Our shop switched from a standard flood coolant to a high-pressure mist system for aluminum work.

We ran the same 6061 part on two identical machines for a full shift. The flood setup used 15 gallons of coolant and left a wet mess. The mist system used less than a gallon and the parts came out dry and clean, with better chip evacuation. The boss was worried about tool life, but we saw no change in insert wear. Has anyone else made this switch and found it better for certain jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_vera2d ago

Wish I could get my pressure washer to use less than a gallon on a job, I'd be rich. Sounds like a solid switch though, especially for aluminum. Dry parts and no mess is a huge win. Did you have to change your feeds or speeds at all with the mist?

the_angela2d ago

Honestly I was in the same boat, thought it was just a gimmick. But the mist setup lets me push feeds way harder without worrying about heat. I actually bumped my speed up about 15% on aluminum because the cooling is so constant. Parts come out dry and clean, which is a game changer for finish work. Totally changed my mind on using coolant for smaller jobs.