Fungi problem in metal cutting fluid
October 21, 2022
In the metal processing industry, due to warm, humid and dark environment, fungus problems are prone to occur. When fungi in the machine tool multiply in large quantities, it will not only smell bad and cause health problems, but also have a negative impact on the entire process. The following problems may occur due to the fungus devouring various components in the metalworking fluid: 1. The fungus will reduce the pH value of the coolant, which is more conducive to the reproduction of other microorganisms. 2. The fungus will make the emulsion particles become larger and the metal processing mesh will increase the amount of coolant carried out or the processing performance will become worse 3. After the key components of metalworking fluid are swallowed by fungi, the daily addition amount will increase. 4. The fungal hyphae will block the nozzle or filter medium, causing the interruption of coolant supply, resulting in insufficient cooling and lubrication on the tool surface, or even failure to process normally. 5. Fungi will cause black rust and pits on the surface of cast iron.
Prevention is better than treatment. In order to avoid the problem of coolant fungus, it is necessary to briefly introduce some basic principles of fungus growth. 1. Generally, the coolant can inhibit the growth of fungi by maintaining a certain level of fungicides, amines and pH. However, if some of these parameters are low, fungi will reproduce. 2. If the coolant circulation is not sufficient, fungi will breed in those areas. If the coolant in some parts of the system cannot be contacted frequently in a large range; Or because of insufficient production tasks and long downtime, fungi are more likely to occur. 3. If there is residual liquid during the cleaning of the machine tool, these microorganisms will be hidden in the coolant and quickly breed in the new coolant. Especially fungi, it takes a lot of time and effort to penetrate into the hyphae and completely kill fungi. 4. External pollutants such as oil leakage from hydraulic oil and other systems or poor daily cleaning will provide an excellent food source for fungus breeding.
It is ideal to avoid these situations. Because it cannot directly contact and penetrate into the fungus, the sterilization process is quite complex. There are many fungicides available on the market, but they are expensive and should be used with special attention to safety. We suggest that the following precautions can be taken to avoid fungus problems: 1. Select biostable products. Such products do not control fungi through fungicides, etc. In addition, correct daily management of the system is also the best solution. 2. The pipeline or filtering device shall be designed reasonably to avoid dead corner areas. In addition, avoid keeping the coolant stationary for a long time. During holidays, it is recommended to turn on the circulating pump to circulate the coolant for a certain period of time, or at least have a small amount of air or start the scraping device to circulate the coolant for a certain amount. 3. The machine tool shall be thoroughly cleaned, including the use of machine tool cleaning agent containing bactericide. If large amount of fungus is found, it should be removed. 4. Minimize pollution. Take appropriate measures to reduce system oil leakage or other external pollution sources.
In short, we do not want fungus growth in the Metal Working Fluid in use, and the fungus problem will increase the manufacturing cost. Therefore, a targeted prevention plan can ensure that your machine tool operates normally, extend the life of the coolant, and support the company's safety and profitability.
