Starting point

Miilumachine has long been aware the harm caused by machining fluids, and they have been actively monitoring their fluids for several years. Previously, they used Excel as their monitoring tool, where the results were recorded regularly. For monitoring machining fluids, Excels and pieces of paper on the sides of machines are normal in many other workshop environments as well.

The routines with this set up worked well, but information about the condition of the fluids remained within a limited user group, as the measurement results collected from the fluids were on the maintenance staff’s computers. For those who worked in the vicinity of the fluids themselves, i.e. the machinists, the information was not easily accessible and thus easily caused uncertainty about the fluids. The condition of the fluids was assessed based on observations, not facts, which often caused unnecessary inquiries and clarifications about the actual condition of the fluid.

Even though the liquids were often completely within the limits, the information was not transparent and when the facts are not visible, emotion easily wins. This led to unnecessary reactivity, verifications and complaints about the condition of the fluid.

Solution

Miilumachine introduced the Spesnes Platform software, a digital pH meter and sampling strips for monitoring bacteria, as well as a Status vision display. With the help of these tools, it is easy to monitor the condition of fluids and make it visible, which makes following fluid changes and trends easy and clear. Within the company, the credentials created for different stakeholders enable everyone to monitor the condition of the machining fluids. This increases transparency and reduces unnecessary inquiries and investigations as the data is available for everyone to see.

Now every user can see at a glance:

• Fluid’s general condition with a clear traffic light model (green/yellow/red)
• Concentration of liquids, pH and bacterial levels
• Trends and changes
• Possible deviations
• Clear visual graphs

Results

The Spesnes Platform quickly made everyday life clearer, and reporting became easier in terms of occupational safety and audits.

1. Bringing up facts reduces unnecessary doubts enables early detection of problems which can be addressed on time.

When everyone has the same visual view, the conversation moves from the "I think that..." level to the "data shows that..." level. This kept the discussions fact-based and made decision-making much easier.

2. Increased awareness of the condition of fluids brings safety confidence to employees

When the fluids are in good condition thanks to factual data, it creates a safe environment for employees to work in. In this case, there is no need to worry if it is safe to work around the machines or if the liquids pose a risk of occupational diseases, such as skin or respiratory diseases.

3. Reactivity and unnecessary complaints decreased significantly. When visibility is the same for everyone and facts can be trusted, there are fewer ambiguities and interruptions at workstations. Production Manager Otto Miilukangas comments that machinists now have significantly fewer questions about fluids and confidence that the fluids are in good condition has increased. This reduces the need to investigate further, making production smoother and not causing unnecessary interruptions in production.  This has a direct impact on the workload of production management.

4. Visual and well-documented fluid monitoring and maintenance process

The Spesnes Platform plays a key role in the implementation of the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standard. As part of the system, the organisation is required to monitor and measure the realisation of tasks concerning occupational health and safety risks on a regular basis. Machining fluid exposure is a significant OHS risk, so monitoring them will significantly improve occupational safety in the machining industry.

The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and the occupational safety and health authorities require documented and regular monitoring, among other things:

• concentrations
• pH
• deviations
• maintenance procedures
• the risk management of chemical exposures

According to the law, employers must identify the risks of employees' exposure to chemicals and take measures to reduce exposures.

Spesnes Platform automatically collects these as historical data and the results are easy to present in reports and audits. When the monitoring and documentation of liquids is regular and centralized in one place, audits are handled faster and better.

Thanks to the Spesnes service, the company can justify the responsible use of chemicals based on data. A clear, documented process and data-driven oversight can be demonstrated for audits. This improves the trust of customers and partners.

Customer feedback