TPT January 2016

Article

Metalube Ltd

Metalube’s water-based steel rollforming packages deliver new levels of performance at Top Tubes By Wayne Thornhill, product specialist, Metalube

The new range of products developed by Metalube includes: Cool-Tek – low oil content, semi-synthetic forming lubricants Meta-Shield – solvent-based and water-based rust preventatives Sol-Tek – evaporative lubricants. These products can be used separately to provide their own unique benefits or combined to achieve the highest levels of cleanliness and corrosion protection. The combination of Cool-Tek 250 and Meta-Shield W1000D, as used by Top Tubes Ltd, was specifically designed to overcome the issues faced by producers who use inline application of rust preventatives (application before tube cut off). Traditionally solvent-based rust preventatives have been used for the protection of steel tube. As manufacturers who use inline application of solvent based rust preventatives will know, the cross contamination of solvent-based rust preventative and mill lubricant can cause a number of issues: • Roll slip/skidding – variations in lubrication • Decreasing levels of cleanliness on both the mill and the finished products • Increased dermatological risk for operators Metalube wanted to overcome these issues and others faced by the tube manufacturer (such as the increasingly Top Tubes Ltd (Wednesbury, UK), a major UK producer of tube for the automotive, agricultural, construction, office and retail sectors producing over 40KTpA, has now adopted Metalube’s products for use on its two rollforming lines. Metalube’s unique package of low oil, semi- synthetic forming lubricant (Cool-Tek 250) and compatible water based rust preventative (Meta-Shield W1000D) has proven technically superior, environmentally kinder and economically beneficial. Metalube (a global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of high performance lubricants and rust preventatives) has launched a unique and innovative range of products for the rollforming of ERW steel tube and pipe and rollformed sections/profiles. Metalube’s dedicated team of development chemists and industry specialists took the process back to basics and developed the grades from first principles with only rollforming in mind (rather than simply renaming CNC cutting fluids as many other suppliers do).

stringent demands by its customers to easily remove the rust preventative film). To that end the rollforming range was developed. The Cool-Tek 250 and Meta-Shield W1000D package represents the pinnacle of this development. Cool-Tek 250 (mill lubricant) was designed using Meta-Shield technology to incorporate high levels of corrosion protection into the mill lubricant itself. This means that strong corrosion protection is applied to the inside bore of the tube even when used as low as 4 to 5 per cent. The high level of detergents mean that both the mill and the finished tube remain very clean and the low level of oil in the product stops fines compacting into hard deposits. As the product has a low oil content the drag out is minimal and consumption is around 0.2L/T. Meta-Shield W1000D is provided as a ready-to-use emulsion. It is a milky opaque emulsion (see pictures) and uses the special MAT (Metalube Adhesion Technology) to deposit a

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J anuary 2016