Gear Technology Magazine
www.geartechnology.com/articles/24586

Vomat Micro Filtration Specialist has U.S. Presence

June 27, 2013

Carbide tool makers relying on competent filtration system suppliers can capitalize a great deal, when employing  state of the art micro filtration systems for processing their cooling lubricants. Cutting oils and cooling lubricants become quickly contaminated during production by metal swarfs, dirt decomposition and process heat. Without comprehensive filtration serious production problems will arise quickly and the service life of the cooling media will be shortened drastically.  

Stephan Hecht, executive vice president of Oelheld U.S., Inc., Vomats U.S. distributor in Elgin, Illinois states: "Micro filtration of your cooling medium is one of the most important steps one can take to maximize profits in a metal manufacturing operation. Unfortunately there are many companies out there, which either don’t have the insight on how filtration can have an impact on their bottom line or simply shun the cost of investing in a technological advanced filtration system. Moreover many systems out there are either outdated or simply have capacity problems."

As a rule of thumb one can say, that the more aggressive and finer the filtration process removes particles from the cooling lubricant the better the production quality will be. Reduced contaminants in the fluid will reduce the wear of grinding wheels dramatically and therefore more tools such as end mills and drills can be produced with one grinding wheel. Another benefit are reduced down times, due to reduced wheel dressing and wheel changing cycles. Hecht points out, that with optimal micro filtration of the cooling lubricant tools and grinding wheels will last a lot longer as well as high standards of process reliability and stability will be realized. In addition modern filtration systems minimize coolant drag out.

Vomat micro filtration systems regularly remove contaminants from cooling fluids to the international standard NAS 7 (<3-4 µm). Vomat’s  machine program contains optimally adapted filtration systems for every workload from single to plant wide central filtration systems. Highly sophisticated filter-, cooling and disposal technology provides for economical success and environmental responsibility.

Featuring an integrated filter back flush system Vomat machines separate dirty and clean fluids one hundred percent in full-flow mode (no dirty fluid is bypassed). Depending on the level of contaminants, Vomat machines activate automatically the filter back flush cycle thus conserving energy and filter cartridges. Moreover an intelligently designed and fully automatic waste (sludge) disposal system, deposits waste, containing less than  six percent of fluid directly into easy to handle and widely accepted waste containers, such as 55 gallon drums.

Hecht remarks, "Today’s automotive -, aircraft-, spacecraft  and machine industry demand from their tool suppliers the utmost in tool quality be it drills, end mills, thread cutters, etc. There is no doubt, that optimally filtered cooling lubricants are an important building block in the economical and high quality manufacture of high end tools. Only with clean oils the tool manufactures can provide the edge, surface and concentricity their demanding customers are asking for."