Thoughts on mist coolant for machining - Editted MQL not Mist

[pressbrake1]

Clive,

Are you saying that filtration is required for all forms of metal working fluids or only mist? I either use flood neat cutting oil or cut dry.

Laurie

High speed spindles and high pressure coolant equals aerosol mist
Coolant on skin can cause nasty dermatitis so what it can do to respiratory system doesn’t bare thinking about
I spent time in fords engine plant in the nineties, permanent smog

 

[Parm]

Very useful guidance

https://www.ukla.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/UKLA-HSE-Good-Practice-Guide-for-Safe-Handling-and-Disposal-of-Metalworking-Fluids.pdf

 

[Parm]

High speed spindles and high pressure coolant equals aerosol mist
Coolant on skin can cause nasty dermatitis so what it can do to respiratory system doesn’t bare thinking about
I spent time in fords engine plant in the nineties, permanent smog

Dagenham?

 

[Laurie Tedcastle]

High speed spindles and high pressure coolant equals aerosol mist
Coolant on skin can cause nasty dermatitis so what it can do to respiratory system doesn’t bare thinking about
I spent time in fords engine plant in the nineties, permanent smog

Yes, there some machining bays in Herbert's Edgwick works that suffered from mist problems. I was always concerned about vapour coming off cylindrical grinders - seemed to splash everywhere.

Laurie

 

[ATGNI]

The reality is I’m going to try it and find out. I’m not going to suffer any negative health effect. I already know this for one very simple reason, exsposure. In a ”typical “ workshop a cnc station used less than 1/2 a litre of vegetable based lubricant in a 6 month period, the equipment was in use most days. There are no biocide hazard the lubricant is not recycle and not Reheated and not reused. My exposure will probably be less than one hour per week. All the comments are referencing something quite differently to what I am building. So let’s find out If this is viable or not.

 

[Parm]

Going to try and find out

Will take about 2 years before any disease manifests itself

But you probably already know this

 

[ATGNI]

Going to try and find out

Will take about 2 years before any disease manifests itself

But you probably already know this

Your out by a factor of a thousand but thanks for playing.

Try doing the math. PS I already have.

 

[m_c]

Your out by a factor of a thousand but thanks for playing.

Try doing the math. PS I already have.

You do realise Parm is a respected health and safety advisor who has specialised in work place respiratory issues, so really does know what he's talking about?

 

[ATGNI]

You do realise Parm is a respected health and safety advisor who has specialised in work place respiratory issues, so really does know what he's talking about?

I prefer evidence rather than calls to authority. I am equally qualified In process and industrial safety and I am more than capable of such assessment based on quantitative measurements. The comment haven’t addressed the matter of exposure and the vast difference between an Industrial environment and the limited exposure as a hobbiest. The bar is set very much lower in industry.

The whole point of an MQL system is the avoidance of mist. I doubt that with the correct selection of lubricant specifically one designed for this application and minimum exposure levels this poses significantly less risk to me than the risk of operating the machine itself. If you are not comfortable with the known risks associated with a Misting / MQL systems the answer is very simple, don’t use it!

For those that are interested here is progress.

 

[m_c]

I prefer evidence rather than calls to authority.

I'm pretty sure Parm wouldn't have lasted long in his previous job if he wasn't using fact based evidence, and I'm sure if he wanted to, he could also tell you several stories of people with similar attitudes to yourself that thought some 'limited' exposure would be fine, but instead resulted in being investigated due to the resultant damage.

 

[ATGNI]

The progress has been slow on the MQL but I have the electronics finished and just have the pneumatic parts to assemble. It is fair to say this simple project has taken me much longer than I intended, but a lot of time has been spent doing the 3D CAD work and also learning how to operate my toy CNC machine. For those that havent tried 3D CAD yet I highly recommend it as a winter sport when the unheated workshop may hold less atraction. I have probably wasted more time on this than I should especially as it may not work or end up filling my workshop in chemical fog. I havent yet sourced any suitable coolant in low quantity for the MQL so the first go will use vegetable oil as lubricant which is what the "safer" MQL system advocate using. I have been reading that for periods in WW2 quite a few workshops used coconut oil as a lubricant for milling when mineral oils were in short supply. It does beg the question as to why coconut was more available......? Video link below for anyone interrested in seeing the electronics assembley

 

[Erie Fred]

I hear it causes "Brain fog".....

 

[ATGNI]

I heard someones friends, dogs, grandmother exploded after walking past the engine plant at Dagenham in 1983. So it must be true!

 

[ATGNI]

Got the pneumatic and pump sorted now. I think it may have to wait for some better weather before testing as it is horrible and cold in the garage.

 

[ATGNI]

Glad to report that the project went together and delivers a very low flow rate of oil. Although doubtless that some atomisation of the lubricant occurs the droplets are quite large and the vast majority is getting captured by the workpiece. At the moment the unit is programmed to deliver an additional amount of lubricant at startup and I need to just tweak the settings as I have this set far to high.