Coolant filters benefit production machining

VRS Precision Engineering has invested in ceiling ventilation systems and filtration units from Air Cleaning Systems (ACS) to reduce odours, fumes and other atmospheric particles.

Founded by Valmiki Ravani Sinanan, VRS Precision Engineering manufactures components for the aerospace, medical, marine, shop fitting, filtration and construction industries.

VRS is currently using eight machining centres from Matsuura, Makino and Daewoo.

On the turning front, the Fareham-based company has a series of Mori-Seiki turning centres that have recently been added to by two Puma and one Lynx centre.

With 21 machine tools at its facility, VRS observed a continual film of oil and dust in its facility from its machine tools.

The company also noticed the smell of coolant and oil in the air.

To eradicate this problem, VRS decided to install two ceiling ventilation systems from Air Cleaning Systems (ACS) of Cardiff.

The ceiling holder units immediately reduced workshop smells and atmospheric particles to improve staff working conditions.

In 2006, VRS procured a Matsuura 800VG11 and a Matsuura 1000VG vertical machining centre.

The acquisitions enabled VRS to produce its aluminium and stainless steel fuel filtration and air conditioning components for aerospace manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus.

Moving to technology such as through coolant and high-speed machining that generates high levels of swarf, smoke and coolant mist, the ISO: 9001 company was advised by Matsuura to invest in filtration systems for the machines.

The machine tool manufacturer suggested systems from ACS.

ACS fitted colour-coded filtration systems to the Matsuura centres.

VRS production manager, Rod Bradley said: 'The machines fitted straight into our production operation and made an impact.

'However, it was the filtration systems that made the impact with our staff.

'As any machinist working on a modern CNC will find, with ever increasing speeds and feeds combined with through or high pressure coolant, the machine has to be left a minute or two for the fumes to settle before removing the part from the work envelope.

'The ACS systems immediately changed this,' he added.

The machinists were free from the airborne particles and the smells that emanate from a machine tool.

The other staff wanted the systems fitted immediately to their machines.

As a health and safety conscious business, 21 employee VRS embarked on a mission to install filtration systems on all its machine tools.

'We have taken steps to put the ACS filtration systems on every CNC machine after seeing the impact on the shop floor,' said Bradley.

'The components and the tooling coming off the machines now have no oil film that can be detrimental to following processes.

'Added to this, we have no sticky oil film on the machines, floor, tools or anything else you may find in a busy workshop.

'It also gives a better impression when showing customers around a clean and odour-free machine shop,' he added.

The impact of the ACS OMF1000 systems fitted to the Matsuura machines meant that an additional system followed in April 2008 on the Mori Seiki ZL15SM turning centre.

The plant-wide installation gathered pace with two further Mori Seiki turning centres having the systems fitted a month later.

The company's series of Doosan Puma and Lynx machine tools soon followed with two Pumas fitted in May and a Puma and Lynx fitted with the system in June 2008.

With the second installation phase completed, VRS embarked on phase three in January 2009 with a further Matsuura machining centre and Puma and Mori Seiki turning centres also having the OMF1000 fitted.

With a total of 12 systems installed and another three systems to be fitted on its larger CNC machine tools, VRS is close to completing the plant-wide installation of the media filtration units.

'The OMF1000 systems are virtually maintenance free and they have a gauge that notifies you when a filter change is needed,' said VRS health and safety and operations manager, Amber Cole.

'However, we have had some systems for three years and the annual checks for vacuum velocity have highlighted that these units still haven't required a filter change,' she added.

'The OMF1000 media filtration systems have also improved cycle times,' said Bradley.

'We often produce batches between 50 and 250 and during each component cycle the machine door has to be opened to remove swarf from the machining area.

'An operator had to wait a minute or two for the mist to settle before opening the door to the work envelope.

'This was conducted a couple of times for each cycle, resulting in anything up to five minutes lost waiting for the mist to settle.

'This break is now a thing of the past with the ACS systems,' he added.

An example of the lost production time has been noted on a regular batch of turned parts that has a cycle time of eight minutes per part.

This cycle required at least three stops to remove swarf from the cutting area.

With the operator waiting a minute or two for the mist to clear prior to opening the door at each stop, anything up to five minutes could be lost on each part.

If the operator cannot see the part through the mist, it is not always clear when the swarf needs to be removed.

With the OMF systems the operator can now see exactly when swarf needs to be removed from the cycle and when the operator steps in there is no waiting for the mist to settle.

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