Just realized my coolant tank was starving my pump

I was at a shop in Dayton last month helping a buddy troubleshoot his Haas. His pump kept surging and I noticed the coolant tank level looked fine but there was a ton of sludge at the bottom. We drained it and found about 4 inches of chip fines and grime blocking the intake. Now I check my own tank every 2 weeks with a stick and save myself the headaches. Has anyone else dealt with hidden sludge issues like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

iris_rivera448d ago

Yeah sludge is the silent killer for real. I run a small job shop and learned the hard way after a $2k spindle repair. Now I pop the tank lid every Monday morning and stir the bottom with a paint stick to break up any settled crud before it cakes up. Also switched to a tramp oil skimmer and it cut down on the gummy buildup a ton. If you don't have one already, a cheap coolant filter bag on the return line catches a lot of the fine chips before they settle. Honestly, just doing a full drain and clean every 6 months is worth it. Sludge is way more common than people think, especially with water soluble coolants.

taraw168d ago

Honestly I gotta push back a little. I've run the same coolant for like 3 years straight without ever draining and my spindles are still fine. Maybe it depends on the machine or what you're cutting, but I think people overreact to sludge unless you're literally making mud. You just strait up filtered your way into a lot of extra work for nothing?