Effective Ways to Attain Cleaner Metal Fabrication Processes

Many metal fabrication operations, including milling, machining, welding, and more, generate a lot of waste materials that can be detrimental to the environment. The two major wastes produced by metal fabricating are scrap metal and machining fluids. Thankfully, they can be effectively managed through the following steps to attain a cleaner metal fabrication.

#1. Decreasing use of scrap metal

Metal parts are being cut out from the stock or blanks in various shapes and sizes. Oftentimes, what remains is the metal scrap that is the enormous waste generated by metal fabricating processes. This scrap can be sold to scrap dealers or back to the metal supplier. However, there is a much better way to reduce the waste of scrap metal, which is using stocks or blanks that are specific to part requirements. Metal fabrication shops can also work closely with the suppliers in a way that cutting happens only less often or when really necessary, and that cutting and milling patterns are optimized.

#2. Recycling lubricants

Spent lubricants are health and environmental hazards that can be contaminated with swarf from workpieces during the metal fabricating process. Fortunately, these fluids can be recycled by removing the swarf through different ways such as filtration, centrifuges, and hydroclones. Centrifuge removes oil-based lubricants from swarf, while hydroclones separate very fine particulates from water-based lubricants. Other recycling ways include adding solutions that can break up the waste lubricants for enhanced removal from the swarf.

#3. Reducing the use of machining fluids

Machining fluids are essential to improve tool performance and life, as well as the finish of metal surface, and reduce workpiece thermal deformation. Metal fabricating processes use either oil-based or synthetic lubricants. The best way to address this waste is through the dry machining, a process that eliminates the necessity to manage lubricant issues. The use of these fluids can also be greatly reduced by using new cutting technologies and systems.