Got Foam?

Dear friends,

So you have decided to go out and purchase a brand new metal removal fluid for your shop, and after filling your machine you’re expectations are high! Good cutting performance, machine cleanliness and bio-stability are all promised by the metalworking fluid manufacturer. So you go to fire up the machine and decide try out that new high pressure pump you just paid a bundle for, and presto!  Foam all over the shop floor! Great… Now what do I do? Well there are a few things you can do; first you might try adding anti-foam additives to help control the foam. You can try making up your coolant with hard water if you are lucky or unlucky enough to have it available. You might even consider reducing the pressure on that nifty new high pressure coolant system; but that tends to negate the whole purpose of having high pressure coolant doesn’t it? So what is causing the problem? Why do coolants foam? Well there are numerous reasons that can lead to metalworking fluids foaming.

1.        Air entrained into the fluid can cause the coolant pumps to cavitate and create additional foam, which leads to even more foam the longer the coolant pumps runs.

2.        Higher coolant pressures (1000psi plus), pushing fluid through small tool orifices with high RPM spindles can entrain air into the fluid (High pressure/low volume).

3.        Inadequate sump volume and/or poor sump design can lead to foam build up.

4.        High cutting fluid turn over, with inadequate dwell/rest time for the fluid to release entrained air.

5.        High fluid temperature; the more the fluids temperature increases so does its potential to foam.

6.        Excessive coolant concentration; running the coolant concentration higher than the manufacturer recommends.

So as you can see there are many potential causes for foam build up. The big question is - what can you do about it? Other than adding anti-foam additions to the sump which can be very costly; the best solution is to refer to your metalworking fluid manufacturer and purchase a coolant which is designed for high pressure coolant systems. So… got foam? Give your coolant representative a call and get the right fluid for the job.

Stay tuned for more useful coolant tips, from The Coolant Guy!

Best regards,

Brett Reynolds, CMFS

Brett Reynolds, “The Coolant Guy” works for Blaser Swisslube Inc.

If you would like more useful information regarding metalworking fluids, or would like to find out more information about Blaser metalworking fluid products,

Please contact Brett at 801-722-4095 or via

E-mail at b.reynolds@blaser.com

theoilbaronbulletin@blogspot.com

The Oil Baron Bulletin is not affiliated with Blaser Swisslube Inc. or its subsidiaries

Price vs. Cost – There is a Difference.

Dear friends,

Generally when a customer purchases a metalworking fluid, it seems they are most concerned about the upfront price of the product being considered. But I must say most don’t take into consideration of the overall cost of the fluid over its life expectancy. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you’re getting a great deal; I mean who doesn’t like a great deal right? But consider this, are you really? If your metalworking fluid goes bad every four to five months and then you have to dispose of it, incurring even more costs, are you really money ahead? When considering which metalworking fluid to use in your shop, take into consideration of the quality of the product you are about to purchase. If the upfront price of the product and the proclaimed benefits seems almost too good to be true? Well… I hate to tell you my friend, it most likely is. The old saying still rings true; you get what you pay for.

I’m a firm believer in proper coolant maintenance. Keeping your concentration within the factory recommended range, skimming your coolant of free oils, using quality water and mixing the metalworking fluid properly. These simple procedures are paramount to getting the most out of your metalworking fluid investment. High end products cost more to produce because of the quality of the ingredients used to manufacture them. Believe it or not, there is a reason why a $30.00 per gallon fluid cost more than a $15.00 per gallon fluid. If you invest in a high quality fluid and properly maintain it; you should expect to get anywhere from one to two years or more life from that product before ultimately having to dispose of it. If a customer chooses to neglect and misuse their metalworking fluid; instead of paying twenty to forty cents per gallon for mixed coolant, now you’re going to end up paying two to three dollars per gallon (depending on your geographical region) additional cost to just get rid of it! So as you can see, it pays to purchase a higher quality fluid and maintain the fluid to the specifications that the manufacturer recommends.

There’s another old saying in the sales industry when it comes to quality, you’ve might even have heard of it… either you pay me now, or pay me later, but one way or another, you’re going to pay me.

Stay tuned for more useful coolant tips, from The Coolant Guy!

Best regards,

Brett Reynolds, CMFS

Brett Reynolds, “The Coolant Guy” works for Blaser Swisslube Inc.

If you would like more useful information regarding metalworking fluids, or would like to find out more information about Blaser metalworking fluid products,

Please contact Brett at 801-722-4095 or via

E-mail at b.reynolds@blaser.com

theoilbaronbulletin@blogspot.com

The Oil Baron Bulletin is not affiliated with Blaser Swisslube Inc. or its subsidiaries

What Does Oil Really Stand For?

Dear friends,

I know what you’re thinking; this guy can’t be serious, right? I know you’re saying to yourself, I’m an intelligent person… I've been known to change the oil in my car or lawnmower from time to time, so I know what oil stands for! If I remember correctly it’s that slick black stuff that keeps things from squeaking around the house - right?

Well my friend you’re right! But the oil I want to talk to you today is about metalworking fluids; specifically mixing metalworking fluids correctly. Now you’re most likely thinking to yourself, oil and mixing metalworking fluids correctly… I don’t see the connection? Well in the metalworking fluid industry, we designate the use of the word oil as an acronym. First of all; most metalworking fluids are based on mineral oil, and secondly when it comes to mixing metalworking fluids correctly, you definitely want to mix them using the term O.I.L.

Oil

In

Last

When you mix water miscible oil based coolants you want to mix the oil into the water, not the other way around. This is an important key factor which most people are not aware of. All oil based coolants need to be mixed this way in order for the emulsion to form properly, that is oil droplets floating in a water phase, not water floating in an oil phase. Improperly mixed coolant will destroy carbide tooling due to thermal cracking; also poor surface finishes may result. Improperly mixed coolants will separate (split) over time; thus wasting your hard earned money.

So always remember - Oil In Last.

Stay tuned for more useful coolant tips, from The Coolant Guy!

Best regards,

Brett Reynolds, CMFS

rett Reynolds, “The Coolant Guy” works for Blaser Swisslube Inc.

If you would like more useful information regarding metalworking fluids, or would like to find out more information about Blaser metalworking fluid products,

Please contact Brett at 801-722-4095 or via

E-mail at b.reynolds@blaser.com

theoilbaronbulletin@blogspot.com

The Oil Baron Bulletin is not affiliated with Blaser Swisslube Inc. or its subsidiaries