Metalcutting lubricants face auto materials change

Charsten Wienbreyer looks at the changing practice of automotive component manufacturing and how this is placing increased pressure on metalworking fluids.

Metalcutting lubricants face auto materials challenge Charsten Wienbreyer looks at the changing practice of automotive component manufacturing and how this is placing increased pressure on metalworking fluids.

The rising market demand for more economic vehicles, without compromise to performance and design, has presented automotive manufacturers with a particularly difficult Research and Development (R and D) challenge.

Following the agreement of the Kyoto protocol in 1997, many countries across the globe have taken action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

In Europe, this has seen a voluntary agreement among leading automotive manufacturers to produce higher fuel efficient and lower carbon emission producing vehicles.

To achieve this, while retaining and increasing the market appeal of their vehicles, many manufacturers are investing in new production techniques and technologies.

This R and D challenge has been intensified by the fact that a growing number of automotive manufacturers are capitalising on the skills and low costs of production now available in new, thriving automotive manufacturing industries.

Essentially, the boom of automotive manufacturing in places such as Eastern Europe and China has intensified competition by enabling companies to lower vehicle retail prices, while maintaining healthy profit margins.

* Changing production processes - one method that automotive manufacturers have utilised to improve overall vehicle efficiency is the production of lighter components.

Reducing the weight of components such as vehicle transmission, bodywork and gearboxes lowers the total weight of the finished vehicle and the demand placed on the engine during acceleration.

Therefore, lower total vehicle weight equals less fuel consumption during engine combustion, increasing fuel performance.

To make components lighter, manufacturers have switched from using basic steel compounds to various alloys and other light non-ferrous materials such as magnesium.

This switch provides a component of comparative durability to steel (in some cases durability can be increased), so that manufacturers do not have to alter vehicle design or performance.

Furthermore, vehicle safety can be improved as the new alloys offer greater resistance to failure during impact.

Using these alternative materials for component production can help reduce total vehicle weight by approximately 25%, offering manufacturers a cost effective way of significantly improving vehicle efficiency and environmental performance.

However, to reap the full financial benefits of this production solution, manufacturers need to ensure that their tools and metalworking fluids are able to cope with the pressures of machining tougher metals.

If not, they risk facing long periods of unscheduled stoppages and high levels of component and equipment damage.

One particularly successful method of protecting against these risks is by using a high performance, fit-for-purpose metalworking fluid.

* Fluid overview - metalworking fluids play an important role in the smooth and efficient running of automotive component manufacturing equipment as well as the successful formation of the finished part.

The extreme temperatures, high level of chipping and long continuous operational hours of metalworking processes, such as deep hole drilling, turning and broaching, place multiple demands on the fluid.

It must provide lubrication, flushing and cooling properties to protect the tool part from accelerated wear and the finished part from surface damage and deformation.

All metalworking processes generate intense heat as the metals or non-ferrous materials are processed.

However, the heat must be dissipated across the part surface and the friction must be reduced to avoid part damage and poor surface finish, which can be extremely costly for operators in terms of wastage and delays in production.

In the past, many fluids were formulated using chlorine as it provided excellent performance, even in low temperatures, protecting the tool and part against wear and damage.

Since the use of chlorine in fluids was banned approximately 10 - 15 years ago, fluids are now developed using different Extreme Pressure (EP) additives, meaning that fluids can be developed to meet specific operational requirements - providing operators with greater performance.

* Selecting the right fluid - increasing the strength of the metal that is being machined will lead to an increase in cutting duration, temperature and chipping.

As the majority of cutting fluids are developed to operate within certain temperature parameters, manufacturers must ensure that the fluid used is able to perform even with harsher demands of machining stronger metals.

There are generally four types of fluids used in metalworking: neat oils; soluble oils; semisynthetic and synthetic.

Selection of the fluid will depend on a number of variables specific to the cutting process and type of metal being machined.

These include the size of metal chips, cutting speed, duration and tolerance.

For example, a high wetting, anti-weld and anti-corrosion, water miscible metalworking fluid such as Shell Adrana A 2859 is required during deep hole drilling to flush chips from the cutting area and stop them from welding to the drill tool or part being drilled.

Whereas, a speciality product, such as Shell Sitala B 5801, with high resistance to water hardness and increases in pH levels is required to meet the challenges of machining magnesium alloys.

When it comes to metalworking fluids, there is no one size fits all and selecting the right fluid for the right application is key to protecting against tool failure or part damage.

If manufacturers are changing their production process to accommodate new, tougher metals or non-ferrous materials, they should always consider reviewing the performance properties of their metalworking fluid.

In many cases, an experienced metalworking fluids provider such as Shell Metalworking Lubricants will be able to assist automotive manufacturers in auditing the cutting process and identifying fluid demands.

This approach helps determine the required EP rating, wetting, cooling, anti-corrosion and flushing performance of the fluid.

* Driving down costs - the right metalworking fluid, supported with the relevant application expertise, will help automotive manufacturers protect their processes against expensive tool and component damage, while maintaining uptime.

In a market that continues to demand more value from the finished vehicle in terms of power, efficiency and environmental compliance - this could help manufacturers to ensure that their process remains productive and profitable.

* About the author - Charsten Wienbreyer is general manager of Shell Metalworking