 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
American Grown Renewable Resource
Performance Biolubes manufactures a complete line of bio-based
metalworking
lubricants for use in metal cutting, grinding, forming,
lubricating and quench applications.
Performance Biolubes products
provide our customers with huge
productivity improvements due to their
increased lubricity and film strength
which extend tool life, improve
finishes and allow cutting tools to cut faster.
We also eliminate smoke
and dermatitas problems. Our products are made
from USA grown seed
crops. Most of Performance Biolubes products earn a MSDS "0" health rating.
Performance BioLubes ---
Youtube Features
Click on the Movies and see some video from folks who have used this product.
Hear what they have to say...
The
Benefits of
Bio-Based
Lubricants
If your company is interested in increasing factory
throughput, reducing tool costs, and improving product
quality in a safer environment, you may want to
consider switching to bio-based metalworking fluids.
They have excellent lubricity and superior viscosity vs.
temperature characteristics. The use of vegetable, orbio-based,
oils can contribute to the goals of energy independence and a cleaner environment.
In the past, the problems of oxidative stability and
poor cold flow performance limited the use of these
products. Targeted research has successfully addressed
these problems. Bio-based metal cutting oils and coolants
are being used effectively by many companies for
gear cutting, grinding, and general machining. Aside
from the environmental advantages, which we will discuss
here, bio-based metalworking fluids have many
advantages over petroleum-based products:
• Naturally better lubrication;
• Superior viscosity/pressure performance;
• Better thin film strength;
• Lower volatility;
• Higher flash point, less smoke and risk of fire.
Research Timeline
This breakthrough technology has been in development
for many years. In 1991 a research project at
University of Northern Iowa utilized genetic engineering
to increase oxidative stability of oil made from seed
crops. This was expanded in 1995 into the Ag-Based
Industrial Lubricants (ABIL) Research Program.
ELM (Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing) was incorporated
in 2000 to bring these technical advances to
market as commercial products.
Performance Biolubes was formed in 2008 to market bio-based lubricants to
the metalworking industry.
The Science
Petroleum-based lubricants get most of their lubricity
from additives, such as chlorine and sulfur. Bio-based
lubricants have superior lubricity without the need for
these chemical additives. This added lubricity reduces
friction. With less friction created, cutting forces are
reduced and less heat is produced in the metal cutting
process, allowing tools to be fed faster. Less friction
also reduces wear on cutting tools and grinding wheels,
usually extending tool life.
Bio-based oils have a much higher flash point than
petroleum. Flash points go down as viscosity of oils
is reduced. Comparing oils at a viscosity of 40 cSt,
bio-based oil has a flash point of 310 degrees C (590
degrees F) and petroleum has a flash point of about
148 degrees C (300 degrees F). This increased flash
point reduces smoke while cutting metal, allowing
higher feed rates and providing a less smoky working
environment. Complimentary bio-based way oils and
hydraulic oils can be introduced to help maintain a pure
bio-based system with the highest possible flash point
to reduce smoke.
Another characteristic of bio-based lubricants is
their polar attraction to metal (see fig. 1). Petroleumbased
fluids have no polarity and therefore no affinity
to metal. Therefore, they tend to run off of tools and
workpieces, leaving surfaces without protective lubrication.
The polarity of bio-based lubricants provides
metal affinity and more effective thin film protection at
the cutting tool/workpiece interface.
Gearing Applications
The processes of hobbing, shaping, shaving, grinding,
and broaching can all benefit from the characteristics
found in bio-based cutting oil. The typical performance
improvement is increased tool life when petroleumbased
cutting oil is replaced by properly formulated biobased
oil. When cutting tools are run at normal feeds
and speeds, tool life increases by up to 100 percent.
Since cutting forces and heat from friction are reduced,
feeds and speeds can usually be increased. Fewer tool
changes and faster machining processes can lead to
productivity increases of 20 percent or more. Part quality
will improve due to better tool condition
and improved surface finishes.
Bio-based oils provide significant
improvements for gear grinding. Reductions
in friction and the heat produced allows for
faster grinding with less chance of burning
the part. Surface finish is improved, and
grinding wheels retain their size and form
longer to improve quality and extend wheel
life. Reduced friction improves dressing
efficiency and improves dresser life. When
gear cutting tools are reground using
bio-based oils, the surface finish on the
cutting edges is improved to prevent premature
cratering that causes reductions
in tool life.
