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RCM Estech & Blaser: “We’ve come further than we originally intended”

RCM Estech & Blaser: “We’ve come further than we originally intended”

by | Aug 24, 2023 | Customer Cases

RCM Estech & Blaser: “We’ve come further than we originally intended.” Sticky residue on parts and machines as well as a suboptimal coolant service life were problems that precision manufacturer RCM Estech AG in Burgdorf, Switzerland, reported when it contacted the metalworking fluid specialists at Blaser Swisslube. After a detailed analysis and a successful test phase, the company switched to the versatile metalworking fluid B-Cool 610. The results are impressive: The coolant life has more than doubled, stickiness is a thing of the past, and human compatibility has been improved on a lasting basis. In the future, RCM Estech, working together with Blaser, plans to introduce automated refilling and dosing of the metalworking fluid. RCM Estech AG became part of Estech Industries in 2008. The company is known for high-performance machining of high-strength materials on modern metal-cutting machines. Components for cars and engines, thin-walled parts with high shape and position tolerances, gears, and other precision parts are manufactured in the precision manufacturer’s shop buildings. On the one hand, this versatility is a real asset for RCM Estech, but also a particular challenge when it comes to choosing metalworking fluid. “From machining aluminum at high speeds to high-strength, forged steel, we face a massive range of materials to be machined. Likewise, the demands on the metalworking fluid are equally high,” emphasizes Dominik Böhlen, Safety Officer and Maintenance Manager at RCM Estech. The previous metalworking fluid used was unable to meet these high requirements. There was sticky residue on parts and machines, especially on the filters of engines and electrical installations. “The greater the evaporation, the greater the susceptibility to stickiness. Maintaining the service life of the metalworking fluid became a real problem,” explains Dominik. “This dragged on for a long time. We were forced to change our metalworking fluid at least once a year and, on some machines, even every six months.” Local expertise It was hardly surprising that those in charge at RCM Estech went looking for alternatives. They found the solution right on their doorstep: The headquarters of global metalworking fluid experts, Blaser Swisslube is less than a 15 minutes’ drive away. Dominik Böhlen: “We have a leading metalworking fluid specialist just around the corner, so it was obvious that we...
Wittenstein scores a success with bactericide-free Blaser metalworking fluid

Wittenstein scores a success with bactericide-free Blaser metalworking fluid

by | Aug 16, 2023 | Customer Cases

Wittenstein scores a success with bactericide-free Blaser metalworking fluid Precise analysis of the manufacturing processes, constructive, solution-oriented discussions, and dedicated teamwork enabled Swiss precision manufacturer Wittenstein AG to increase productivity step-by-step, in cooperation with the metalworking fluid specialists at Blaser Swisslube. The bactericide-free metalworking fluid B-Cool GR 620 put an end to the skin problems experienced by employees in rack and pinion production. Vasco 6000 succeeded in putting aside the previously prevailing stability problems in the production of circulating beams. The future is constructive: Wittenstein aims to digitize metalworking fluid management in cooperation with Blaser Swisslube. Located in Grüsch, Switzerland, Wittenstein AG has been offering high-precision drives, controllers, regulators, and complete mechatronic systems from WITTENSTEIN SE for areas where maximum precision is key. The products are highly innovative and have an assured future. Employing more than 2,700 people, WITTENSTEIN SE is a global technology and quality leader that keeps setting new standards in terms of technical and economic efficiency. Rack and pinions for international use and planetary gear carriers for gearbox assembly in Germany are manufactured at the Grüsch plant in the canton of Graubünden. In 2019, those responsible at Wittenstein AG sought discussions with the metalworking fluid experts from Blaser Swisslube at Prodex in Basel, the leading Swiss trade show for machine tools. They discussed specific problems in the production of rack and pinion. “After we struggled with foam problems over a number of years, leading us to switch the metalworking fluid, the new product from a Blaser competitor caused severe skin irritations among employees. We consulted Swiss accident insurance company SUVA, which recommended that we use a bactericide-free metalworking fluid,” recalls Wittenstein’s Head of Technology Aldin Banovi. Focus on problem-solving Oliver Kössel, Managing Director of WITTENSTEIN AG, adds: “Our talks with Blaser centered on bactericide-free alternatives, which marked the start of an intensive exchange with Blaser’s sales department and laboratory staff. This resulted in an excellent, constructive process in which Blaser also involved the machine manufacturers, discussing ingredients and offering concrete suggestions. The focus was always on solving the problem.” A...
Kappler & Blaser: Working hand in hand to achieve a clean process in the production of complex electronics

