A customer that machines cast aluminium runs a high-speed drilling operation utilising a low viscosity neat cutting oil. The product in use has a viscosity of 10 cSt with chlorine as the extreme pressure additive (EPA). Chlorine is highly regarded for its excellent characteristics as an EPA and is widely utilised in operations ranging from swaging to machining and everything in between.

The main drawbacks of the use of chlorine are its effects after the process is completed. Chlorine is known to be a precursor to corrosion on ferrous materials and secondly, chlorine is toxic to the environment. The environmental impact of chlorine has become a major concern on a global scale to the point where chlorinated products (products that contain chlorine) have been banned altogether in certain countries and regions.

In addition, the low viscosity of the neat cutting oil that was in use led to a significant amount of aeration (misting) occurring in the machining process. This was a concern for the company as the mist was a safety risk for the staff that worked in the area.

CSI identified the process as an opportunity for improvement in that the product in use was not ideal. This made it a priority to change the process to a different product.

CSI proposed a trial using a Neat Cutting Oil with a higher viscosity that uses a different EPA. The product that was trialled was Potenza Neat Cut 32 SP. Neat Cut 32 SP has a viscosity of 32 cSt and uses a Sulphur Phosphate (SP) EPA. This product is used extensively throughout South Africa and has delivered good results. The trial with Potenza Neat Cutting Oil 32 was a resounding success as the customer noted that there were several improvements in their process.

The improvements included:

• The longevity of the drill bits used in the process. The drill bits stayed sharper for longer – this is referred to as tool life which in this case is the number of parts drilled per drill bit (30% improvement per drill bit!).
• The machine was drawing less current than the other machines that were still running on the 10Cst product and the mist that was a health concern is no longer being formed.
• The volume of oil consumed by the machine had decreased by 15% by using Potenza Neat Cut 32 SP.

After the completion of the trial, the customer changed all of the machines running this process to Potenza Neat Cut 32 SP and confirmed that productivity had increased by 25%.

The change in product was successful and emphasises CSI’s philosophy of “the right product, in the right application, at the right time and in the right amount.” CSI absolutely believes in supplying the product that is best in class which we are confident will deliver the best results in a customer’s machines.