Coolant

This article reviews the causes of skin irritation suffered by some shop workers, with special attention paid to skin conditions that result from poorly maintained metalcutting fluids. The article also discusses the factors that can aggravate skin problems and suggests ways that workers can protect themselves from skin irritants.

Article defines what constitutes a high-pressure coolant-delivery system and offers advice for selecting such a system. Discussed are pumps, system prices and advantages of these systems when cutting metal.

The presence of bacteria and fungi can seriously compromise the effectiveness of metalworking fluids. This article looks at the most harmful microbes and the conditions that allow them to flourish. Preventive measures are also discussed.

With safety and health precautions driving up the cost of using metalworking fluids, many shops are attempting to machine dry. This article looks at the reasons why a shop might want to eliminate coolants and the effects this decision will have on part quality and tool performance.

Tramp oils, which are machine lubricants and hydraulic fluids that find their way into the coolant, can seriously hinder the coolant's performance. This article discusses the properties and components of machine maintenance fluids that can ensure their easy separation and removal from the coolant.

Representatives of management, labor and the government are working together to arrive at a workable regulation to reduce shop-floor exposure to metalworking fluid mist. This article reviews the debate and looks at ways shops can reduce their own workers' exposure.

The author explains how high-pressure, high-volume coolant can provide better control of chips and temperature during drilling operations. He also describes the tools, equipment and shop procedures that can ensure top performance from a high-pressure coolant system.

Routing coolant out through the tip of the tool can provide greater control of temperatures and chips. This article describes the benefits of through-coolant tools and describes the methods of retrofitting machines to accept through-coolant tools.

A machining research institute describes the testing method it developed to quantify and compare the performance of metalworking fluids. The test, which compares cutting forces generated when machining with a test fluid to a baseline fluid’s performance, is simple enough for any shop to use.