Water Soluble Coolants
When machining with water miscible coolants,
the latest bio-based products offer
features that can lead to cost savings, quality
improvements, and increased productivity.
They provide improved lubricity for better tool
life and surface finish. Increased feeds are
often possible, as these coolants reduce friction
and heat. Excellent sump stability and
reduced toxicity make bio-based coolants
easy to maintain. Operators are very unlikely
to experience dermatitis or any sensitivity to
these coolants.
There are bio-based coolants for use on
all metals, including the most sensitive aluminum,
yellow metals, stainless steels, aerospace
alloys, and the usual range of carbon,
alloy, and tool steels. The added lubricity is
especially helpful when machining difficult
stainless steels. Heat is reduced, extending
tool life and allowing higher feeds and speeds.
Aluminum machining is dramatically improved
because bio-based coolants provide improved
finishes, reduced tool wear, and reduced builtup
edge—the most common reason for tool
failure.
In the past, bio-based coolants were not
effective in machining cast iron. Cast iron fines
were retained in the coolant, causing the creation
of a gray paste that coated machine surfaces,
creating serious maintenance issues.
This problem has been solved with the latest
highly refined bio-based coolants made from
special bio-esters. These newly formulated
coolants are clean running, providing improved
tool life, long sump life, and low maintenance.
Grinding operations can benefit greatly from
the new bio-based coolants. When grinding
these coolants reduce friction, causing abrasive
grains to stay sharp longer, allowing much
longer time between wheel dresses. This
is especially important when form grinding.
Wheel life and accuracy is improved. If heat
checking is a problem, bio-based coolants
reduce the heat generated in most grinding
operations. This allows feed rates to be
increased without introduction of excessive
heat into the part. Since the increased lubricity
also provides better surface finish, feed
rates can be increased without sacrificing finish.
Some users take full advantage of bio-based coolants and adjust
wheel specifications to compliment the new coolants. They change to
a coarser abrasive and a more-open wheel structure. These changes
let the wheels grind faster and cooler while maintaining surface finish
and accuracy due to the extreme lubricity of the bio-based coolant.
Overall, grinding productivity and part quality can be dramatically
improved with bio-based coolant technology.
Easy Cleanup
Bio-based oils and coolants are easily cleaned from parts and
machines with soap and water. Mineral spirits and other petroleum based
degreasers are not effective. When bio-based residue is left on
steel parts it acts as an effective in-process rust preventative. These
products are non-staining on most metals, including brass and most
aluminum alloys.
Bio-based lubricants are non-hazmat (not ecologically hazardous)
prior to being used. Mist from these products forms large droplets
that tend to fall close to the source. OSHA limits for bio-based vapors
are much higher than for petroleum-based vapors. Dermatitis is not a
problem with bio-based fluids, as the operator’s skin doesn’t dry out
and crack after contact with these fluids.
Real-World Experience
Case studies reveal very real improvements in tool life, surface finish,
and productivity from the use of bio-based cutting oil and water soluble
coolants. A Detroit gear manufacturer was running production two shifts
per day. Tool costs were reducing profitability on this part. They changed
from petroleum-based cutting oil to Performance Biolubes NuCut Plus
cutting oil, and tool life was increased by 300 percent. Another company
was using a shaper and achieving 11 parts per tool sharpening. After
converting to NuCut Plus tools lasted twice as long, and they were able to
increase feed rates by 10 percent to further increase throughput.
Fig. 1: Bio-based lubricants possess a polar attraction to
metal, while petroleum-based fluids have no polarity and
therefore no affinity to metal.
High Performance “Green” Lubricants
formulated to achieve maximum productivity at the lowest cost.
Performance Biolube’s vegetable based fluids have
greater lubricity than petroleum oils resulting in faster
cutting speeds, greater feed rates and higher part quality.
The oils’ natural polarity causes them to be attracted
to metal, resulting in improved surface finishes.
