Machine Shop Saves Half a Million Dollars with Rustlick Cutting Fluid

We save each and every one of our customers money every year when they come to us with their problems. Sometimes these savings stories amount to a little bit here and there – but, of course, add up to pretty impressive numbers by the end of the year. Every once in a while, though, we’re able to save our valued customers an eye-popping amount, all in one solution. This machine shop customer is an example of that. When they told us about their operations and how much money they were spending on failed sensors, increased maintenance, and excessive cleaning, we thought of Rustlick and their cutting fluid products, specifically Ultracut Pro CF.

Industry: Metal & Steel
Region: Northwestern PA
Total Cost Savings: $574,060

Problem
The previous cutting fluid the customer was using was building up on two of their machines and getting into the air. The build up was causing filters to become clogged, sensors to fail, and increased maintenance on the machines. Other concerns with this specific problem included safety issues with inhaling the vapors from the cutting fluid that were released into the air, slippery floors, and excessive buildup of bacteria in tanks due to the vegetable-based cutting fluid they were previously using.

Solution
ErieTec determined that LPS’s Rustlick Ultracut CF Pro would be the best solution to the various issues caused by the previous cutting fluid. LPS’s product is petroleum-based and would allow for less fluid to be used and therefore less build-up of cutting fluid in the filters and on the machines. This one product that ErieTec provided allows for:

  • Reduced preventative maintenance from 4-8 hours, two times per year
  • Reduced cutting fluid usage
  • Increased production. Previously 2 machines were down about 5 times per day for about 20 minutes at a time. Annual downtime avoidance with this new solution equaled 433 hours.

Savings Calculation
Preventative maintenance: $200 per machine annually = $400
Materials: Reduced cost from $6,000 to $3,900 = $2,100
Production: Downtime avoidance for 433 hours per year at $660 per hour x 2 machines = $571,560

Total Savings = $574,060

ErieTec carries all forms of chemicals to help you reduce your costs, increase your production, and ensure the safety of your workers. What else can we help you with? Contact us!