Test Drive MQL to realise up to 15 per cent cut in machining costs

The cost of purchasing cutting oil, maintaining and disposing of cutting fluids and disposal of contaminated swarf is a significant factor when evaluating a machine's operating costs. It is estimated that on large scale production sites cooling lubricant can make up nearly 20 per cent of the total manufacturing cost. The opportunity to re-think production methods has never been more critical with growth forecasts for the UK economy and improving UK manufacturing output. Companies using Bielomatik MQL technology have the advantage of more cost-efficient operations brought about by major improvements in productivity - cutting cycle times have been reduced, better product finishes, a dramatic reduction in the amount of cutting oil required and disposal cost of discarded metal very much lower since it is virtually oil-free. With such benefits and to give companies genuinely interested in switching to MQL technology the opportunity to evaluate core benefits on-site without major investment Bielomatik has introduced its MQL Trial Kit The Bielomatik mobile Trail Kit contains all the components necessary for quick and easy attachment to the machine tool. The unit, based on the popular Bielomatik single channel system, is supplied with an independent hand-held terminal that enables testing without time-consuming connection to the machine control unit. A typical 'wet' machining operation may use 10 to 10,000 litres/hour of lubricant depending on application; whilst much is recycled, due to natural wastage as aerosol spray into the atmosphere and adherence to swarf, overall losses can amount to between 3 and 15 litres/hour. With Bielomatik MQL systems oil consumption can drop significantly to between 100 and 150 millilitres/hour. Apart from reducing the amount of lubricant used, any machine shop that switches to MQL benefits from much easier disposal of metal cuttings and improved machine performance, particularly production time. Another important feature is that with near dry machining coolant carryover in component pockets is eliminated thus aiding faster processing times between operations. For more information about the Bielomatik Trial Kit contact Jim Hughes on 01480 408500 or email jim.hughes@bielomatik.co.uk.