CUTTING OILS & COOLANTS SINGLE PRODUCTS BRING ADVANTAGES
potential tool expenditure reduction of
around 40%.
A&M EDM is also bene ting from the
savings delivered by reducing waste and
disposal costs from needing fewer IBCs.
Says Stuart Talbot, production director at
A&M EDM: “We are delighted that MSC and
Rocol have come in and analysed our
coolant consumption and recommended a
solution that will reduce this to half the
amount we were using previously. They
invested time in understanding what our
objectives were and demonstrated a
commitment and determination to help us
achieve them. We look forward to an ongoing
relationship where MSC and Rocol will
continue to assess and benchmark our
machines regularly, helping us to achieve
further ef ciency and productivity gains.”
At TWP Manufacturing, Total’s Folia
metalworking uid is providing a solution
that addressed health and safety
requirements, while also providing greater
versatility and ef ciency. Based in the West
Midlands, the company undertakes
presswork and injection moulding for a wide
variety of sectors, including automotive,
construction, electrical and white goods,
through to high pro le leisure and retail
brands. The company employs some 40
people and has a current turnover of
£3.5 million, which it plans to increase to
£4.5 million in the next two years.
Having previously subcontracted its CNC
machining operations in the UK and
overseas, TWP has brought this work in
house and in just 12 months bought seven
additional CNC machines. Manufacturing
around 30,000 parts a month, TWP needs
its CNC machines operating in peak
condition, with the appropriate coolant
central to this.
Any solution would have to address
health and safety requirements, while
providing greater versatility and ef ciency.
The company had previously used a
conventional semi-synthetic coolant, known
as suds, but found this gave off an
undesirable odour, was not kind to the skin
or clothing, and, due to its oil content, the
pH levels had to be continually monitored.
Phil Stanley, director of TWP, already
understood health and safety regulations
particularly in relation to welding mist, but
being relatively new to CNC machining,
he turned to Total to see if it could
recommend a metalworking solution that
would help with this compliance.
Total (www.is.gd/evifi l) recommended
Folia, which it introduced to the UK market
in 2019. Based on renewable raw materials
in the form of a biopolymer and free from
mineral oils and solvents, it offers
extraordinary performance and versatility,
coupled with industry-leading health, safety
and performance bene ts.
From a health and safety perspective,
Folia emits no odour and has a reduced
tendency to mist during operation, with any
mist that is produced not containing any
mineral oil or carcinogenic fumes. This is
not only safer for machine operators but has
also removed the need for TWP to invest in
demisting units, representing a capital
expenditure saving of some £25,000.
Folia is safer for operators to use,
reducing the chances of skin irritation, plus
it delivers the ideal working conditions for
second operations.
Says Stanley: “Using a conventional uid,
you would have to degrease prior to welding
or plating, but as there is no residue with
Folia, machined parts can go straight to the
welding bay because there are no fumes
coming off them. Folia just evaporates and
doesn’t hold the swarf to the job, which is
a major advantage.”
Being an oil-free solution, Folia
reduces the chance of bacteria
forming or growing in the
sump and system and oil
drain intervals have also
been signi cantly
extended. “We’re
nding that our liquid
life is much longer –
we’re now 12 months
in and we still haven’t
had to change the
uid in the tanks.
Furthermore, there is
no sludge at the
you’d get with a conventional lubricant,”
the director adds.
In addition, tooling life has increased by
up to 25%, delivering a signi cant cost
saving for the business, while the cutting
uid’s versatility is another key bene t and
means TWP can tap aluminium or stainless
steel without having to change the uid.
“One liquid is suitable for all applications,”
con rms Stanley.
And he concludes: “I’m very impressed
with the health and safety bene ts of Folia.
As well as not giving off any odour, it has
addressed all my concerns, giving me peace
of mind that my business is compliant and
my employees are not at risk. Furthermore,
the cost for adding mist extractors to each
machine would have been in the region of
£25,000, so I’m delighted that I haven’t had
to do this, because with Folia, you do not
need them.
“In terms of tool life, which we have seen
increase by up to 25%, extended drain
intervals, versatility and productivity, Folia
has been revolutionary for our business.
Now that I’ve discovered the bene ts of
Folia, I’ve got no intention of returning to
conventional lubricant.”
bottom of the tanks like
The use of Total’s Folia
metalworking fl uid at TWP
removed the need for investment
in demisting units, representing a
capital expenditure saving of some
£25,000
www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets | July/August 2020 33
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