System Management

Monitoring through in-service oil analysis, an important element of predictive maintenance, can provide information about machine wear, as well as lubricant contamination and condition. By checking the appearance, viscosity, water content, acid number, cleanliness and solid metal and additive contents, the condition of the fluid can be measured.

Cutting and grinding coolants, diluted for use, are mostly water (95% water at a typical concentration). Water plays an important role in coolant performance. We need to understand how water affects metalworking coolants. This “Skill Builder” makes water crystal clear.

Quaker manufactures and sells fire resistant hydraulic fluids (FRHFs) under the brand name QUINTOLUBRIC®. Routine analysis of these fluids is sent to Quaker laboratories in Conshohocken, PA to the Q-TRAK lab. This lab assesses the FRHFs in a number of areas as detailed in this “Skill Builder.”

Tramp oil is probably one of the most common contaminants in metalworking fluids. Whatever the source, tramp oil is a foreign contaminant that can create the problems detailed in this “Skill Builder.”

At some point in time it becomes necessary to take a sample of a fluid for some type of analysis. However, not all fluids should be sampled in the same manner.

The concept of recycling fluids has been around for a while. The focus of waste reduction is typically called “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.”

One of the most important process variables in die casting is the dilution ratio. The dilution ratio is the ratio at which a die lubricant is diluted in water prior to being sprayed onto the die. Unfortunately, there is no one optimal dilution ratio, as this is something that must be established based on each unique application and die cast machine.

One of the challenges when investigating a lubricant application has to do with determining how much lubrication is needed. There are many different laboratory tests that can be run to evaluate the lubrication provided by a product.