Lubrication specialist Optimol Lubrication, a distributor of Castrol, and tool specialist Ceratizit have announced that they will join forces in the new Technical Center of Ceratizit in Roosendaal. The collaboration aims to share knowledge and expertise related to production technology and process optimization.
"There is a lot of synergy between cutting tools and cooling lubricants. In a machining process, only two factors come into contact with the workpiece: the tool and the emulsion. We call our emulsions 'liquid tools' for a reason," says Leon Verschuren, Sales Manager at Optimol Lubrication. Because these two products directly affect the quality of the workpiece, they should be a top priority for machinists. However, this is often not the case, as Tinus Zuetenhorst, Director of Ceratizit Netherlands, also acknowledges. "Many manufacturing companies do not fully realize the importance of high-quality tools, smart machining strategies, and innovative cooling emulsions. They mainly focus on the machining machine and the automation solution. However, no matter how good a machine is, without the right tools and cooling emulsions, achieving high precision and productivity is out of the question. Moreover, long-term and repeatable unmanned production becomes a real challenge. That's exactly what we want to demonstrate together in the Technical Center."
The secret behind a good emulsion
The two partners want to leverage their strategic collaboration to inform customers about production technology, process control, and process optimisation through seminars and information sessions. The first seminar organised by the partners is scheduled for 7 March 2024. Ceratizit and Optimol Lubrication will discuss wet machining during the seminar, with a particular focus on the role and importance of cooling lubricant(s).
The role of cooling lubricants has become increasingly important in the past twenty years. While emulsions used to be mainly employed to flush away chips and provide cooling, they now need to handle high-pressure cooling, high-speed spindles, and automation. Additionally, there is a growing demand for cleanliness, directly affecting the cooling emulsion. Overall, the composition of cooling lubricants has undergone significant changes. "More and more requirements are being imposed on the end product, such as dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and cleanliness. Cooling lubricant has a significant impact on these requirements. Through the collaboration with Ceratizit, we want to inform a broad audience about the latest developments," adds Verschuren."
