Metal working businesses perform important work for many kinds of industries today. Without them there would be no steel pipe, nuts, bolts and a wide range of metal products we take for granted each day. To operate, these companies must use lubricants and coolants and in order to be efficient they need a good machine coolant filtration system. But what is this sometimes misunderstood liquid and why is it so important? Here is additional information on the subject.
What are Coolants?
Any time you work with metal you are generating a lot of friction and this in turn becomes heat. For many metal working processes, heat can be a major problem. For example, with some types of aluminum alloys, excessive heat during machining can actually change the temper of the metal. Coolants work to keep temperatures down and at the same time, serve as lubricants.
Lubrication is essential because metal cutting edges and equipment receive a lot of wear and tear and this can erode your most important tools. With proper lubrication, all of your equipment will last a great deal longer and perform more efficiently. In fact, the hotter your tools and equipment get, the softer they become and erosion (wearing out) is much easier and faster. Plus, by utilizing effective machine coolant filtration, overall costs can be greatly reduced.
It’s easier to cut metal using lubricants because of what happens on a microscopic level. Atoms from the lubricant penetrate into tiny cracks and helps to keep atoms of recently cut metal particles from returning to their source. This is how cutting chips are formed. In fact, lubricant makes it easier for these chips to form and simplifies the machining process.
Lubricant serves another important purpose in the machining process. By limiting heat buildup, it keeps distortion to a minimum. This helps to create higher quality materials and they can be made with greater tolerances. This is absolutely essential for precision machining processes.
Quality is important but so is speed. For example, you want to get as many pieces done by the end of the day as possible. Proper lubrication makes it easier to carry away cuttings and helps to speed up the machining process. In fact, by increasing your output, you help to pay for the costs of lubricants and machine coolant filtration equipment.
In addition to better temperature control, lubricants and coolants help to minimize corrosion. This is very important for industries working with steel because steel rusts easily and quickly.
