Nottinghamshire-based precision engineering specialist, Tyler Bros (Sutton-in-Ashfield) Ltd, has managed to save 47% on its annual coolant costs simply by switching to Master Chemical’s TRIM® MicroSol® 585XT. Although the new product is more costly in comparison with the company’s previous coolant, increased sump life means Tyler Bros now uses just three, not 12, drums per year across its 30 CNC machines, leading to a 47% reduction in annual costs.
Tyler Bros is a 30-employee, ISO 9001:2015 accredited company that offers a premium precision engineering service to customers in industries such as oil and gas, automotive and public transport. Established in 1914, the company remains in the Tyler family to this day, a fact that has allowed it to oversee an ongoing programme of investment as part of its continuous improvement approach, increasing capacity and flexibility in order to reduce costs and lead-times for its customers.
The machine shop of Tyler Bros houses an impressive collection of around 30 CNC machine tools, including lathes and VMCs. Performing a variety of turning and milling operations, the machines process materials that include titanium, copper-nickel alloy, super duplex stainless steel, aluminium, cast iron and PEEK thermoplastic. Machined parts range from valves through to turbocharger shafts and short drive shafts.
With such a busy machine shop and a service founded on quality, any issues that arise can have a serious impact on productivity. So, when the company’s coolant began to display signs of surface fungus and separation, Tyler Bros knew it had to act.
“We found ourselves having to clean out the machines every two to three months,” explains the company’s Works Manager John Ross. “With 30 machines to clean, this task was taking up to two days to complete, which is an unacceptable amount of downtime to absorb. Even after cleaning, the machines were left with oily residues. Our operators were far from happy with the product.”
According to Mr Ross, the company’s previous coolant supplier blamed the hard water, and tried introducing additives to overcome the issue, but this led to foaming.
“We knew it would be a big commitment to change the coolant on 30 machines, but we felt there was little choice than to seek an alternative,” he says
After an initial trial process, Tyler Bros settled on TRIM® MicroSol® 585XT from Master Chemical, a non-chlorinated, semi-synthetic micro-emulsion. Its formula delivers extended sump life and better foam control versus previous generation semi-synthetics. This advanced coolant also provides excellent cooling and mechanical lubricity, along with the machine-friendly characteristics expected from a premium TRIM® coolant.
TRIM® MicroSol® 585XT offers proven performance in mixed material situations, including cast iron, steel, copper, aluminum alloy, plastic and composite parts, and is an exceptional machining fluid for titanium alloys. Moreover, it extends useful life without the need for tank-side biocides or fungicides. Containing no nitrites, triazines, phenols, chlorinated or sulfurised EP additives, the product also provides superior corrosion inhibition.
“Importantly for us, it keeps the machines very clean while leaving a soft fluid film for ease of cleaning and reduced maintenance,” explains Mr Ross. “In addition, it requires no special disposal or recycling techniques.”
Tyler Bros changed to TRIM® MicroSol® 585XT in September 2014 and is delighted with the results.
“The product has not separated and we now enjoy a much longer sump life,” says Mr Ross. “Despite being a more expensive product, our annual drum volumes have been cut from 12 to just three, which is a big saving. In turn, machine uptime has increased and our disposal of coolant has been drastically reduced. Most importantly, however, our machines are a lot cleaner with no residue build up. A Master Chemical representative calls in once a month to check everything is OK and make small adjustments if necessary, which is very reassuring from an ongoing quality perspective.”