The Quality of Metal Working Is Assisted by Proper Industrial Lubrication

The machining of metals on lathes and other devices puts the metals and the cutting tools to a fair amount of stress and strain that includes a fair amount of heat produced by the abrading, cutting or other action. This can cause distortion in the metal being machined and decreases the life of the cutting tool. Cutting fluids can give the necessary lubrication that can reduce heat, achieve a better-finished metal product and extend the life of the tool.

2 Common Industrial Lubricant Methods

There are 2 common types of metalworking lubrication; flood cooling and micro-lubrication. Maglube specializes in micro-lubrication. It’s really the 21st century, modern solution to industrial lubrication for metalworking.

Machining centers can turn metal, extrude it and perform many other operations, each of which produces its own degree of stress on the tools, the metal product being worked on and the lubricant itself. The type of metal that is being worked on can also lead to a variation in the degree of stresses. Extrusion of metals causes a lot of stress, with turning on machines being easier on the various components of the operation. Most lubricants used in metalworking are made of base oils with a number of different additives, that can add different properties to the cutting fluids. Metalworking fluids, unlike standard lubricants, can have a mixture of oil and water. The oil acts as the lubricant, while the water assists in cooling. 

Why Maglube Lubricants Extend Machine and Tool Life

Some additives can have surface reactions with the material that is being worked on, and this may not be intended. Some that have additives like active sulfur can lead to the staining of the finished metal product and lead to its rejection. Other additives help the metalworking process by helping in the removal of the machined material, and this can help in reducing any damage to the machining tool. Where lubricants require to have a solution that includes water and oil, it is important that the fluid used, be able to remain emulsified. High percentages of water can promote micro-organism growth as well as bacteria, and these fluids used for metalworking lubrication have preservatives that prevent this form of contamination.

Preservatives and additives aren’t needed with Maglube lubricants. Our eco-friendly lubricants are formulated with organic oils which make them biodegradable. Also, the composition of the lubricants causes them to reduce friction many times better than traditional oil/water mixtures.

Primary Functions of Lubricants when Metalworking

The primary function of lubricants used in metalworking is to reduce friction, by making surfaces slippery. These lubricants are then also able to reduce temperatures that increase during operations and will minimize the corrosion of the metal surfaces. They can also help to keep out any contaminants that can enter the system. Lubricants need to have the properties that can help to meet the operating needs. You can use different chemicals to ensure that a machine functions just as efficiently at very high temperatures. You can have a class of lubricants that protect the surfaces being machined, even when they are subjected to high pressure. Machine working of metals does cause the production of metal particles that are required to be removed from the original product for shaping it to the required configuration. These extra metal particles need to be efficiently removed from between the product being worked on and the cutting or forming tools. Certain additives attract this extraneous material, suspend them in the lubricant and then trap them in filters or other types of separators.

Industrial lubrication is an important part of metalworking and requires as much attention as other technical specifications that will help in producing the required product.