Short sump life, health and safety issues and bad odours on a vertical machining centre encouraged Daido Industrial Bearings Europe Limited to change its existing water based cutting fluid to ROCOL’s Accu-Lube near dry machining micro-lubricating system. The company was already using the product on its sawing machines and hoped to obtain the same results on this 3m bed machine.

Daido Industrial Bearings produce plain bearings, bushings and thrust bearings for medium speed diesel engines, turbo chargers and a range of other rotating and reciprocating machines. The company manufactures predominately in steel backed bi-metal.

Roger Pimm, the company’s Project Engineer takes up the story: ‘We were using another manufacturer’s cutting fluid but were experiencing all types of problems with it on this process. The steel input material was dirty and oily and affecting the coolant life. We were replacing the coolant every couple of months and a machine with a 1000L tank could take up to four hours to change, resulting in machine downtime.

‘Additionally, it was causing a slipping hazard on the floor. We work with large, flat steel plates and once a side is machined it had to be picked up and turned over in order for the other side to be machined. The lubricant, because of its oily nature, would remain on the machined surface and when the steel was turned it ended up on the floor causing a dangerous, hazardous surface. Already using the Accu-Lube system on our sawing machines, we were confident that we could achieve the same results on the machining centre. We therefore contacted ROCOL and asked for their advice on which products to use.’
 
The Accu-Lube range offers a complete line of natural based lubricants along with specially developed micro-lubrication systems for near-dry machining. The range is bio-degradable, non-toxic and non-allergenic. It was developed initially for the American aerospace industry for difficult machining operations and is today used in many varying operations. 

Following a site visit to Daido, ROCOL’s engineer recommended Accu-Lube 2000 which is based on highly refined natural base oils. This clear blue liquid produces excellent results on general and heavy operations and is bio-degradable.

A two-nozzle applicator was attached to the vertical machining centre and filled with the lubricant, the nozzles are supplied in various types depending on machine operation. Minimal or no machine tool adjustment is required for the system to be installed. The applicators use positive displacements pumps to pass the lubricant through an inner capillary tube. Air introduced co-axially to the end of the capillary causing a venture effect, thereby delivering the lubricant to the cutting tool edge in the correct quantity, without creating a mist or atomisation. The air is purely a carrier for the lubricant, but can be manipulated to clear metal chips, create spray patterns using special nozzles or to be increased to cover a great distance or overcome turbulence. The air adjustment is independent and has no effect on the amount of lubricant delivered and the density produced is between 60 to 150 psi.

Pimm continues ‘The results we have achieved with Accu-Lube have been excellent.  As the lubricant is fully consumed we have a cleaner working environment as well as a safer one. Machine downtime has improved as we are no longer having to spend time topping up the coolant and cleaning out the sump. It is quicker and easier to clean the machine in-between loading times and the swarf is coming off dry and can therefore be removed easily.

‘We have made financial savings in terms of house-keeping of the machine, machine downtime, resulting in improved production levels and disposal of the lubricant and importantly in terms of usage where a small amount of Accu-Lube replaces the larger quantity of conventional water mix fluid. Approximate usage levels are 30-60ml per nozzle per 8-hour shift.’

www.rocol.com