• Excellent lubricity
to reduce friction
• High Flashpoint —
(590º F)
• Safer Smoke
Free workplace
• High viscosity
index for wide
temperature range
• Exceptional oxidative
stability
• Eliminate or reduce
smoke and improve
tool life in:
– Hobbing
– Shaping
– Shaving
– Grinding
– Broaching splines,keyways and internal gears
MAY 2010
A supplier of aerospace components uses CBN plated form
wheels to grind hardened carbon steel parts for proprietary power
transmission products. The problem was heat buildup in the part,
which could cause part failure and potential loss of life. Expensive
quality control processes were in place to reduce risk. Wheel life
was approximately 2,500 parts before wheels had to be stripped
and re-plated. These CBN wheels were recognized as the highest
cost perishable tool in the plant. Some of the grinders were using
water-soluble coolant and some were using neat oil. Neither product
worked well on this difficult application. After testing, the company
converted all grinders to NuCut Plus bio-based cutting oil. The
heat checking (grinding burn) was eliminated, allowing increases in
production rates and reduction of QC efforts. The grinding wheel
life increased to over 10,000 parts per wheel, dramatically reducing
tool costs.
This Tier Two supplier to a large bearing manufacturer had a
contract to cutoff 85,000 pieces per week from a carbon steel
tube. The operation was running 24 hours per day, seven days a
week. They selected a Modern cutoff machine and tooled it with
blade style indexable carbide cutoff tools. Tool life was approximately
700 parts per tool. To improve the profitability of the job the
manufacturer wanted to further improve tool life and reduce cycle
time. They replaced the petroleum-based coolant with XXL Plus biobased
coolant from Performance Biolubes. It was determined that
tool life doubled and feed rates were increased by about 10 percent.
Annual cost savings were approximately $39,000 per year.
Conclusion
Environmental and health concerns are important to most shop owners
and corporate managers. Performance Biolubes’ metal cutting fluids
are truly “green” products, made from North American renewable seed
crops. There are no known cases of dermatitis from this product, and
most users say that they have eliminated dry skin and cracking that
occurred when working with petroleum-based coolants. The vapors
from NuCut Plus are not hazardous. Petroleum-based oils get lubricity
from additives such as chlorine and sulfur. Bio-based products don’t
need these additives due to the much higher natural lubricity.
When both the performance and sustainability of bio-based metal
cutting fluids are considered, a compelling case can be made for their
use. Savvy shop owners and managers will use these products to cut
cost, improve profits, and reduce the shop’s carbon footprint. In addition,
health benefits will accrue, resulting in a cleaner, healthier, and
more-productive workplace.
about The authors:
Bob Frazier is the CEO of Performance Biolubes, and Dwight Smith
is president of Cole Mfg. Systems, Inc.
Visit online at [www.performancebiolubes.
web: performancebiolubes.com
8011 Parkside Ave. | Morton Grove, IL, 60053 | Toll Free 866-947-8991
Majeski Machine 34410 Rosati Drive Livonia, Michigan 48150
A Gear Manufacturer in Livonia Michigan
has found a money saving way to go GREEN!
“This product is its own best advertising.
We got 3 times the tool life out of our hobs after filling our machine
with NU Cut Plus (Soy- Based Cutting Oil) from Sterling Tool.
Before adding NuCut Plus, we had to change stations on our hobs twice a day.
Now, we change stations every other day.
Consequently, we are sharpening and recoating hobs less often,
saving us time and money.
Production has significantly increased due to the lack of downtime
and I can confidently run my other shifts without worrying that
they will run out of good hobs.
I would recommend this high performance cutting oil to anyone.
Amazing results from a renewable resource that is grown in the USA!
Ted Grutza
Majeski Machine
Success Story
Another reason to Go Green
Bio-Based Lubricants
Product: NuCut Plus Bio-Based Cutting Oil
Process: Gear Shaper / Tool Sharpening
Savings: $24,000.00
Background
The world’s leading international manufacturer of
agricultural, construction, forestry, and lawn and turf
care equipment was seeking ways to improve productivity,
reduce cost and improve the environmental
sustainability of their operations.
Situation
The Company desired to reduce the maintenance
cost of cutting tools, specifically the High Speed
Helical Shaper Cutter. The operation was using
Henkel Circlene FG20 petroleum-based metalworking fluid.
It required 60 minutes to re-sharpen the dull tool
at a cost of $34.80 per tool.
Solution Recharged the system with
NuCut Plus Soy-Based Cutting Oil.