Kappler & Blaser: Working hand in hand to achieve a clean process in the production of complex electronics

by | Jul 30, 2023 | Customer Cases

Kappler & Blaser: Working hand in hand to achieve a clean process in the production of complex electronics Kappler CNC is a high-tech company from Birkenfeld, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, producing complex parts for demanding environments such as in chip production, as well as the aerospace and electronics industries. The challenges here are immense, not only in terms of precision, but also cleanliness – with cleanroom compatibility being a prime example. Kappler specialists are working in close collaboration with Blaser Swisslube’s metalworking fluid experts, as part of a comprehensive development process, to establish an ideal product for the specific production needs. A partnership geared to the future that is bearing fruit already. Kappler CNC, founded in 1934, is an innovative precision engineering production company located in Birkenfeld, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The family business, which is now being run by the family’s third generation, employs around 200 staff. The company originally produced bench drilling machines – but over the decades, Kappler has succeeded in progressively diversifying its production. Today, the high-tech company focuses on producing complex and challenging parts from aluminum and various stainless steels, for the chip and optics industries, aerospace and medical technologies, the energy sector, as well as mechanical engineering and electronics. Machine operator Mr. Müller in action. “The electronics segment is particularly demanding. Here, it is essential that the parts produced are cleanroom compatible. So it must be ensured that the parts can be optimally cleaned and are free of extraneous substances,” explain Kappler specialists Christian Huber, project manager, and Jürgen Klittich, responsible for tool purchasing and metalworking fluids. Mr. Klittich has worked for the company for more than 20 years – more than two decades in which Kappler CNC has been resolutely committed to maintaining its technological edge and growing its expertise. Jürgen Klittich: “Kappler strives to take new approaches and to achieve extraordinary things!” Kappler is pursuing one of these new approaches together with Blaser Swisslube: The company contacted the metalworking fluid specialists at Blaser in early 2021, with a specific problem in the particularly demanding area of machining components for EUV lithography systems. According to customer specifications in the electronics sector, an alternative to the oil-based metalworking...
Blasomill 15 as a Process Optimizer for Häni & Co. AG

Blasomill 15 as a Process Optimizer for Häni & Co. AG

by | Jan 9, 2023 | Customer Cases

Blasomill 15 as a Process Optimizer for Häni & Co. AG While analyzing potential ways to optimize processes, the decision-makers at the precision turned parts manufacturer Häni & Co. AG, Arch, Switzerland met up with the coolant specialists from Blaser Swisslube. The reason for this was contamination in the oil used, whose provider urgently recommended an oil change. After closely examining the processes together, Blaser Swisslube recommended using the high-performance cutting oil Blasomill 15 as a hydraulic oil. Today, the Häni team is delighted to report longer tool life, fewer rejects, minimized downtimes, greater process security, and considerable cost savings.  View of the Häni & Co. production hall Häni & Co. AG, headquartered in Arch in the canton of Bern, employs 100 people and specializes in the manufacture of high-precision turned parts. The family business, founded more than 80 years ago, produces both small series and large-scale orders to the highest accuracy and quality. The experts at Häni often support their customers from as early on as the development phase, and have specialized expertise in materials science and manufacturing technology. The modern machinery allows Häni great versatility: all alloyed or unalloyed steels, copper alloys, aluminum as well as titanium and plastics are machined – no matter whether round, square or hexagonal material. The precision-turned parts are manufactured for customers in the automotive or medical technology industries, for example, but also in the electronics, aerospace, chemical industries and in telecommunications. When Rolf Vogt, Head of Quality Management at Häni, spoke with Blaser application engineer Martin Haas, the first thing they discussed was the oil change recommended by the manufacturer. This was because the oil currently used was contaminated. Since it had come into contact with tramp oil, the process had been significantly hampered in terms of both performance and stability. As part of a detailed on-site analysis, tool life optimization potential was also determined later on. Together, they examined the production process and formulated clear improvement goals: while topping up with fresh oil was necessary for complex parts up until now due to the poor condition of the oil, the sump life should be prolonged by ensuring a consistently high quality over a long service life through planning and monitoring. A longer tool life should reduce tool costs in the long term. In...
Blaser examines every chip in detail in an innovative series of tests

