PRODUCTS
HOW SHARPE ENGINEERING KEEPS THEIR COOLANT CLEAN Demand for Australian-made metal components is increasing, a positive development, but scaling production also means using more coolant.
cannot remove tramp oil and fine metal shavings due to their small particle size.
Industrial coolants, widely used in metalworking and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) cutting processes, are a major expense.
Family-owned business Sharpe Engineering has been providing quality engineering and manufacturing solutions in Queensland since 1995.
Their unique chemical composition makes them prone to contamination and degradation.
The company’s clients include operators, contractors and service providers across Australia’s significant resource and energy sectors.
Replacing them is a messy and timeconsuming task. Disposal costs are high and expected to rise further in the face of today’s environmental regulations. But dirty coolants are also linked to other, less obvious costs. For example, fine metal shavings in coolant can lead to increased tool wear.
A better way to clean your coolant;
As the business expanded across its three workshops, equipment was getting bigger and with that, coolant volumes were increasing. Currently, Sharpe’s biggest machine requires a 1,700 litres coolant tank, while the other units are attached to 600 – 700 litre tanks.
Jon Sharpe -, General Manager at Sharpe Engineering
Due to rising cost, it made perfect sense to investigate the Alfa Laval Alfie 500 separator, to clean the coolant. “The Alfie rips all the oils and particles from the coolant.” “And the right coolant treatment has a great effect on the quality of work and staff morale,” Jon Sharpe added.
Oil in coolants causes bacteria to proliferate.
In Brisbane the company operates 12 machines alone.
Bacterial growth in collection tanks does not only deteriorate the coolant, but produces a distinctive foul odour which is a WHS issue for metal manufacturing industry workers.
Jon Sharpe, General Manager at Sharpe Engineering, explains why coolant treatment is a problem.
Centrifugation works with G-force to achieve solid-liquid separation faster and more efficiently than filtration, skimmers, and lamella separators.
“Particles enter the coolant system, and these fine metal shavings affect the quality of the coolant fluids over time.”
Centrifuges can remove sub-micron particles down to 2-3 microns whereas filters are limited to 8-10 microns.
“We had to dispose of our coolant every year to keep it at a good consistency.”
The coolant is pumped up from the tank and centrifuged in the separator bowl at speeds of 6,000–10,000 rpm.
Tramp oil also contributes to quality problems later during processing (e.g. painting), and can trigger skin irritations. Some companies use skimmers and filters in an effort to prolong the life of coolant and cutting fluids. These technologies are quite basic and
Sharpe Engineering is currently paying almost $1 per litre with a specialised waste disposal company.
Centrifugal force pushes the solid particles out to the periphery of the disc stack.
There they become trapped on the inner surface of the separator bowl, while the lighter oil is forced toward the centre, where it can then be drawn off. Due to its high rotation speed, the centrifugal separator cleans up to 10,000 times more effectively than equipment based on gravity alone. Since Alfa Laval Alfie centrifugal separator is installed in a bypass flow, cleaning can proceed both during production and when the equipment is idle. Centrifugal separation dramatically reduces the volume of waste coolant to be sent to disposal and waste management facilities. Find out more how Alfa Laval, the global leader in separation technology, can help your business save on coolant treatment. www.alfalaval.com.au
CATHODIC PROTECTION IN HAZARDOUS AREAS DISCUSSED When working in hazardous locations, such as during heatwaves or extreme weather conditions, extra consideration is made to protect materials against corrosion. This applies for example when working with steel structures, like pipes, tanks and bridges. This is where the use of cathodic protection (CP) systems becomes crucial. Corrosion is a natural process where metals are gradually degraded and destroyed by chemical and electrochemical reactions with their environment. Galvanic and impressed current CP systems are used to control the corrosion of steel in structures and involve voltages and currents being introduced into the structures. Occasionally, these structures are
OCTOBER 2020
situated in hazardous environments where there are explosive liquids and gases, creating a risk of an explosion occurring if electrical voltages and currents are not managed carefully. “It’s clear that using galvanic or impressed current CP systems in hazardous areas needs to be handled carefully,” explained David Celine, Managing Director of Omniflex. “The approach required to manage this must be well-documented and systematic, detailng all electrical circuits and materials present, to comply with regulations and standards.” “There are international standards governing the installation and use of electrical equipment in hazardous areas, which all equipment located in hazardous areas must comply with,” said Mr Celine.
Unfortunately, these standards don’t specifically discuss CP systems in hazardous areas. This perpetuates a lack of understanding within the corrosion industry on how to quantify the dangers presented, and how to mitigate these dangers in accordance with the requirements of the standards. Mr Celine will be holding a presentation on hazardous areas and address the impacts this has on the design of CP systems referencing real-life examples. It will be held in the coming Corrosion and Prevention annual event online,of cathodic protection specialists at the Australasian Corrosion and Prevention conference. The event online is the largest gathering
on corrosion and mitigation in the Southern Hemisphere, hosted by Omniflex. Omniflex designs and manufactures electronic products and systems for the automation and control industry worldwide, specialising in remote monitoring. This includes industrial networking, remote I/O systems, utilities monitoring, process auto-mation systems, signal conditioning, and alarm and event management. Omniflex www.omniflex.com
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