Benefits NuCut Plus dramatically extended tool life.
The number of pieces cut between tool changes
increased from 29 to 44 pieces, a 52% increase.
NuCut Plus reduced grinding time from 60 minutes
to 35 minutes, a 25 minute reduction. This represented
a savings of 42%. NuCut Plus improved the tool performance
because the tool held its cutting edge, performed better,
reduced sharpening error and improved finish.
NuCut Plus is Soy-Based so the company was able to
use a product manufactured from a renewable resource.
It is biodegradable so it is friendly to the environment.
Annual Savings Current Cost: $51,956
Savings: $24,800
Percentage Saving: 47.7%
Payback Period: 2 Months
Your company can see these same cost reductions
by using this Bio-Based Technology. Give us a call.
Toll Free 1-866-929-7200
Another SuccessStory
Product
NuCut Plus Cutting/Grinding Oil
Application
Form Grinding heated treated high carbon steel with
CBN plated wheels
Background
Manufacturer of proprietary power transmission parts
struggled with heat checking in hardened parts after
grinding forms with CBN plated grinding wheels.
Situation
Customer has ground forms in heat treated high
carbon steel parts for many years. A typical plated grinding wheel
ground 2000parts before it required stripping and re-plating.
he quality control department has identified small cracks in
parts after the grinding process, causing increased scrap, lost
production time, increased inspection, and additional administrative efforts.
The grinding fluid used was a Blaser petroleum-based oil.
Solution
Customer replaced their petroleum-based grinding oil
with Performance Biolubes’ NuCut Plus Bio-based Cutting/Grinding Oil.
Benefits
When grinding with NuCut Plus, the grinding process
no longer causes the customers parts to crack.
This is due of reduced heat from improved lubrication
of the grinding wheel. Also, this improved lubrication
allows the CBN plated grinding wheels to last over 6000 parts
before requiring re-plating. The customer is able to
increase feed rates while reducing smoke
produced by the grinding process.
Your company can see these same cost reductions
by using this Bio-Based Technology.
Give us a call. 248-524-0100
Cost Savings Grinding wheel expense is reduced$60,000 annually.
Reduced quality control efforts save approximately $30,000.
Reduced production time saves $200,000 per year.
These savings total $290,000 per year.
Additional savings comes from reduced scrap and administrative time.
Another Success
Story
Bio-Based Metal Cutting Fluid
Product Bio-Cool
XXL Plus Water Soluble Coolant
Process Finish
Turning
Application
Machining the face of a
carbon steel automotive part
with a .7 (metric) micro-finish requirement.
Background
A first tier automotive
supplier was having trouble
maintaining a .7 micro-finish on a finish turning
operation.
Tools were being changed
when surface finish deteriorated
after about 60 parts. Feed rates were held to .0055
per revolution
to maintain finish.
Situation
Customer needed to
improve tool life while keeping
finish within tolerances. They had tested various cutting tools
and
settled on a Tungaloy wiper style insert
to obtain the best surface finish.
Solution
Customer added five
gallons of Performance Biolubes’
Bio-Cool XXL Plus coolant concentrate to the
current
semi-synthetic coolant in their 100 gallon sump.
Benefits
Finish improved to a 3.5
micro-finish.
Tool life increased to
130 parts per edge.
After these results were solidified,
the Performance
Biolubes Representative suggested
that the customer increase their feed
rate.
With XXL Plus, the customer was
able to increase
feed rate from .0055 per rev. to .014 per rev.
Your
company can see these same cost reductions
by using this Bio-Based
Technology.
Give us
a call.
248-524-0100
Cost Savings
Insert cost is $7.42 each with 6
cutting edges.
At $1.24 per edge, tool
cost per part was $.021 for 60 parts
and is now $.009 per part for 130 parts.
The customer manufactured these
parts on two machines
with an $80 burden rate per machine. Together,
the two machines produced 3000 parts
per day in sixteen hours.
The total
burden cost was .853 per part.
There
were 50 five minute tool changes.
After adding Bio-Cool XXL, tool changes were
reduced
to 23 per day, a reduction of 2.25 hours in tool change time.
The increase in feed rate reduced
machining time by 10 seconds
per part times 3000 parts per day totals a
reduction of 8.3 hours
in machining time.Total cost reduction using
Bio-Cool XXL Plus
is .293 per part. The
annual cost savings is $219,750.
