Filtermist investment pays off at sub-contractor

The Filtermist FX5002 extraction system on an automated Hurco machining centre

One of the biggest challenges for any machine shop is workshop air quality and the impact coolant mist has on staff wellbeing. To stop coolant mist from impacting the air quality in the workplace, Tooling 2000 Ltd installed on-machine mist extraction systems from Filtermist Ltd. In addition to COSHH compliant clean air, the Birmingham sub-contract manufacturer is also benefitting in other less obvious ways.

Founded back in 1996, Tooling 2000 offers everything from product prototyping and development to five-axis laser cutting, CNC machining, precision tooling and presswork for marquee customers like Rolls-Royce, JLR, Aston Martin, Magna, Bentley and many others. With a complete suite of Hurco CNC machines from the compact Hurco TM12i turning centre, and three- and five-axis VMX machines, to the large bed Hurco DCX42i, the company also invested in Filtermist oil mist extraction on its machine tools. Not only has this improved air quality, but it has also enhanced productivity too.

Iain Bubb, senior business development manager at Tooling 2000, said: “To eliminate airborne particulate in our facility we installed Filtermist systems. This enables us to take any atomised coolant out of the atmosphere inside the work enclosure immediately. This then enables us to do two things. Firstly, it protects our workforce which is of paramount importance. Secondly, it allows us to open the doors to our machine tools sooner which provides us with more machining uptime on our machines.”

With more machine shops employing high-speed machining and high-pressure coolant systems that deliver fluid to the cutting edge, airborne coolant mist is a significant and growing issue for manufacturers. Mr Bubb continued: “Before having the Filtermist systems, we would have to leave the machine tool doors closed for an extended period, giving any atomised cutting fluid time to settle within the machine. The Filtermist system completely clears the enclosure of mist — this enables us to gain seconds on the production process and this helps our bottom line.”

Health and safety concern
If the doors of the machine tools are opened immediately after a cutting cycle with no mist extraction in place, the oil mist enters the air, creating an oily film on everything from the machines and the workstation to tools, the floor and anything else in the vicinity — causing a health and safety concern.

Pictured right: the Filtermist FX5002 on a Hurco machining centre at Tooling 2000

Mr Bubb explained: “With the Filtermist system, we are removing all airborne particulates from the machine tool atmosphere. This keeps the inside of the machine clean. It also helps to remove the swarf as it does not stick to the tacky coolant that may be left on the machine bed, so it helps to keep the machines cleaner, and it helps with maintenance.”

Filtermist oil mist filters eliminate airborne particulates and subsequently the oily film from the machine tools, components and wider work area. The machine-mounted Filtermist FX5002 draws oil into a perforated drum that rotates at high speed and causes the mist to coalesce. Centrifugal force pushes the oil into the outer casing of the FX5002 where it drains back to the machine tool for re-use or collection. Simultaneously, the clean air is passed through a secondary high-efficiency after-filter to remove submicron particles that may have passed through the unit.

Referring to the installation of the Filtermist technology, Mr Bubb explained: “When we specify our machine tool purchases, we ask for the Filtermist system to be installed on the machines before delivery. We are a family-owned business, and we take our investments very seriously. So, when we specify a new machine we want it delivered to specifications we require to support our business.”

With the Filtermist FX5002 mist extraction systems fitted to its range of Hurco machine tools, Tooling 2000 finds maintenance of the technology easy to manage. Mr Bubb said: “We have a TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) System in place, so after a set number of hours of production the Filtermist filters are changed and cleaned with ease. We take our employees’ welfare very seriously, so taking any ‘nasties’ out of the environment is very important to us. Productivity is also very important to us as a business and that cascades down to the bottom line. With the Filtermist technology we get more uptime from our machines and that gives us better productivity and profitability.”