Certas Lubricant Solutions, the UK’s largest distributor of lubricants, has launched its revolutionary new metalworking fluid management software, Fluid Command.
The cloud-based software, developed by Certas to improve metalworking fluid management processes, has been designed to address longstanding problems within the metalworking industry such as ineffective reporting, unscheduled machine maintenance and downtime, and the need for strict HSE compliance.
Currently, industry standard monitoring of metalworking fluids is conducted using manual and paper-based processes that are time-consuming, fallible, and outdated. The nature of paper-based reporting also means any manual findings are unconducive for spotting trends, future forecasting, and solving facility-wide problems.
Fluid Command, Certas’ new cloud-based software solution, will revolutionise the way metalworking fluids are monitored, and machine maintenance is carried out by bringing industry 4.0 technology to the metalworking sector.
“Managing industrial lubricants, especially soluble metalworking fluids, has long been seen as a dark art,” says Mark Powell, Certas Director, Services and Solutions. “But optimising the condition of lubricants delivers tangible savings for a business by reducing waste and increasing machine and tool life while improving the overall environment for all concerned.”
“We have been assisting customers with fluid management for some time now and identified a need for a software solution. With Fluid Command, we have created a bespoke tool, giving our customers direct and real-time access to the data we collect, so they can use it to customise the outputs for their own needs.”
“We are very excited to launch this new system and look forward to hearing about the benefits we are certain it will bring to our partners,” he added.
How Fluid Command works
Fluid Command has been designed and developed to answer a number of issues that arise from poor fluid management within the metalworking sector. It does this by establishing a maintenance rota and intuitive platform for engineers to capture the quantity, quality, and usage of fluids, reporting its findings via a user-friendly dashboard and traffic-light system. Immediate fluid issues are flagged as red; potential problems as ‘amber; and optimal fluid performance as ‘green’.
As well as highlighting any hidden fluid problems such as degrading or contamination – a risk to both machine and operator – Fluid Command’s data generates instant, detailed fluid reports that are stored in its cloud-based system. These paperless reports can then be viewed as tables and graphs that can be accessed, downloaded, shared, and compared anytime, anywhere, on any digital device supporting Fluid Command’s easy-to-use software.
Mark Powell explains, “The system has initially been created with soluble metalworking fluids and lubrication scheduling in mind, however, the design is such that technology advancements can easily be integrated, making Fluid Command a future-proof investment.”
Industry benefits of Fluid Command
The industry benefits of Fluid Command are numerous. The software’s traffic light reporting will enable operators to proactively address any fluid issues before they arise, reducing costly machine downtime and maintenance. Effective fluid management within operational machines also streamlines metalworking processes, reduces operating costs, increases tool life, and improves production rates.
HSE compliance is crucial to the safe and continued operation of metalworking facilities. Regular testing of metalworking fluids eliminates any health and safety risks for operators associated with coming into contact with poor-quality fluids. Fluid Command’s data capture will ensure all machines are HSE compliant, while its reports will provide a complete fluid history in line with any HSE inspections, scheduled or otherwise. When further investigation or routine testing is needed, Fluid Command users will also have access to 48-hour testing, further ensuring the health of a machine’s lubricants and fluids.
All digital reports generated by Fluid Command’s software are displayed as graphs and tables that are easy to access and share at the touch of a button and understand at a glance. This enables users to gain invaluable insight into fluid use and performance across multiple machines and facilities on a global scale, helping to spot trends and predict forecasting.
The software’s user-friendly display, intuitive design, and QR scanning means the introduction of Fluid Command is set to be a seamless process for facilities looking to step into industry 4.0. Get ready to meet the future of metalworking fluid management.
