Case Studies

Thai Hard Disk Drive Manufacturer Reduces Waste Costs by 80% with XYBEX^® Coolant Recycling System

The customer is one of the leading manufacturers of hard disk drives in Thailand, specializing in mass-producing disk base plates from die cast aluminum. With decades in the industry, the company has emerged as one of the most important electronics component suppliers in the region.

THE CHALLENGE

The customer has refined their drilling, tapping, and milling operation to maximize efficiency. However, tramp oil and hydrocarbon contamination proved to be ongoing problems that caused substantial downtime for cleaning and drastically shortened coolant life. The work environment also suffered from consistent bacteria odors from the machine sumps.

The customer partnered with Master Fluid Solutions^® to find a way to better manage coolant and identify opportunities for greater cost savings.

THE SOLUTION

After carefully assessing the operation, Master Fluid Solutions reps found factory workers already practiced diligent coolant maintenance. However, the operation needed a recycling system that could clean the fluid better and automate some of the processes to increase productivity.

Master Fluid Solutions created a custom XYBEX^® coolant recycling system to serve as a full end-to-end fluid management solution. The custom setup features a SCROUNGER^® Oil Skimmer for tramp oil removal, a high-speed centrifuge to remove particles as small as two microns from the fluid, and an automatic UNIMIX™ pump for optimal coolant concentration control. The centrifuge and tank capacity were specially designed for the customer's needs.

THE RESULTS

After implementing the new XYBEX coolant recycling system, the customer saw immediate improvement to coolant quality and life, translating to significant cost and time savings. There was an immediate reduction in both tramp oil and hydrocarbon contamination, which completely eliminated bacteria odors in the sump. The automated system kept coolant so clean it reduced consumption by as much as 50%. Over time, the lower disposal rates translated to an 80% reduction in waste costs. In fact, the customer reports they have not disposed of any coolant in the past three years.

THE NUMBERS

Cut coolant consumption by as much as 50%
Reduced waste disposal costs by 80%
No coolant disposal in the past three years

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