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Erb Mechanik AG production hall
Liquidtool BotSep 25, 2026, 4:56:04 PM4 min read

Erb Mechanik AG Cuts Annual Coolant Use by 25% with Automated Coolant Management

Erb Mechanik AG Erb Mechanik AG is a contract manufacturer with 11 employees specializing in small batches of 20 to 200 parts. Its production includes a Nakamura turning center that runs unattended.
Employees
11
CNC machines
7
AUTOPILOT machines
1
Shifts
1
Segment
Aerospace & defense, automotive, general manufacturing, precision engineering
Country
Switzerland flag Switzerland

THE RESULTS

Measurable improvements on a Nakamura turning machine after introducing Liquidtool AUTOPILOT

Savings
25% per year
Around 20 liters less coolant per year on the machine with its 75-liter tank, equivalent to savings of approximately 25%.
Time saved
40–60 min/month
The machine operator no longer needs to refill the coolant manually, freeing up 10 to 15 minutes per week for production.
Concentration
8.5%
The coolant concentration remains constant at 8.5%. Previously, it fluctuated significantly and was often much too high.
Stable process temperature
Incremental automatic refilling eliminates temperature jumps such as the previous drop from 25°C to 15°C. Dimensional consistency within a batch is now significantly better.
No more tank overflows
The tank used to overflow once or twice a year and required extensive cleaning. This has not happened since AUTOPILOT was introduced.
Cleaner machine and better odor control
The constant concentration prevents sticky oil residue on the windows and machine. The pH is more stable, eliminating the unpleasant odor that occurred when machining plastics.

Erb Mechanik AG manufactures small batches on a Nakamura turning center, often without direct supervision. Temperature fluctuations caused by manually refilling with cold coolant regularly led to dimensional deviations, scrap, and cleaning work. Since introducing Liquidtool AUTOPILOT, the machine runs at a constant concentration and stable temperature, coolant consumption has dropped by around 25% (20 liters) per year, and the machine operator can focus entirely on production.

The Challenge

Manual checks, temperature fluctuations, and scrap

On the Nakamura turning machine, the coolant was checked manually with a refractometer and refilled by hand. This regularly introduced cold water into the tank, sharply lowering the temperature and destabilizing the production process.

The specific day-to-day problems:

  • Extreme temperature fluctuations during refilling, for example from 25°C to 15°C, directly affecting dimensional tolerances within a batch
  • Coolant concentration was often far too high, causing sticky oil residue on the machine and windows
  • A higher scrap rate and constant corrections until the tank returned to a uniform temperature
  • Tank overflows once or twice a year, followed by extensive cleaning
  • Unstable pH when machining plastics, causing unpleasant odors after 6 to 9 months
  • 10 to 15 minutes per week spent manually refilling and checking

"Compared with how things were before, we now save around 25% (20 liters) of coolant per year on this machine."

TR
Thomas Reist Production Manager / Deputy Managing Director

Erb Mechanik AG production hall

The Solution

AUTOPILOT automatically handles mixing and refilling

Erb Mechanik AG discovered the Liquidtool AUTOPILOT at a Blaser event, where the system was demonstrated together with a Haas robot. The trial was combined with a new Blaser Motec 501 coolant. Installation by Thomas Eschlimann from Blaser Swisslube AG was highly efficient, and process stability had noticeably improved within just 2 months.

Since then, AUTOPILOT has fully taken over mixing and refilling for the Nakamura turning machine. It refills in such small increments that the temperature in the tank remains stable and the concentration stays at 8.5%. The machine operator no longer needs to manage the coolant and has more capacity for production.

Subscription model and Liquidtool support

Erb Mechanik AG prefers the subscription model because defective hardware is replaced at no additional cost and software updates are installed automatically. The support team quickly and easily resolved initial connection issues through remote access. Support was rated 10 out of 10: the team proactively sends an email if the connection is lost and usually responds within 12 hours.

Erb Mechanik AG employee in production

"Process stability has improved significantly because the coolant temperature no longer fluctuates, thanks to continuous automatic refilling."

TR
Thomas Reist Production Manager / Deputy Managing Director

What's Next

Expansion to CNC milling machines planned

Erb Mechanik AG plans to extend the Liquidtool AUTOPILOT to its CNC milling machines once robots for unattended operation have been installed. These machines will then also benefit from an automated coolant supply.

The Product
AUTOPILOT
Automatically measures, mixes, and refills coolant.
Cloud-controlled automation with intelligent rules, alerts, and complete documentation keeps your production stable, efficient, and sustainable.
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AUTOPILOT showing individual coolant concentration on multiple CNC machines

Frequently Asked Questions

Which machine does Erb Mechanik AG use Liquidtool AUTOPILOT on?

AUTOPILOT is installed on a Nakamura turning machine used for small batches of 20 to 200 parts, often in unattended operation.

How much coolant does Erb Mechanik AG save with AUTOPILOT?

The machine with its 75-liter tank uses around 20 liters less coolant per year. This represents savings of approximately 25% compared with previous consumption.

Why were temperature fluctuations during refilling a problem?

When large amounts of cold water were added manually, the temperature in the tank dropped sharply, for example from 25°C to 15°C. This affected the dimensional accuracy of parts within a production batch and required constant corrections until the tank returned to a uniform temperature. The result was a higher scrap rate.

How does Erb Mechanik AG rate Liquidtool support?

Support was rated 10 out of 10. The team proactively sends an email when a connection interruption is detected and usually responds within 12 hours. Initial connection issues after installation were resolved quickly and easily through remote access.

What are the benefits of the Liquidtool subscription model?

The subscription includes replacement of defective hardware at no additional cost, and software updates are installed automatically. This reduces maintenance work and keeps the system up to date.

Erb Mechanik AG is a contract manufacturer with 11 employees that produces small batches of 20 to 200 parts, including on a Nakamura turning center in unattended operation.

Liquidtool Bot
Liquidtool Bot

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