700% increase in coolant life achieved
A
Shell Lubricants product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 14, 2000
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.
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.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Shell Lubricants
Related Stories
- XGT and XGS miniature couplings prevent vibration
- Compact Plus coupling fits into a small envelope
- SK 200E frequency inverter range launched by Nord
- Same-day assembly extended to Nordbloc 1 motors
- Barden manufactures cylindrical roller bearings
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
