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The characteristics that make titanium ideal for aircraft engine parts, frames and landing gear are matched by the challenges of machining the material. Titanium and high-nickel alloys are resistant to abrasives and tend toward work hardening at high temperatures.
These materials also have poor thermal conductivity compared to steel, so is difficult to remove heat that builds up at the intersection of the tool tip and the workpiece. This is where the right metalworking fluid can deliver measurable improvement results.
Coolant is an often-overlooked part of the machining process, but it is just as important as choosing the right tools, cutting parameters, and CNC machine. It has a significant impact on everything from tool life to surface finishes and geometric tolerances.
Without the right coolant, tools can quickly overheat, causing more than normal tool wear, deformation, and even tool failure. As a result, the material burns through inserts and cutting tools at a surprisingly high rate, especially during roughing operations. To protect high-value aero-industry parts, manufacturers often change out tools and inserts more than necessary simply as a precaution, and at an added expense.
The benefits of Skytec products
Blaser Swisslube introduced the Skytec products family to minimize tool wear and reduce the number of tool changes without compromising process reliability when machining titanium and other high-nickel alloys. Skytec fluids also work well when machining aluminum, steel, and nickel-based alloys, and perform without foaming even in high-pressure systems greater than 1,000.
The two formulas were developed by a team of experts including chemists, engineers, and application technicians, and tested by well-known machine tool builders and aerospace OEMs. Vasco Skytec H 600 draws on the plant-ester-based Vasco range, and B-Cool Skytec 500 on the mineral-oil-based B-Cool range. Both are designed to significantly extend tool life without risking expensive aerospace parts.
As part of the development process, Blaser conducted extensive testing against the best available fluids for machining titanium, as recommended by a range of customers and machine tool builders. Each test was conducted using identical material, and identical tooling from the same lot. After gathering all of the test results and tool life data, the team went to work developing and trying different coolant formulations with the goal of surpassing performance results of the best products on the market at that time.
B-Cool Skytec 500 - All-around product for aerospace applications
In 2024, Blaser Swisslube introduced B-Cool Skytec 500 to a manufacturer of landing gear for military and commercial aircraft. Skytec 500 is a mineral-oil-based formula designed to significantly extend tool life without risking damage to expensive aerospace parts.
The aerospace company had been using the same metalworking fluid for years and realized there were several opportunities for improvement. Their goals included reducing maintenance by extending coolant sump life, eliminating foam, improving part finish quality, producing cleaner parts, and using less fluid overall.
The remaining coolant from the chips can be filtered and reused without the need for tank-side additives.
Key personnel at the manufacturing facility worked with Blaser to identify both cost and time-saving targets based on matching the right metalworking fluids to their unique milling and turning operations. Then Blaser application engineers applied a four-step process to analyze all aspects of the production environment. The analysis includes factors like water quality, machining processes and volume, material mix and maintenance practices.
For the mainly forged aircraft aluminum parts, Blaser recommended Skytec 500. After initial trials, the new coolant improved machining performance and showed consistent part finishes, which is essential to aviation industry standards. In addition to cleaner parts, there was no residue left inside the machine. This was a welcome outcome as it would reduce maintenance efforts and machine downtime. The stability of the coolant also extended sump life, reducing consumption and costs while maintaining performance thus delivering operational and economic benefits.
B-Cool Skytec 500 is optimized for long-term, stable use in coolant reclamation and aluminum chip briquetting systems. The remaining coolant from the chips can be filtered and reused without the need for tank-side additives, which provides additional value and sustainability benefits.
According to Makino, Blaser’s Skytec H 600 delivered nearly 40 percent longer tool life when roughing titanium.
Vasco Skytec H 600 – Excels at hard milling titanium
When another Skytec product was launched, Vasco Skytec H 600, it was tested by Makino Europe on a T2 5-axis milling machine built for precise machining of titanium. Blaser’s Vasco Skytec H 600 was created with high lubricity to ensure good tool life and good surface finish when hard milling titanium.
In real-world tests of Vasco Skytec H 600, tool life immediately increased by more than 40 percent when roughing titanium. Images provided by Blaser Swisslube.
The high lubricity allows for a consistent application of the fluid which in turn yields a better surface finish. While the water cools, the lubricity from the additive also reduces heat build-up where the tool meets the material.
According to Makino, Blaser’s Skytec H 600 delivered nearly 40 percent longer tool life when roughing titanium (Vc 60 m/min; fz 0.18; ae 10 mm; ap 60 mm) compared to another coolant they previously considered to be the industry standard. Even at that tool change rate, wear on the inserts was 16 percent less than expected.
Vasco Skytec H 600 was tested by Makino Europe. The tool life of Walter WaveCut tools increased by more than 40 percent in the titanium roughing on a Makino T2 compared to competitors coolant.
The right time to make the switch
The easiest time to introduce a new fluid is during a new product introduction, but this decision is not always a central part of the planning process. When there is a new product in the pipeline, look at the current situation and consider the age of the coolant formulas currently in use.
Aerospace industry approvals can be difficult, but they are much easier at the time of a new product launch when it is part of a comprehensive strategy. It is important to understand the customers’ requirements, collaborate with coolant experts, and make fluid selection part of the plan from the start. The team at Blaser has extensive experience with major aerospace and machine tool manufacturers and can provide advice and support on necessary qualification testing.
Every year there are product improvements and new formulas that can truly add value to the production process. By making informed and data-driven decisions around coolant, it is possible to achieve measurable improvements and savings in material removal rates, tool life, sump life, and part quality.
Titan Gilroy from Titans of CNC demonstrates titanium roughing with B-Cool Skytec 500 in this new video. He chose Skytec 500 for machining titanium and Inconel on an EMCO VMC with a high-pressure coolant system.
