A SHOP FLOOR METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE STRENGTH OF CUTTING OIL/WATER EMULSIONS

CUTTING OILS are used in emulsions with water at recommended strengths. On the shop floor there is often only a loose control of the strength of such emulsions with the constant use of an initially correct mixture. The machine operator is liable to add more oil or water indiscriminately according to some rule of thumb. An excessively weak emulsion can lead to corrosion of metal being machined, whilst a too strong solution would be uneconomical. The strength of such emulsions can easily be gauged on the shop floor using the simplest of apparatus, possibly by the machine operator himself.