This
does not include the reduction in scrap parts,
reworks or reduction in costs of
reduced quality control
and administration efforts.
Bio-Based Metal Cutting Fluid
Product
Bio-Cool
XXL Plus Water Soluble Coolant
Application
Heavy wall carbon steel tube cutoff
on a Modern Cutoff Machine.
Background
Second tier supplier to a
large bearing manufacturer
has a contract to cutoff 85,000 pieces per week of a
carbon steel tube running 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
They selected a Modern Cutoff machine and
tooled it
with Ingersoll blade style indexable carbide cutoff tools.
Situation
Customer tested various
tools and determined that
they could achieve 700 parts per edge consistently
with an
eleven second cycle time.
Customer asked his distributor
representative if there was anything else
they could do
to improve tool life or cycle time.
Solution
Customer added 2-1/2
gallons of Performance Biolubes’
Bio-Cool XXL Plus coolant concentrate to the
current semi-synthetic
coolant in their 50 gallon sump to see if the biobased
product
would help with tool life.
Benefits
The customer stated that
he knew immediately that his
tool life would improve because the surface finish
in the
cut area was much better and that usually translates
to better tool
life. As it turned out, their tool life
improved
dramatically. The customer
now gets more than 1400 parts per tool,
a 100 percent improvement.
Your
company can see these same cost reductions
by using this Bio-Based
Technology.
Give us
a call.
248-524-0100
Cost Savings
Insert cost is $16.20 each with 2
cutting edges.
At $8.10 per edge, tool
cost per part was $.023 for 700 parts
and is now $.0115 per part for 1400
parts.
Tool cost savings is $24,589 per
year.
With an eleven second cycle time,
tool changes were
every two hours and took five minutes each.
Performance Biolubes coolant reduced tool
changes
by one half. With an $80 per hour burden rate,
the savings
from reduced tool change time was $14,000 annually.
Total annual savings from using
Performance Biolubes coolant is $38,589.
Other Benefits
Performance Biolubes’ Bio-Cool
coolant is a truly “Green” product,
made from USA
grown seed crops.
There are no known
cases of dermatitis from this product,
and most users say that they have
eliminated dry skin cracking
that occurred when working with petroleum-based
coolants.
The vapors from Bio-Cool are
not hazardous.
Disposal is not hazmat
unless the used product contains
other hazmat classified materials such as
heavy metals from machining.
An in-depth veiw of Elm Cost Savings at a Screw Machine House:
Soy Metal Working Fluid
Miller Products Company Osceola, Iowa
Bill Frosch billf@millerproductsco.com 641-342-2103
Number of employee: 40 Industry:
Metal Fabrication Process:
Machining Waste Reduced:
Oil Substance: Cutting fluid
Miller Products realized a 20-30% increase
in productivity and cut retooling costs 50%
by switching to soy metal working fluid.
Miller Products Company
1015 N. Main, Dept. TR
Osceola, IA 50213
http://www.millerproductsco.com
Miller Products Company, a manufacturer of
screw machine products and turned parts
located in Osceola, Iowa, began testing soy
neat oil in Spring 2006. The company is a leading
manufacturer of trailer pins with worldwide distribution.
Bill Frosch, Plant Engineer, was interested in trying soy
metal working fluids because he felt that it is important
to close the loop as a supplier to agribusiness. He was
pleasantly surprised to find that the soy product’s performance
was superior to petroleum straight oil.
Miller Products realized a 20-30% increase in
productivity and cut retooling costs in half by
switching to soy metal working fluid.
Miller Products machining capacities range in size
from 1/4" to 3-1/2" diameter bar stock. Miller Products
features multiple spindle, CNC and single spindle screw
Machines with complete secondary operations including
in-house zinc plating, centerless grinding and vertical CNC.
Contract screw machine products are available in long and
short runs. Stock items include: lock pins, hitch pins, snap
lock pins & bent pins. Founded in 1936, Miller Products has
been a reliable employer and a good community steward.
The company was interested in the positive environmental
image as an immeasurable benefit of pollution prevention.
The company has been ISO9000 certified for many years
and was interested in capitalizing on an increasingly precious
public relations commodity: green street credit.
