Whether milling, turning, cutting, extruding, compressing or immersing, it is imperative that the temperature between the tool and product is optimised using an engineering fluid made up of oil and water that forms an emulsion. This combination gives the best performance as the heat transfer characteristics of water are ideal and the oil is an excellent lubricator. The fluid is mixed to a predetermined concentration and is monitored by the machine operator using a refractometer from our industrial collection to ensure evaporation hasn’t affected the mixture ratio.
As well as monitoring concentration, pH is also monitored in order to reduce bacterial growth within the system. Commonly this is done using a dipping paper and colour comparison chart; however, many companies now use digital meters such as the PHX 800 pH-Tester as it helps eliminate human error.
Handheld refractometers are also commonly used within the food and beverage area to control the Brix, or dissolved solids content of drinks, jams and chutneys etc. as well as being ideal for monitoring the blend ratio of automotive fluids such as AdBlue® and antifreeze.