Lost a $600 job to a coolant mix issue last Friday

I had a rush order for a batch of 50 aluminum parts, all had to be done by Friday afternoon. Set up the Haas, programmed it fine, and the first few parts looked perfect. Then around part 20 I started getting this weird surface finish, looked like little pits. Checked the coolant concentration and it was way too weak because I forgot to top it off after the last cleanup. Ended up scrapping 10 parts and had to re-run them, but the customer was already waiting so I had to eat the material cost. Has anyone else had coolant issues ruin a big run like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia39819d ago

You ended up scrapping 10 parts and had to re-run them" - that's brutal. Did you check if the coolant concentration was off from the start, or did it just slowly get weaker as you ran parts? I've had that happen where I thought I was fine but the sump was low and the coolant got diluted by chips or leaks. Might be worth checking your coolant management routine. I know for me, I started marking a fill line on the tank so I don't miss it after cleanups. Sucks that the customer wasn't flexible, but sometimes they just can't wait.

julia_anderson19d ago

Coolant doesn't dilute from chips, just water evaporates faster.

dixon.iris19d ago

That fill line idea is smart, I might steal that. Another thing I started doing is checking the concentration with a refractometer right before any big run, saves a lot of headache. The customer thing is tough but once you burn them a couple times you learn to build in a buffer for mistakes.