Small Business Placement Description Soy metal working fluid
replaced straight petroleum oil in several test machines.
As the test period proceeded, additional machine stations were
converted to soy oil. The shop has a central reservoir system
so the test machines were isolated to ensure that no soy neat
oil was mixed into the central system and no petroleum make
up oil was added to the test stations. The machines were single
and multi-spindle stations. An immediate increase in tool life
(or reduction in retooling) was identified.
The product placed was Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing, Inc.
(ELM) SoyEasy UNI-Cut™, a universal cutting,way,and hydraulic fluid.
Formulated with the best- optimized USA-grown natural seed oils
and select additives, it surpasses the lubricity and performance
of conventional metalworking fluids.1 As the test period continued,
the machine feed rates were increased at each station.
A minimum increase in feed of 20% was verified with some
machines increased to 30% higher productivity than when
using petroleum oils. Overall an average of 25% increase in
feed rate (productivity) was realized. Additionally, a noticeable
reduction in the number of retooling events for each station
was documented. Previously, using petroleum neat oil, each
spindle had to be retooled twice per day for about 15 minutes
of downtime. Using soy oil the frequency was cut in half, resulting
in only one retooling event per day. This reduction in retooling
further increased productivity as well as cut the cost of retooling
by 50%, potentially saving over $66,000 per year.
Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing, Inc is the leading
provider of bio-based lubricants and greases in the United States.
These products are based on exclusive biotech-based technology,
formulated with renewable, biodegradable USA-grown vegetable oils.
These lubricants, greases, and metalworking fluids are
environmentally friendly and meet or exceed industry standards.
5 http://www.elmusa.com/
The reduction in retooling cut the cost of retooling by 50%,
saving over $66,000 per year.
Following the test period, Miller Products Company decided
to make a full conversion to soy oil based on the a 20-30% increase
in productivity and 50% reduction in retooling costs. The cost
for complete shop conversion was $23,000. The petroleum oil
could have been consumed but the plant manager was anxious
to complete the conversion to soy to realize the increased
productivity and reduced tooling costs as soon as possible.
Technology Description (P2 Application) Metal working fluids
basically come in two types: water-soluble coolants and
neat (straight) oil. Neat oil is required for difficult processes
that require the highest level of lubricity. Neat oil is the most
expensive metal working fluid due to the high volume of
product used. Therefore, is only used in shops only when
specialty work requires it.
The use of soy oil for metalworking began as an alternative
to conventional products (petroleum-based, synthetics and
semi-synthetics). Soy oil, like many other ag-based oils, exhibits
superior lubricity in many industrial applications. Additionally,
many companies are interested in biodegradable products,
especially those developed from renewable resources that
help agribusiness.
Specifically, soy oils have the following advantages over
conventional products:
1) produce less smoke and mist for reduced inhalation problems
2) contain no chlorine or sulfur
3) reduce or eliminate dermatitis issues
4) reduce retooling costs
5) increase productivity (or feed) rates.
Several steps are necessary to convert metal ores into
useful metal products. These steps are conducted by
businesses in the metal working industries; specifically
classified by Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC) Codes 3400-3499.2 The fabricated metal industry
shapes products from stock material through one or more
machining processes. Metals may be shaped by using
heat-treating or cold pressure methods. Cold pressure
methods shape the work piece by applying direct
physical pressure to cold metal. Shaping operations include
shearing (e.g. punching), forming (e.g. spinning or drawing),
and machining processes. Machining operations require the
use of machining tools to refine the shape of the work piece
by removing small amounts of material. Examples of machining
processes include drilling, milling, turning, planning, sawing and
grinding. Machining processes use various products in the
processes such as cutting fluids, lubricants, hydraulic fluids,
cooling or quench oils, and possibly cleaning solutions.
Machining involves high-pressure, metal on metal moving
contacts between tool and work piece. To reduce the heat
and friction caused by these operations, metal working
fluids (MWFs) are circulated over the work surfaces.
These fluids are used to:
- Control and reduce the temperature of tools and work surfaces;
- Reduce friction and vibration by acting as a lubricant;
- Wash away chips and metal debris;
- Improve the quality of the machined surface; and
- Inhibit corrosion and rust on newly exposed surfaces. Environmental, Health, and Regulatory Background
(Environmental Benefits) Neat oils contain additives
to improve performance and inhibit rust and corrosion.
