As part of our continued drive to improve the products and services we offer our customers, ROCOL Product Manager Joshua Gledhill recently spent time working with our team of service engineers, visiting customers to understand how this service helps them.

Here’s what Josh had to say about a day he spent with a customer in Gateshead:

“After talking to various managers at different customer companies, it was great to get more involved with the practical side of equipment maintenance and see how our service engineers add value to customers.

This particular customer had been experiencing issues with a sump that wasn’t circulating fluid after sitting unused for a couple of months. Sumps are the workhorse of machining operations: they hold the liquid that keeps everything moving and cool during operation, and they collect oil and gunk. When machines sit unused for a period of time, they can clog up, causing the machine to underperform and potentially break down.

Four of us arrived on site at 7am and got kitted up in protective clothing. We knew we were in for a messy day, so our PPE was going to earn its keep. Once we’d spoken with our customer and had a look at the machine to diagnose the problem, our first task was to drain the sump and scoop out the contamination that had formed in it. As the machine had sat idle for so long it was full of mould, bacteria, fungus and swarf.

Once the sump had been cleared, it was time to pressure wash it out. Then, to eliminate any trace of contaminants, we treated the sump with ROCOL ULTRAGUARD SC. This product gets into all the areas where cutting fluid flows and gets rid of any micro-organisms that may be hanging around. We then gave the system a final flush with water, before drying it out and making sure that the sump was clear of any water so as not to cause corrosion. Next, we refilled the sump with fresh cutting fluid – ROCOL TRI–LOGIC in this case – to get the machine ready for use.

It’s great to spend time away from the computer and with the service engineers. Their role is to spot small issues before they become big ones and help overcome any problems that customers may be experiencing.

Before I left, the site supervisor said just how impressed he is with our service engineers have about each piece of machinery. He went on to say that it was because of this, he felt he didn’t need to supervise them and he could leave them to work.

Many lubricant companies contract this work out to third parties. We prefer to keep it in house, as it allows us to work closely with customers and support them with our technical expertise.”

To find out how our service engineers can support your business, get in touch.