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Debate: Should we use coolant mist or flood coolant on aluminum parts?
Last month I tried flood coolant on a batch of 6061 parts and got way better surface finish, but the mess was insane compared to mist. Which method do you guys think is actually better for production work?
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willow7325h agoMost Upvoted
The whole "flood coolant is too messy" thing... I heard a guy at a shop talk once who said the mess actually saves time in the long run because you spend less time fighting with tool wear. I never really believed that until I tried flood on some 6061 myself. The finish was way cleaner, and I didn't have to stop and clean out the mist nozzles every 20 minutes. But yeah, the floor turns into a slip hazard and you need a good chip tray setup. I think if you're running production, flood is worth the extra cleanup, especially for thinner walled parts where mist can leave hot spots.
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