Technology Blog
Eco-Friendly CNC Operations: How To Reduce Your Coolant Usage With Ease
In many machine shops, delivering coolant to CNC machines is still a manual operation. Without an automated system to manage this process, it’s easy for machinists to err on the side of more coolant with higher-than-necessary concentrations. Automatic coolant refill and management solutions like FullShop™ overcome this challenge, keeping coolant concentrations within the correct range, reducing coolant consumption and creating a more eco-friendly shop.
Here’s how: FullShop™ uses only what’s needed to maintain the intended target ratio in each sump. As a result, it reduces how much coolant you use and how much you spend on coolant each year. Less coolant is not only better for your pocket — it’s also better for the environment.
Let’s take a look at a few recent examples:
Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) used to get through a barrel of coolant every five to six weeks. After implementing FullShop™, one barrel now lasts 13 to 14 weeks, representing a 55-60% reduction in coolant consumption. These numbers also make the use of a premium coolant more affordable since now KAM only needs to purchase half as much.
“Not once have we had to question if we are running at the proper concentration or keeping our sumps topped off,” says Jim O’Toole, VP Engineering and Sales at KAM. “Our coolant spend is down 50% year over year, and our machine sump health is better than ever!”
Here’s another example. We worked with LNS, a leader in machine tool peripheral systems, to combine its LNS Venturi Pump with FullShop™. Data shows this combination has reduced the company’s overall coolant consumption for a pair of DMG Mori NLX 2500 machines. The average weekly coolant usage dropped from 5.47 to 1.45 gallons (Mori 4) and 4.07 to 1.46 gallons (Mori 3). These numbers translate to annual savings of:
- 209 gallons and $4,598 (Mori 4).
- 135 gallons and $2,985 (Mori 3).
You can learn more about our FullShop™ automatic top-off system and cloud-based coolant management app on our website. Or, contact us to get started.