Traditionally, petroleum products contain wetting agents
to increase lubricity as well as extreme pressure additives
such as sulfur and chlorine.3 These additives enhance the
anti-welding properties and improve lubrication. However,
neat oils have poor heat dissipating properties and therefore,
increase fire risk. They may also create smoke in the shop
that results in a poor work environment. Petroleum oils can
cause folliculitis and oil acne by blocking skin or hair follicles.
4 Soybean oil has a higher molecular weight and flash point
when compared to petroleum oil. These properties help soy
oil bond well with metals serving as an effective
friction reducer (lubricant). They also decrease heating,
minimizing smoke and mist problems by not burning off at
high temperature points such as the tool-to-part contact point.
Soy oil also include reduction or elimination of dermatitis
due to its compatibility with natural skin oils and the lack
of harsh chemical additives.
The reduced wear on tools and machinery
is an environmental benefit by enhancing
the longevity of these durable goods.
One of the most obvious environmental benefits of soy is
that it’s a biodegradable product that comes from a
renewable resource. Regulatory Using straight oils
for machining in this shop eliminated spent metalworking
fluids as a waste stream since all of the product
(whether soy or petroleum) is consumed in the process.
During the conversion from petroleum-based MWFs to
the ELM soy product, used oil was generated. The used
metalworking fluid was recycled by a local used oil
marketer under the Used Oil Management Standards
(40CFR279). Disposal is not usually an issue with the
neat oil in this shop. The central reservoir system is
equipped with a centrifuge that removes the metal
fines and continually recycles the oil. The soy oil is
being used in the same recovery system without any
modification. The metal fines are recycled.
Outcomes Pollutant Reduction Outcomes
Every industrial process has inputs and outputs.
Material that is not incorporated into the finished
product eventually becomes a waste. Implementing
pollution prevention can increase industrial efficiency
and potentially decrease costs.
Hazardous material reduced in pounds per year:
5,000 pounds per year The shop’s increase in
productivity by an average of 25% equates to a reduction
in material usage of 5,000 pounds per year.
Environmental & Health Outcomes The health and
safety benefits of soy MWFs include reduced dermatitis
issues and reduced smoke that causes inhalation problems.
Soy oil’s superior adhesion properties also reduce safety
concerns by not creating slippery work surfaces.
Substitution of a petroleum product with a biodegradable
product manufactured from a renewable resource that
benefitsagribusiness has many known environmental benefits.
“Businesses can improve the work environment for their
employees by using biochemicals and thus reduce health
and safety risks. Plant matter-derived chemicals are typically
lower in toxicity, flammability and corrosivity than their
petrochemical counterparts.”5 Economic Outcomes Increased
productivity and reduced retooling costs are the most
significant economic benefit of this pollution prevention
application. The cost benefit analysis provided here is
an extrapolation for an entire production year based on
the data collected during the test period. The shop rate
was based on an average rate for the industry. This shop
preferred not to publish an exact shop rate as their rates vary.
The cost calculator developed to estimate the benefits
of switching to soy oil is available at
http://www.iwrc.org/netsb/.
Cost of Petroleum Product................. $6.49 per gallon
Cost of Soy Product.... .. $11.53 per gallon
Average shop hourly .......... $75.00
System capacity.................. 1500 gallons
Annual make up................ 1000 gallons
Cost of Petroleum MWF annually at $6.49 per gallon........ $16,225.00
In-house sharpening of high-speed circular form tools
was conducted twice per day for about 15 minutes for
each spindle (40) on 252 production days per year.
0.25 hours X $75 shop rate X 40 spindles X 252 days = $132,300
Retooling cost annually with petroleum..................... $132,300.00
Annual cost of using petroleum at baseline production rate....... $148,525.00
Cost of Soy MWF annually at $11.53 per gallon...... $28,825.00
Retooling cost annually with Soy
(doubled the life of the tools).... $66,150.00
Annual cost of using soy............................... $94,975.00
Annual savings of using soy MWF................... $53,550.00
Estimated increased productivity by 25%................ $1,058,400.00
Projected total cost savings & estimated increase in productivity........ $1,111,950.00
GO GREEN!!!
