Keywords
Citation
(2003), "New Castrol Variocut cleans up at Weldtek Engineering", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 55 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2003.01855ead.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
New Castrol Variocut cleans up at Weldtek Engineering
New Castrol Variocut cleans up at Weldtek Engineering
Keywords: Pastes, Lubricants
Castrol Variocut WCW – a new environmentally-friendly synthetic tapping paste – is cleaning up for machine operators and welders at Weldtek Engineering, a sub-contract engineering company offering CNC, conventional machining, welding and fabricating services (Plate 1).
The machine shop operates three CNC mills, two CNC lathes and a number of conventional machine tools to produce a wide variety of components for the medical, analytical and radioactive monitoring industries, as well as prototypes and one-off projects for the local research establishments of the UKAEA and AEA Technology. Materials used are mainly stainless steels and aluminium.
Plate 1 Castrol Variocut WCW, the new environmentally friendly synthetic tapping paste, in action
Explaining the reasons for the change, Roy Jones, the proprietor of Weldtek says: "The conventional tapping paste we were using produced pungent smells during machining operations, which led to some health and safety concerns among the machine operators".
"After machining, components such as vacuum assemblies with a lot of tapped holes required de-greasing with alcohol and other means before the welding operation. If they were not completely clean the fumes given off when heat was applied was a concern for the welders, even with the extractors being used."
The switch to Variocut WCW, which is free from sulphur, chlorine and heavy metals, produced instant improvements.
"It is cleaner, has a pleasant smell and keeps both work pieces and machines clean," reports Roy: "and because it is water soluble it does not need de-greasing, which saves a cleaning operation; and saves time and money."
For further information, contact: Cliff Thrussell, Castrol (UK) Ltd, Wakefield House, Pipers Way, Swindon, SN3 IRE, UK. E-mail: thrussc@castrol.com