Lubricating the tools of industry
May 1st 2011

Lubrication plays an integral role in reducing friction between critical rotating or moving machine tool component which can translate into equipment durability and availability, as Umut Urkin, industrial marketing Europe,Africa & Middle East, ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialties explains

Whether a manufacturing company specialises in producing nuts and bolts, complex gear sets or high precision valves, keeping its equipment running efficiently is the key to profitability.

To help ensure that machine tools run smoothly, it is important to choose a combination of high-quality lubricants – slideway oils, water soluble cutting fluids and neat cutting oils.

Slideway Oils Poorly formulated slideway oils may not separate readily from aqueous coolants. This can result in the formation of 'tramp oil' which can compromise the effectiveness of the coolant by shortening its effective life and adversely altering cutting performance.

Tramp oil can also lead to bacterial growth resulting in foul odour, short service life and potential health and safety concerns. To identify a high performance slideway oil, maintenance professionals should consider products with the following characteristics: Outstanding frictional properties, which enable increased machine accuracy and reduced chatter and stick-slip; and exceptional coolant separability which enhances the performance and life of water-based metal working fluids. One solution is the Mobil Vactra Oil Numbered series of slideway oils, which have a proven track record in service.

Water Soluble Cutting Fluids The highest performing aqueous coolants can provide reduced maintenance requirements by resisting biological attack which helps to extend batch life. Ease of maintenance needs to be balanced with good machining performance as well as protecting the machine tools and work pieces from corrosion and sticky deposits. Fluids should meet the latest Health and Safety regulations and be easy to monitor and maintain.

Collectively, these properties will help deliver long service life, excellent cutting performance and reduced maintenance downtime.

The new Mobilcut series from ExxonMobil, comprising milky emulsions, high performance micro-emulsions and fully synthetic grinding fluid, are cutting fluids designed to offer long service life, good operator acceptability and easy waste management. The high performance, long life semi-synthetic cutting fluids in particular have been designed to meet the requirements of medium to small sized machine shops where flexibility, inventory management and machine downtime are key concerns.

Neat Cutting Oils Neat or straight cutting oils are used in applications which are beyond the typical performance profile of aqueous coolants, such as tapping and threading of high alloy steels. Properly formulated products can improve machining in high speed automated machining centres through outstanding cutting performance, reduced tool wear and enhanced surface finish.Maintenance professionals should consider products that: Are light coloured to allow clear visibility of the workpiece Have low misting characteristics to help workplace safety and product usage Are chlorine free to support environmental concerns, while balancing with a high degree of lubricity and machining performance Designed to meet the demands of today's machining centres, tooling trends and health and safety regulations, the Mobilmet series of cutting oils and the new Mobilgrind grinding oils from ExxonMobil have been developed for applications where excellent surface finish, high precision machining and improved productivity are primary objectives.

Maximising Productivity As well as using high quality metal working fluids, manufacturing companies should incorporate an oil and equipment monitoring programme to maximise productivity. Oil analysis is a series of tests that help determine the condition of internal parts and in-service lubricants.With this information the life of both equipment and oil can be extended by identifying warning signs such as contamination and wear, which can help reduce unscheduled maintenance.

For those who want to implement an oil analysis programme that can save time and money, ExxonMobil offers its proprietary online Signum Oil Analysis programme.

With a few keystrokes, users can manage all their oil analysis needs including: Updating equipment registrations and selecting analysis options based on their equipment or maintenance needs Tracking the status of samples at the lab Directing actions based on analysis results and requesting sample kits Sharing critical results with colleagues in a secure, password-protected environment By following the suggestions above, businesses can help enhance overall efficiency and maximise productivity.

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