Those involved in machining know how important a good supply of coolants (KSS) is for workpiece quality, reproducible results, and a long tool life. Nevertheless, this topic often receives little attention in everyday practice. The focus is on the processes at the machine. Monitoring and refilling KSS is often a neglected side issue: as long as sufficient KSS reaches the tool, only the fill level in the tank is checked. And when it runs out, a batch of concentrate plus water is simply refilled. However, for optimal cooling and lubrication, parameters such as pH value, concentration, and conductivity of the KSS must remain within specified values. This cannot be ensured by mere refilling.
The consequences are high consumption of coolants, shorter tool life, and lower process reliability in production.
The solution: fully automated coolant management
Fully automatic systems for KSS management provide a simple remedy. They continuously monitor the coolant and refill as needed with just the right amount of water and concentrate to keep the KSS within specified values.
What sounds simple, however, places high demands on these systems:
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CUMA – Cutting Fluid Manager from Hermann Bantleon GmbH in Ulm ©Bantleon Automatically measure and regulate KSS concentration
- Retrofit capability for existing machine parks of all manufacturers
- Integration into various fluid management concepts
- Close and precise monitoring
- Robust and reliable technology
- Compliance with TRGS 611 Coolant
- And: Digital recording and evaluation of consumption and condition data. This is crucial for integration into data-driven production. And it demonstrates the concrete savings and return on investment.
Up to 30% lower KSS consumption is possible in practice
The effect that automated coolant management can have in production is demonstrated by the CUMA system, which has been in use at Liebherr Components since March 2024. CUMA – Cutting Fluid Manager was developed by Hermann Bantleon GmbH in Ulm in collaboration with automation specialist Festo. CUMA consists of various modules for control, analysis, sensor technology, and fluidics – allowing for easy integration into existing systems.
The system continuously and in real-time measures parameters such as concentration, pH value, and conductivity of the KSS in the tank. This allows deviations to be detected immediately, and the quantity and concentration of the KSS are adjusted to the target value through the automatic addition of water and concentrate. But CUMA goes a step further: the system also enables digital recording and evaluation of all data regarding the KSS condition and consumption. Thus, the automated fluid management system CUMA meets all the requirements of a connected, digital production.
At Liebherr Components, the coolant consumption in production was reduced by approximately 30% thanks to CUMA. In addition to these direct savings, the consistently optimal quality extends the lifetimes of the coolant and tools.
This, in turn, creates more consistent conditions in production. And this, in turn, increases quality, process reliability, and machine availability.
Conclusion: The topic of KSS may seem like just a side aspect in production. However, the positive effect of optimal KSS supply is immense. And the simplest way to achieve this is through automated coolant management.
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