If you’re
like me, you’re tired of all the talk over high prices
because of the hurricanes. I know there was a lot of damage
and this will take years to rebuild, so what does all that
have to do with coolants?
Last
week we received price increase letters from almost every
one of our raw material suppliers. This wasn’t unusual
because we have been receiving price increase letters from
them regularly all summer long. The differences noted were
the amount of the increases. Now, there is talk about possible
shortages and allocations. So just when we thought we might
be able to deal with the high prices for raw materials,
we find out that we might not even be able to get those
raw materials.
So
what do we do? The same thing every other business owner
has had to do in recent months, pass the increase along
to the customer. That’s you!!! I can’t tell
you how much we hate to do this. The only people who seem
to take pleasure (and profit) in this are the big oil companies.
This is the basis for this column.
Why
change coolants? Many things can and do go wrong with coolants.
Rust problems, dermatitis, odors, decreased tool life and
lack of attention by your sales rep. Every good salesman
who believes in his product is going to try to convince
you that his product is the best. This often goes only as
far as the sales person’s ability to service your
company. Yes, some coolants work better than others and
some cost more than others, too. When you change coolant
suppliers, you must do it for the right reasons and not
just because your coolant supplier’s price just went
up.
How
can you tell if you are getting the best coolant for the
application and, for that matter, the best coolant for the
price? How do you know when to keep a coolant supplier or
show him the door? Of course, the ultimate answer is a judgment
call you’ll have to make, but here are few benchmarks
to keep in mind.
Every
good relationship is built on trust. Is your sales rep there
when you need him? When there is a problem, is he equipped
and willing to handle it? Do you believe him when he tells
you he will take care of something? What is his track record—does
he follow through? It seems the more technical the products
get and the more we rely on our sales rep’s help,
the more important the bond of trust between customer and
supplier becomes. We look for long-term relationships where
the best interests of both parties are well cared for.
When
a rust problem presents itself, the first thing you should
do is read the February 2005 issue of ShopTalk magazine
article entitled “Why Do Parts Rust When the Coolant
Appears Okay?” Then, you’ll want to call your
coolant suppler. He will probably ask you to check your
concentration to make sure that you are running at the proper
level for the rust protection you need. Between your coolant
supplier and your willingness to work through the rust issue,
you can solve this problem. At S.C. Chemical, this is what
we call “Value Added” service and it comes with
the price of every product we sell. Keeping your coolant
concentration at the proper level and removing tramp oil
and metal fines are all good ways of preventing finished
parts from rusting.
If
on one end of the spectrum are rust problems stemming from
running your coolant too lean, then on the other end are
skin problems that come from coolant running too rich.
Here
the solution is not as easy as just fixing the mixture.
You may have good, dependable workers with serious concerns
over bothersome sores on their hands and arms. While I never
recommend changing coolant suppliers over cost-per-gallon
increases, you sure want to consider switching if dermatitis
problems don’t go away.
First,
check your coolant concentration to make sure it isn’t
too strong. What is the recommended concentration from your
supplier? Next, make sure that the coolant is clean and
in fairly good shape. Remove tramp oil and metal fines—this
always helps the coolant work much better. Find out if the
operator with the skin problem is taking good care of himself.
Perhaps changing gloves will help. Sometimes we see operators
wearing long sleeves that get wet from the coolant. Damp
clothing from coolant when lying against the skin all day
can be the cause of the irritation. The best thing to do,
however, is to get your coolant supplier involved in finding
a solution. This again is the “Value Added”
part of what you are paying for when you buy your coolant.
If your current supplier isn’t providing this kind
of service, it may be worthwhile to change companies.
Coolant
can smell bad. There are solutions for this and each involves
your coolant supplier. He can advise you on how to clean
your systems properly when to refresh or change coolant.
This service should be part of the “Value Added”
to every gallon of coolant you buy. If you are using a coolant
that consistently gives you odor problems and your sales
rep isn’t addressing the problem, then it’s
time change suppliers. But don’t change coolant just
because of a price increase.
Are
you looking to improve tool life or do you need a better
finish on your parts? Your coolant supplier should be able
to help you improve your entire operation. If your tooling
costs are increasing and you still aren’t getting
the finish you want, one of the many ‘high performance’
coolants on the market today could be the answer. Start
by asking your present supplier if he might have something
new to offer. Competition is what keeps our whole economy
improving; so if the present supplier can’t provide
any improvements, perhaps now is the time to consider looking
somewhere else.
Conclusion
Prices on every product we buy are increasing.
Chemical raw materials used to make coolants; cleaners,
rust preventives as well as many other chemical needs are
all increasing. Regardless of which coolant supplier you
are currently working with, they surely have experienced
incredible raw material cost increases but they still want
to keep you as a customer. Don’t forget the “Value
Added” portion that should come with each container
of coolant you order. Remember, it’s not just a gallon
of coolant you are buying; it’s a solution for every
machining problem you might come up against. When your rep
fails to solve your problems, then it’s time to buy
a different coolant!
This article originally appeared in Shop Talk magazine in February, 2006. Shop Talk is published
by Magellan Publishing.
