Lubricant microfiltration Efficient, clean, consistent: Modern cooling lubricant management in tool grinding

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Clean cooling lubricants unlock surprising productivity gains: Vomat shows how ultra-fine microfiltration and precise temperature control turn sustainability in tool grinding into measurable performance.

Between flying chips, precision requirements, and cost pressure, there is also the need for a resource-saving grinding process. But how can sustainability be achieved in an environment where every µ counts? The answer lies in the details — more precisely, in the cooling lubricant. When the cooling lubricant is clean, kept at a constant temperature, and intelligently controlled, not only does quality increase, but so does efficiency. With powerful microfiltration technology and precise temperature control technology, filter manufacturer Vomat from Treuen shows how tool grinders, for example, can master this balancing act. The system keeps oil and processes stable, reduces energy and operating costs, extends the service life of cooling lubricants and grinding wheels — and thus contributes to more efficient and resource-saving processes. Sustainability thus becomes a real productivity reserve.

In the grinding process, the cooling lubricant system plays a decisive role in terms of quality, service life, and cost-effectiveness. A clean, optimally filtered, and constantly tempered cooling lubricant is the key to stable processes and precise results. This is exactly where Vomat’s FA systems come in: they use full-flow microfiltration via durable, high-performance precoat filters that separate dirty and clean oil 100 percent. With a purity class of NAS 7 (3–5 µm), they create the basis for the highest grinding quality.

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Precise temperature control — efficiently provided

Constant cooling lubricant temperatures set to the optimum level are a decisive guarantee of quality in ultra-fine filtration. Even the slightest temperature fluctuations have a direct impact on dimensional accuracy, process stability, surface quality, viscosity, and heat dissipation behavior — with consequences for the grinding pattern, tool wear, and dimensional accuracy. Precise temperature control prevents thermal deformation of the workpiece and machine, keeps filtration conditions constant, and at the same time reduces energy consumption, as less heat is introduced into the process. This keeps the grinding process stable, efficient, and reproducible.

Vomat achieves this precision with energy-efficient cooling concepts, such as maintenance-friendly, low-service plug-in units and auxiliary devices with condensers for external cooling, which can be controlled with a control accuracy of +/- 0.2 K at ambient temperatures of 15°C to 35°C. For higher performance requirements, cold water solutions up to modular chillers are available, such as the KWS 250 with 250 kW cooling capacity and a control accuracy of ± 1.0 K.

Intelligent filter backwashing

Another efficiency factor is intelligent control. While conventional systems usually filter continuously at full power, Vomat systems operate in a load-adaptive manner: they automatically adjust filter performance and pump delivery to actual demand. If a grinding machine runs more slowly or if a machine in a central system is not in operation, the system reduces the throughput and thus also the heat input into the cooling lubricant — which reduces the necessary cooling capacity and saves additional energy. Backwashing is also condition-based: it starts depending on the degree of contamination of the individual filter elements, with a time delay and in a targeted manner. This ensures a constant supply of clean oil at all times, while increasing the service life of the filter elements and reducing operating costs.

Steffen Strobel, Technical Sales Manager at Vomat: “The low-maintenance, compact system design with minimal space requirements and high system availability simplifies operation and allows valuable production space to be used for other purposes. In practice, our technology leads to significantly extended cooling lubricant service life. The productive result: fewer downtimes, lower procurement, storage, and recycling costs, and reduced energy consumption throughout the entire process.”

Conserving resources right to the end

The automatic sedimentation tank reduces the residual moisture in the grinding sludge to around 5 to 10 percent. This lowers disposal costs, makes the recyclable material attractive to recyclers, and keeps the plant in operation during disposal — without additives such as cellulose or paper tape residues that could pollute the cycle.

Modular and flexible

Thanks to their modular and scalable design, Vomat systems can be tailored precisely to any application — from individual systems to large-scale industrial central systems. Customer-specific modules can be integrated into a flexible standard platform, such as HSS pre-filters for mixed machining, special cooling concepts, machine pumps, additional tanks, or recycling options. The result: maximum process reliability, compact design, and smooth integration into existing production processes.

Steffen Strobel: “With our technology, sustainability becomes a productivity reserve, because resource conservation and efficiency are not mutually exclusive in KSS microfiltration — they reinforce each other: Those who rely on ultra-fine filtration and temperature control technology ‘made in Treuen’ for tool grinding increase quality and output while reducing energy, material, and disposal costs. Our ultra-fine filtration thus turns clean processes into productive processes and helps tool grinders to perfectly combine quality and responsibility.”

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