Client Overview

A global automotive OEM installed a Horizontal Machining Center as part of a tightly packed production line. The machine was intended for heavy and fine machining operations, requiring high-accuracy output, stable coolant temperature, and ultra-fine filtration. However, the production line had severe floor space limitations. All machines were already installed, and there was no provision to expand the footprint without relocating equipment and disrupting production. The OEM needed a compact yet high-performance coolant filtration and temperature management solution that could fit within these constraints while still delivering a strong ROI. Lex Technoaid was engaged to engineer a solution tailored specifically to this machine and layout.

Challenges Faced

The project involved multiple overlapping challenges:

1. Extreme Floor Space Constraints
The machining line had no spare space for conventional coolant filtration and chip handling systems. Expanding the footprint would have required shifting machines and risking significant production downtime.

2. Large Chip Load with Ultra-Fine Filtration Requirement
The machining process generated large and long metal chips measured in millimeters but the customer demanded 10-micron filtration, requiring an effective transition from coarse chip removal to fine filtration.

3. Need for a Chip Conveyor Without Increasing Footprint
A chip conveyor was essential to remove large chips before fine filtration. However, traditional conveyor systems are bulky and vertically tall, often mounted at heights of five to six feet with discharge points reaching nearly ten feet.

4. Strict ROI and Cost Sensitivity
A conventional solution would have required two separate filtration systems—one for coarse filtration and another for fine filtration—along with additional tanks, pumps, and higher maintenance costs, making ROI difficult to justify.

5. Requirement for Coolant Temperature Stability
Beyond filtration, the system also had to include coolant temperature management to ensure machining stability and consistent dimensional accuracy.

Solution by Lex Technoaid

Instead of forcing a standard system into a restricted space, Lex Technoaid designed a machine-specific, compact coolant filtration and temperature management solution tailored to the Horizontal Machining Center and its production environment.
Key elements of the solution included:

1. Innovative Vertical Chip Conveyor Integration
Lex Technoaid mounted the chip conveyor above the coolant tank at approximately five to six feet, using an unconventional vertical layout that enabled effective large-chip removal while minimizing floor space usage.
2. Single Integrated Coarse and Fine Filtration System
Rather than using separate coarse and fine filtration units, Lex Technoaid engineered a single unified filtration system capable of handling large chip loads while consistently achieving 10-micron filtration.
3. Compact Footprint with Space Optimization
The final system occupied nearly 10 percent less floor space than the maximum space available, allowing installation without relocating any existing machines.
4. Integrated Coolant Temperature Management
A coolant chiller was incorporated into the same system, enabling filtration and temperature control within one compact footprint, improving machining consistency and tool performance.
5. Simplified Mechanical Architecture
By eliminating the need for secondary filtration tanks, extra pumps, and redundant coolant circuits, the system reduced mechanical complexity, lowered maintenance effort, and improved long-term cost efficiency.

Outcome

• Avoided Production Downtime
  The OEM avoided relocating machines and saved an estimated 10 days of lost production, preserving revenue and operational continuity.
• Reduced Capital Investment
  The integrated solution delivered approximately 35 percent lower initial investment compared to a conventional dual-stage filtration setup.
• Lower Operating and Maintenance Costs
  With fewer moving parts, lower coolant volume, and reduced system complexity, the client achieved a 20 to 25 percent reduction in long-term running and maintenance costs.
• Improved Machining Accuracy and Process Stability
  By enabling heavy machining and fine machining in a single setup on the same machine, the solution minimized setup changes, helping maintain higher geometrical accuracy, tighter tolerance,s and more consistent part quality.
• Proven Long-Term Performance
  The system has been operating continuously for nearly six years—24 hours a day, 365 days a year—in a high-volume automotive production environment, demonstrating reliability, durability, and stable filtration performance.