in the precision manufacturing sector, we will have a powerful partnership to develop the business and enhance the performance of those customers that choose to work with us.”

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES
www.env-t.com