CASE STUDY – Reducing Coolant Consumption, Waste and Downtime in Hard Water Conditions
Reducing coolant consumption by 50% and eliminating over 15,000 litres of waste per year.
Another great example of what can be achieved when the right metalworking fluid is combined with the right technical support.
A subcontract precision engineering company operating 16 CNC machines was experiencing ongoing coolant challenges, including short sump life, high consumption, dirty machines and components, increasing waste costs and regular downtime for sump cleanouts.
With the machine shop operating in a particularly hard water area (>250 ppm), Optimum Oils carried out a detailed review of the machining applications, existing coolant and site water conditions before recommending a trial of Quaker Houghton HOCUT® 4260.
The results over the following 12 months were significant:
✔️ 50% reduction in coolant purchasing – from one barrel per month to one every two months
✔️ 15,000+ litres less waste coolant generated annually
✔️ Top-up concentration reduced by 33%, from 3% to 2%
✔️ 12+ months stable sump life with no bacterial issues
✔️ Significant reduction in machine downtime and sump cleanouts
✔️ Cleaner machines and components
✔️ A cleaner, less oily working environment for operators
The customer machines components across Aerospace, Automotive and Oil & Gas, working with a broad range of materials including sensitive aerospace aluminium – making fluid stability and versatility particularly important.
For us, this case study demonstrates why coolant selection should never be based on the price of the drum alone.
Understanding the application, water quality, operating conditions and how the fluid is managed can deliver substantial improvements in total operating cost, productivity, waste and working environment.
📄 Read the full case study HERE.
Get in touch to see how Optimum can assist your operation
www.optimumoils.com 01242253333
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