Product category:
Lubricants
News Release from: Shell Lubricants | Subject: Sitala E5202 coolant
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 14 December 2000
700% increase in coolant life achieved
The machine shop at British Nuclear Fuels in Preston, which manufactures magnesium components for nuclear power stations, introduced a new coolant, Shell's Sitala E5202, with spectacular results
The machine shop at British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) in Preston manufactures magnesium components for use in the UK's nuclear power stations The CMP section, which houses 18 special purpose milling and turning machines, produces 1,000 fuel rod containers each week
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 14 Dec 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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Production engineer David Ward says the section has traditionally experienced a sump life of eight weeks for the water-based coolant used to machine magnesium, as the material makes the normally soft water very hard, causing the coolant to separate and become more alkaline.
However, following a move to a new building and the installation of a centralised coolant distribution system, a new coolant - Shell's Sitala E5202 - was introduced, with spectacular results.
Explains David Ward: "We have seen an increase in coolant life from eight weeks to fourteen months since changing to Shell Sitala.
And because it doesn't separate and its pH level is constant, we are able to process it through the coolant system's filters and return it to the machines." The self-contained coolant system feeds fresh Sitala to each machine on demand via overhead pipes.
When machining is finished the swarf drops into a pumping station which chops the it into small pieces and pumps it through another network of overhead pipes into the coolant station where filters separate the coolant from the swarf.
The swarf is then fed into a continuous centrifuge, where it is dried before being stored in drums to await disposal.
The residual coolant is filtered again and returned to the system as clean Sitala.
David Ward concludes by saying that the extended coolant life has also resulted in significant cost savings for the CMP section.
"Obviously we save on reduced coolant cost due to lower consumption, but we also benefit from much reduced machine downtime and increased productivity because we only need to renew coolant every fourteen months." He says. Request a free brochure from Shell Lubricants ...
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