Precise tolerances and excellent surface finishes demand the utmost in grinding-machine performance. Along with the challenges of meeting today's stringent part specifications, manufacturers face the equally challenging task of keeping their equipment ready to perform at its best. Beyond the machine tools themselves and the skill of their operators, the single biggest contributor to manufacturing success is the coolant that maintains operating temperature and system cleanliness. The best way to assure clean coolant, whether soluble or straight oil, lies in a properly selected, installed and operated filtration system.

Filtration and temperature regulation go hand in hand. Without appropriate filtration, byproduct material can collect on the grinding machine bed and turn into a heat trap, and excessive heat causes tolerance variation. Beyond temperature regulation, filtration systems remove damaging swarf and grit from the coolant supply before waste material can re-enter the grinding process. To tackle these tough requirements of high-end STUDER and WALTER cylindrical and tool grinding machines, UNITED GRINDING has partnered with Ebbco Inc., a leading manufacturer of metalworking coolant filtration systems for precision machining applications.

Coolant holds the key to grinding-machine performance because every aspect depends on proper temperature maintenance, especially when specifications require micron and sub-micron tolerances. When temperatures climb or drop too quickly, manufacturers can lose up to 10 hours of production because of improper cooling, which also threatens tool, machine and wheel life, along with product finish. Some specialty applications require temperature regulation within 0.25°F – and equally specialized coolant systems can meet that requirement.

Coolant systems often control multiple machines that run the same task, and must avoid damaging temperature swings when equipment turns on or off. With coolant systems ranging from simpler gravity-feed paper band types to high-end cartridge filtration with chillers, Ebbco offers options that serve as an investment in long-term productivity, not just as a maintenance function.

That maintenance takes on greater importance with difficult-to-machine materials, and carbide and ceramic top the list of those that can produce highly damaging byproducts. These materials require an oil-based coolant rather than a water-soluble option to cope with their finer grit/swarf. Other demanding conditions include lights-out production with unattended machines. While these operations increase profitability, they require a system with computerized variable-frequency drive controls to monitor and report conditions directly to responsible personnel.

When it comes to profitability, the returns on investment in coolant filtration systems comes in various forms, including dramatic reductions in machine part replacements. With proper filtration for instance, machine spindles last longer, and customers can significantly reduce that large parts expense, as well as the overtime needed to make up for any lost production.

To meet the needs of lights-out operations, Ebbco examines every individual application and designs filtration solutions that address customers' specific concerns. With the right system in place, operators can confidently walk away from a machine and handle other tasks that require higher levels of operator intervention.

Along with acquiring proper coolant filtration systems, manufacturers need to pay regular attention to general maintenance schedules. Ebbco systems provide filter-change indicator alerts on their PLC screens, giving personnel ample time for changeovers. Whether the coolant is fully synthetic or polyalphaolefin (PAO) based, some applications can keep properly serviced fluids clean at a sub-micron level for more than 15 years with no more than periodic top-ups.

System chiller maintenance is also critical, so verifying that it always contains a full charge is essential. In addition, manufacturers need to maintain the correct parts stock on hand – or the right system redundancy – to avoid costly production interruptions.

STUDER and WALTER grinding machines offer reliably high-performance service, and Ebbco filtration systems add matched reliability. To ensure that every customer receives the proper coolant technology, UNITED GRINDING application engineers review application specifics and determine whether they require standardized or specialty systems. With service based in North America, UNITED GRINDING and Ebbco can respond within a day to virtually all service needs.

With the right coolant system, a 10 to 15-year-old grinding machine can look like year-old equipment. Whereas with the wrong coolant support, a year-old machine can look like it's been in service for a decade. Whether a customer uses STUDER equipment to make tight-tolerance parts for the automotive or aerospace industry, or WALTER machines for carbide applications in tooling, UNITED GRINDING and Ebbco offer an unmatched partnership for reliable performance and optimized grinding output.