Northern Ireland-based McAuley Engineering Ltd is reaping the benefits of switching to TRIM MicroSol 585XT coolant from Master Fluid Solutions (www.masterfluidsolutions.com).

This has solved issues relating to odour and cleanliness, while also reducing usage considerably. A single container of the previous coolant would only last six weeks, but a single container of Microsol 585XT lasts for four months.

McAuley Engineering, which has a facility in Ballymoney, was founded in 1997 and is one of the largest employers in the area.

The company’s ISO co-ordinator, Dale Kirkwood, said: “Although we weren’t particularly looking to change our coolant, we were aware of the strong odour being created in the machine shop.

“Furthermore, the coolant was leaving heavy oily residues on the windows of our machine tools, which was making it difficult for operators to see the cutting zone.”

After a recommendation from its tooling supplier, McAuley agreed to change the coolant in one of its machines to TRIM MicroSol 585XT and monitor performance over a four-week period.

The materials being machined at the time included aluminium, steel and some titanium, typically in the form of either billets or castings.

The new coolant, which has approvals from major aerospace companies, is a high-lubricity semi-synthetic micro-emulsion that provides excellent cooling and mechanical lubrication without chlorinated or sulphurised EP additives.

This is important in the production of aerospace parts, as materials such as titanium alloys are poor thermal conductors.

The heat generated during the cutting process can dull cutting tools very quickly, so good lubrication is essential to extending tool life.

Extremely tolerant to hard water, TRIM MicroSol 585XT is also low-foaming for use in modern high-pressure CNC machine tools.

Mr Kirkwood said: “We noticed a vast improvement during the trial; the previous bad odour had gone completely.

“In addition, the coolant is so clean that the operator could see clearly through the machine window, which really helps in set-up and operations.”