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Dry Lube Stamping

CMT manufacturing campus has developed processes to manufacture your parts without the aid of adding a wet lubricant. The "dry lube" process can reduce your cost if your parts are required to be free of all oils at the time of delivery. This process would eliminate the cleaning process that would be required to meet this specification. It also is a more environmentally friendly process. This has also provided greater levels of customer satisfaction in all its products.

  • Parts are run 100% dry, without oil.
  • Parts are produced with the following processes:
    • Progressive Complete
    • Coil or Blank Fed Transfer Complete 
    • Line Die 
    • Robotic Wire Welding 
  • Parts can be E-coated and / or welded without performing a wash operation which results in reduced cost.
  • A dry stamping environment allows for in-die fool proofing with sensors that are not possible when wet stamping lubricants are used.
  • The elimination of oil in the process is environmentally responsible.

Description

Dry Lube is a water-soluble powder applied to metal from a solution to form a dry film drawing compound. This material combinesthe advantages of the polymer-type coating and the old borax-soap-based dry drawing compounds.

The adhesion, rust protection, and moisture resistance of dry lube is far superior to the standard borax soap products. In addition, this material has the ability to make multiple and deep draws not found in the polymer-type products. As high humidity does not have the adverse effect encountered with common borax soap compounds, softening of the film (gumming) and metal corrosion with DRY LUBE are negligible. Die build-up, peeling, powdering and sticking are virtually eliminated. DRY LUBE was specifically formulated to obtain the high-speed application necessary for economical
operation in today’s industry.

DRY LUBE has the advantage over polymer-type products of being removed from
coated stock, equipment and work areas with hot water. Disposal is both safe and simple.

When application is uniform, DRY LUBE leaves no lubricant marks in drawn steel parts.

Operation

Application:
The aqueous solution of DRY LUBE is applied to the metal by dipping, air knife, spraying or rolling. This allows flexibility in the application techniques, which is impossible with wet drawing compounds. In all methods, a uniform coating of drawing compound is easily obtained. Coated metal must be dry before stacking.

Handling:
Sheets coated with DRY LUBE do not stick together and they may be stacked for more efficient storage. Sheets may be stacked indoors for months between coating and drawing. Steel can be annealed without removing the DRY LUBE.

Steel coated with DRY LUBE may be welded without cleaning, depending upon the coating weight and welding specifications.  Sheets should be properly banded to avoid accidents, as sheets coated with DRY LUBE are quite slippery.

Mixing:
Water should be added to the solution tank and heated prior to adding the chemical. The hotter the water, the quicker the DRY LUBE dissolves. Temperatures above 180º F are preferred. Add with agitation and continue until the entire chemical is in the solution.

Facilities:
Metal to be coated with DRY LUBE should be clean and must enter the coating section with a metal temperature above the set point of the DRY LUBE solution. Higher metal temperatures speed the drying. The metal temperature in continuous coil or cut length lines is usually obtained from a hot cleaner or hot rinse solution. In dip coating systems, heat from the DRY LUBE solution itself is sufficient.

Equipment should be designed to prevent DRY LUBE solidification on the system by use of such items as heated coating rolls and insulated pipes and tanks. Drying of the coated metal is best accomplished by high volume, ambient to slightly warm air.

In the case of dip coating, coating weights will vary inversely with solution temperature. Variation is not linear and must be determined for each production system.

Specification:

Concentration– 8-40 ounces per gallon, depending upon smoothness of metal, severity of the draw and coating weight desired.  Rough metal and deep draws require high concentration to obtain higher coating weights.

Bath Temperature       165º-200ºF     155º-200ºF     120º-200ºF

Metal Temperature     165ºF     155ºF     140ºF

Coating Weights– As required, generally 100-250 mg/sq ft for cold rolled steel; 200-500 mg/sq ft for hot rolled steel.

Removal– DRY LUBE is water soluble and cleanable in any aqueous cleaner.