Knowledge centre Case Studies

Ultraform 1030 – Westley Engineering

Application Details

Westley Engineering manufacture and supply into multiple industries including Automotive, Aerospace and Defence, working with a wide range of materials from Aluminium to Titanium and everything in between, the Ultraform 1030 fluid has significantly enhanced their manufacturing process.

An inside view of the shopfloor at Westley Engineering.

Specification

Before switching to ROCOL products in the press shop, Westley were using approximately 3 barrels a month of a different product on the market. They were primarily dissatisfied by how much oil was left on the parts after machining. The operators at Westley claimed the product was “viscous, unpleasant to use and that it underperformed”.

Results

After switching to ROCOL Ultraform 1030 there was a vast improvement. Immediately it was noticed there was far less excess oil present on the finished parts. Ultraform 1030 flashing away faster than the Valor oil made dealing with the finished parts much easier. Not only is this much more practical for the operators on the factory floor but also greatly reduces contamination of the parts and any further other processes the parts undergo.

The other key difference noticed after switching to the ROCOL product is the absence of scoring on raised parts. The demonstrates several desirable properties of Ultraform 1030 including:

• Improved lubricity – better lubrication decreases friction between the tool and the workpiece.
• Protection against tool wear – reducing the friction between the tool and the workpiece also helps protect the tool against typical day to day wear and tear increasing its lifespan.
• Consistent lubrication – creating a uniform layer of oil across the workpiece ensures no part of the metal is left unprotected, reducing the risk of scoring

Although the usage between ROCOL and other product has remained approximately the same, the reduction in tool wear incurs large cost savings. In addition to this, due to less scoring on the parts, there were less parts rejected due to defects which downstream saved a significant time of energy, material, time and money.

Lastly, the health and safety profile of Ultraform 1030 is much more desirable than that of the previously used product, evident from the safety data sheets. 1030 is free from chlorinated paraffins, a type of additive that is slowly being phased out of metalworking fluids due to their harmful environmental effects and potential carcinogenicity. The removal of chlorine containing compounds in 1030 should in theory also bring down waste costs as substances containing chlorine are typical a lot more expensive to dispose of.