About Metalworking Lubricants
Metalworking lubricants are used in a wide variety of industrial applications that involve bending, stamping, pressing, shaping and extruding metal into one form or another. There really is no one-size-fits-all metalworking lubricant because the applications are so vast and varied. Lubricants are designed for specific purposes based on performance, cost and other factors.
Other People Are Reading
-
Function
-
Metalworking lubricants are applied to the machines that form or bend, cut, grind, polish, stamp and emboss metal of all different types to extend the life of the machine itself. They are applied in the gears and on the surface rollers, benders or stamps and dies, helping helping the stamps and dies maintain their shape and increasing the life of the stamp and the machine parts.
Types
-
There are three main types of metalworking lubricant--fluids, grease and dry lubricants. Dry lubricants are usually made in the form of powder or film that is applied over a stamp or die. Fluids are broadly categorized into coolants and liquid lubricants like basic oil, and other more advanced fluid lubrication types. Greases won't spill, but they are not dry solids either.
-
Benefits
-
A metalworking lubricants have a few benefits that include a reduction in friction, so they can actually improve the life of a machine or die. They can also be used in high-heat environments and will not bind with metal. They can be engineered to be used with any type of machine and for any application. They are seen as an additive that enhances performance and cuts costs by preventing wear and tear on machines.
How They Are Made
-
Metalworking lubricants are usually made from a base of oil or petroleum. Different additives are used to increase their performance. A simple lubricant is just oil mixed with a synthetic compound to enhance its life, since natural oil by itself will break down. Greases are made from oil mixed with a thickener made of sodium or calcium. Dry lubricants are made from complex compounds like boron nitride (BN), which is also used in synthetic oils, flake graphite (powdered graphite) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Considerations
-
Most metalworking fluids are that are commonly used on cutting metals are simply made from oil and a combination of other synthetic compounds. Some are highly specialized to resist heat, others are made to lubricate small parts and more are made for large parts. It is important to choose the right metalworking compound for the job because there is a cost involved. Many factories test fluids to see which one is most cost effective. They look for the result in the product, machine life, speed of production, disposal costs, cost of the fluid itself and recycled uses that it offers.
-