Blaser examines every chip in detail in an innovative series of tests

by | Nov 8, 2022 | Expertise

Blaser examines every chip in detail in an innovative series of tests The macro high-speed recordings are impressive: Viewed in slow motion, a carbide milling tool removes a perfectly shaped brass chip. The Blaser Synergy 735 metalworking fluid becomes cloudy around the curling chip – exactly where the heat is greatest. It leaves an oil-like phase and thus forms an even more effective lubricating emulsion. In an extensive series of tests in the in-house Technology Center, the metalworking fluid experts from Blaser Swisslube analyze machining processes down to the finest detail. The principle: To achieve better metalworking fluids faster through expertise and data. The idea of capturing the machining process, chip formation and the behavior of the metalworking fluid more precisely than ever before through photos and videos came about as part of a joint project with the renowned ETH Zurich. The research and development team at Swiss metalworking fluids experts, Blaser Swisslube, set about the planning and implementation. The use of a high-speed camera with a macro lens, which is placed behind a sight glass to keep the metalworking fluid at a distance, should make uniquely sharp, precise recordings possible. A ring light was used to provide the necessary light intensity, as well as a carbide cutter with a helix angle of 0° that was specially ground for this particular test. When machining titanium, the highest temperatures are reached near the cutting edge and in the chip. This is evidenced by a light-colored cloud forming around the chip. (Image: Blaser Swisslube) The results are fascinating: The high-speed recordings showed for the first time that the mechanism of action of oil-free, water-soluble metalworking fluid, Synergy 735 – namely its improved lubricating effect at higher temperatures – also occurs during machining and is fast enough to optimize milling processes. Synergy 735 thus changes its properties and adapts to the machining process like a chameleon.  Brass Comparsion Synergy 735 blue brass “Our Technology Center allows us to take a closer look than our competitors. This focus on all the details and the cooperation between our chemists and the machining experts enables us to develop metalworking fluids that improve processes sustainably, reduce production costs and prolong tool life,” explains Marc Blaser, CEO of Blaser Swisslube. As the Synergy 735 metalworking fluid used in the test described cools down, it becomes clear again,...
ChemValve-Schmid – Planning reliability and clean machines with B-Cool

ChemValve-Schmid – Planning reliability and clean machines with B-Cool

by | Oct 24, 2022 | Customer Cases

ChemValve-Schmid – Planning reliability and clean machines with B-Cool For three decades, leading PTFE industrial valve manufacturer ChemValve-Schmid AG has relied on metalworking fluids from Blaser Swisslube in its diverse machining processes. The demands on the metalworking fluid are changing continuously as new machines, materials and production sequences appear. Following detailed analysis, about four years ago the Blaser experts suggested switching to B-Cool 755, a water-miscible mineral oil-based metalworking fluid. The switch soon paid off: greater predictability, easier maintenance, reduced consumption, optimized skin compatibility and top efficiency are the outstanding results. ChemValve-Schmid AG, based in Welschenrohr in the Swiss canton of Solothurn, develops and produces high-quality industrial valves lined with PTFE for secure shut-off and regulation of gaseous, liquid or powdery media. ChemValve is a private and independent company that—with the finely crafted details of its sophisticated sealing systems, high manufacturing precision, a focus on innovation, and proprietary production machinery—has earned the status as one of the world’s leading PTFE valve manufacturers. An extensive network of distribution partners enables ChemValve to serve customers from various industry sectors in over 60 countries worldwide. Since its foundation in 1993, ChemValve has focused on maximum precision and quality in production. Blaser Swisslube has accompanied the company as a metalworking fluid partner ever since. Three decades in which production processes were constantly examined, analyzed and improved in close co-operation. “For 30 years, Blaser specialists have been working hand in hand with us, testing, checking and advising. The Blaser field service specialists all have one thing in mind: to get the best for the customer,” says Beat Allemann, Production Manager at ChemValve-Schmid AG. When ChemValve purchased new lathes in 2018, expanding its production, the company also revisited its metalworking fluid solution. “We were actually quite satisfied with the Blasocut metalworking fluid we had previously used. On Blaser’s initiative, however, we looked into switching over,” Allemann reports. Clean all-rounder Blaser application engineer Martin Haas recalls: “The production processes at ChemValve are complex. Up to 80 percent cast iron, but also titanium and other materials are milled and turned. We had the idea of trying B-Cool 755—a...