Client Overview

The project was executed for an automotive component manufacturing facility that had imported German deep drilling machines to enhance its process capability. Deep drilling is a highly specialized machining process that requires deep knowledge of chip generation, chip handling, coolant filtration, and temperature management. Due to the high cost of importing coolant filtration equipment, the customer chose a locally developed solution, based on strong confidence in Lex Technoaid’s experience in deep drilling machine design and process engineering. The facility required a high-pressure coolant system and a compact filtration setup, while operating within severe floor space limitations.

Challenges Faced

1. Critical Coolant Filtration for High-Pressure Operations

The process relies on very high-pressure coolant pumps containing intricately ground internal components. The service life and reliability of these pumps depend heavily on coolant cleanliness. Any contamination could result in pump damage, replacement costs and unplanned downtime.

2. Severe Floor Space Constraints

The facility operated four imported machines but had limited space to install individual filtration systems.
A conventional one-to-one setup would have required a footprint equal to or larger than each machine, making it impractical.

3. Requirement for Combined Accuracy and Surface Finish in a Single Operation

The customer needed both:

• High geometric accuracy of drilled holes and
  
• Superior internal surface finish
  

Without an advanced filtration solution, this would have required two separate machining stages, increasing cycle time and cost.

4. Need for Coolant Temperature Stability

Maintaining coolant temperature at a controlled level was essential to protect lubricant additives, preserve lubricity and prevent coolant breakdown during machining.

Solution by Lex Technoaid

Lex Technoaid designed and manufactured a Centralized Coolant Filtration and Temperature Management System tailored specifically for the four imported deep drilling machines.

1. Centralized Filtration Architecture
Instead of installing separate systems for each machine, all four machines were connected to a single centralized cooling and filtration system, reducing overall footprint and optimizing space usage.

2. Multi-Stage Filtration Configuration
The system incorporated:

• Magnetic chip conveyors
• A set of fine filters
• Compact band filters
• Cartridge filters
  This configuration delivered a filtration accuracy of approximately 5–10 microns, suitable for the required machining process.

3. Coolant Temperature Management Integration
A temperature management solution was included to maintain coolant stability, protect lubricant additives and support consistent machining performance.

4. Enhanced Hole Quality and Surface Finish
The filtration system enabled the customer to achieve:

• Required hole geometric accuracy
• Mirror-like internal surface finish inside drilled holes

This allowed the entire operation to be completed in a single deep drilling process, eliminating the need for a second finishing process.

Outcome

• Improved Process Capability in a Single Operation

The customer successfully achieved both dimensional accuracy and surface finish requirements in one cycle, improving efficiency and reducing process complexity.

• Proven Long-Term Performance
  The system has been operating successfully for approximately eight years, demonstrating reliability and process stability.
  
• High Customer Satisfaction and Repeat Usage
  The customer has been very satisfied with the system’s performance and continues to use it for ongoing deep drilling operations.
  
• Optimized Coolant Performance and Pump Protection
  By ensuring high-quality coolant filtration and temperature stability, the solution helped protect high-pressure pumps, reduce wear and minimize the risk of downtime.
  
• Space-Efficient Centralized Design
  By combining all four machines into one centralized system, the solution minimized floor space usage while maintaining required filtration and performance levels.