Product category:
Lubricants
News Release from: Castrol UK | Subject: Hysol XF and Alusol XTH
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 10 December 2002
Cutting fluids cut out deposits
Following the commissioning of 15 new CNC machines, Flight Refuelling found that sticky deposits left by a cutting fluid threatened to invalidate the warranties.
Following the commissioning of 15 new CNC machines, Flight Refuelling found that sticky deposits left by a cutting fluid threatened to invalidate the warranties When their fluid supplier couldn't solve the problem, Castrol was called in
Flight Refuelling, part of Cobham, specialises in the manufacture of aerospace engineering components and systems.
The company is a world leader in air-to-air refuelling and the supply of fuel system components to commercial aircraft manufacturers The company's machine shops at Wimborne in Dorset employs 300 staff and accommodates more than 200 machines, including 15 new CNC machines that were plagued with sticky deposits from a cutting fluid following commissioning.
Andy Wills, Flight Refuelling Facilities and Safety Manager explains: "The machine manufacturer complained that their engineers were finding sticky deposits building up in critical areas of the new machines during servicing and as this could invalidate the warranty and service agreements, we asked our coolant supplier to investigate".
Despite conducting cutting trials, the coolant supplier was unable to solve the problem and Andy Wills was advised by the machine manufacturer to call in Castrol, who had been training their service engineers as part of a coolant awareness programme.
When Castrol was invited to investigate the problem it began by sampling the water supply and recommended two cutting fluids - Hysol XF and Alusol XTH.
James Bayliss, Castrol's Specialised Industrial Sales Manager, explains the choice of cutting fluid: "As Flight Refuelling is machining aerospace components in light aluminium alloys, mild and stainless steels and steel alloys such as inconel and nimonic, it was important to specify a chlorine-free cutting fluid to avoid the stress fracturing that chlorine can cause in the surface of alloys".
During the extensive trials that followed Castrol provided technical support and product information and Flight Refuelling conducted operator health surveillance and monitored tool life to ensure that solving one problem didn't create another.
The trials were successful and the new CNC machines were given a clean bill of health, making the Castrol fluids very popular with the machine operators, who were also involved in the trials and the final selection process.
"It was important that everyone using the fluids liked them", says Wills.
Castrol was then awarded the contract to supply cutting fluids for all the machines and began working with the company's maintenance team, providing them with sump cleaners and training them in coolant awareness, health and safety issues and operational requirements.
Commenting on the results, Wills says maintenance had previously meant cleaning out the sumps to maintain the condition of the fluid.
"Now", he says, "fluid life has increased to such an extent that we've had to implement a sump cleaning schedule to ensure that we remove the swarf and fines regularly".
He also reports that fluid waste has been significantly reduced, resulting in much lower disposal costs and contributing to the company's BS14001 continuous improvement programme.
And useful additional savings have been made since extending the Castrol contract to include lube oil purchases.
His final comment is also reassuring; "Deliveries are on time, cutting fluid is always available, and Castrol collects the empty drums".
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