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Rant: The week our coolant pump gave up and we had to run dry
This was two weeks ago, and it started with a weird smell from the Haas. The coolant pump made a grinding noise for about three seconds and then just quit. Our boss said the new pump was three days out, but we had a big order of 304 stainless parts due. We decided to run dry with just air blast, which I had never done for a full shift. The shop got so hot you could feel it through your boots, and the chips were welding themselves to the tool. I went through six inserts on one job that normally uses two. The foreman kept walking by saying, 'Just keep it moving,' but you could see the worry on his face. We finally got the pump in on a Thursday afternoon and the first part with coolant felt like a gift. Has anyone else had to run a machine dry for that long, and what did you do to keep things from melting down?
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ben_ellis797mo ago
Seriously, you should've just shut it down and waited for the pump.
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ryanj606mo ago
You're right about shutting it down, but sometimes that's easier said than done. I've been there when the pressure is on to keep the line moving. The hard part is knowing a quick fix now will cause a bigger breakdown later. It's always better to take the hour to do it right than lose a whole shift to a wrecked machine. You just have to stand your ground, even when people are yelling about numbers.
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