About Machining Coolant

Machine coolants are an instrumental part of machining, including milling, drilling, sawing, tapping, honing, boring, reaming, planning, shaping, grinding and turning . Machining cast iron coolants, such as the coolant used in a lathe machine, help extend tool life and provide an improved surface finish of the parts being machined. Understanding the role and types of machine coolant help you make the right choice when you need a coolant for cast iron machining. By properly maintaining the coolant ratio for machining, you extend not only the life of the machine coolant but also your tools and machine.

What is the role of machine coolants?

During the machining process, the machine coolant floods over the work area. This process also washes chips and particles away from the work area. Coolant collects in a sump at the bottom of the machine. The machine coolant is pumped out of the sump and recirculated to the work area. The critical functions of machine tool coolants include:

• Reducing and removing the heat build-up in the cutting zone and workpiece
• Providing lubrication to reduce friction between the tool and removal of the chips
• Flushing away chips and small abrasive particles from the work area
• Protecting against corrosion

Types of Machine Coolants

Machine coolants are grouped into four main categories and have a variety of different formulations. Selecting coolant should be based on the overall performance it provides centered around your machining application and materials used.

• Soluble Oils: The most common of all water-soluble cutting fluids and a great option for general purpose machining. The drawback is that they are prone to microbiological growth of fungus and bacteria if the coolant sump is not correctly maintained.
• Synthetic Fluids: These types of fluids tend to be the cleanest of all cutting fluids because they contain no mineral oil and reject tramp oil. However, they provide the least lubrication.
• Semi-synthetic Fluids: Considered to be the best of both worlds, they have less oil than emulsion-based fluids, a less stinky smell, and retain much of the same lubricating attributes. This makes them usable for a broader range of machining.
• Straight Oils: These are not water-miscible and have a composition of a mineral or petroleum oil base and contain lubricants like vegetable oils, fats, and esters. They provide the best lubrication but have the poorest cooling characteristics.

Which coolant used in CNC machines are best?

Using the best machine coolants for CNC machines is critical to the success of any machining operation. The right choice can help prevent CNC machine coolant health problems. Machine coolants used in CNC machines are utilized for:

• Achieving tighter tolerances
• Improving surface finish of product
• Maximizing life of the cutting tool
• Evacuation of metal chips from work areas
• Preventing rust to machined part surfaces
• Protecting machinery
• Reducing cycle times
• Regulating high temperatures during cutting processes or better said – Keeping the parts cooler

Finding a machine coolant that is appropriate for a particular machining job can save time, money and improve a machine’s overall performance while ensuring the safety of people operating a machine.

International 2683 Machine Coolant

International 2683 is a technologically-advanced, highly detergent, and water-soluble, heavy-duty semi-synthetic metalworking machine coolant that is engineered for use in general purpose and heavy-duty machining and grinding operations utilizing both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including automotive grades of cast aluminum!

International 2686 Non-Chlorinated Machine Coolant

International 2686 is a cutting-edge, non-chlorinated, highly detergent and water-soluble, moderate-duty semi-synthetic metalworking fluid that is engineered for general purpose machining and grinding operations utilizing both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including automotive grades of cast aluminum! Its benefits include:

• Advanced Semi-Synthetic Composition
• Non-Chlorinated Formulation
• No Nitrates, Phenols, Heavy Metals
• Formaldehyde-Free to Comply With Health and Safety Regulations
• Low Foaming up to 3,000 PSI
• Highly Detergent Solutions
• Non-Misting Formulation
• Rejects Tramp Oil & Settles Fines
• Reduces Build-Up of Cast Iron Smut
• Residual Film is Non-Sticky
• Effectively Inhibits-Corrosion & Rust
• Engineered for Central-Systems

It is important not only to choose the right machine coolant for your needs, but to also make sure that your cooling system is at the appropriate concentration level. The experts at Turpin Wholesale can advise you on how best to do this.

If appropriate concentration levels of coolant are not maintained, several issues can occur.

The most common problem is low concentration. If the concentration of coolant is below the machine coolant supplier’s minimum ratio, there is a risk of machine and workpiece corrosion, reduction in tool life, and bacterial growth.

On the other hand, if the concentration of coolant is too high, this results in lesser heat transfer, foaming, reduced lubrication, wasted concentrate, formation of residue that shortens tool life, staining of machine and machined parts, and toxicity.

It is also important to have your cooling system flushed out regularly. Talk to the knowledgeable technicians at Turpin Wholesale to learn more about flush machines.

How do coolant flush machines work?

A coolant flush machine pushes coolant through your cooling system in order to do a complete cleanse by clearing out all of the old machine coolant and any contaminants that may have been building up. When you get a coolant flush, all of the old coolant is evacuated from your machine’s system, ensuring that when we put new coolant in, it won’t mix with the old. The machine will circulate the fluid through your cooling system multiple times, which removes any debris that might have built up over time. In addition, conditioners are added in order to prevent rust and scale deposits, resulting in a new longer-lasting deposit of machine coolant.