Lean Key Solutions AG was one of the first operations to use AUTOPILOT during the prototype phase. What began as a gradual rollout is today a fully automated coolant management system that saves one hour of manual work per day, doubles coolant life, and has extended tool life by 15 to 20 percent.

The Challenge

Manual refilling, uncontrolled concentration, downtime at night

Before Lean Key Solutions AG worked with Liquidtool, coolant was a topic that received little attention. Manual management cost time every day and caused hidden follow-on costs that only became visible when testing the first prototypes.

The specific day-to-day problems:

• Every CNC machine had to be refilled by hand every morning, taking approximately 7 minutes per machine and around 1 hour per day in total.
• Refilling was done with a spray can, set to minimum concentration, without any prior measurement.
• Coolant concentration was checked with a refractometer at best once a month, otherwise assessed only by smell.
• Fluctuating concentration significantly affected tool life and the surface quality of parts.
• In unmanned shifts, machine stoppages occasionally occurred because the coolant had not been checked in time.
• Shorter coolant life due to lack of maintenance and uncontrolled refilling.

The Solution

AUTOPILOT takes over measuring, refilling, monitoring, and documenting

Lean Key Solutions AG joined as an early adopter, initially only with the IoT sensor, while the filler was still in development. Later, a filler from the very first series was added. Almost all CNC machines were gradually connected; today AUTOPILOT measures, refills, monitors, and documents the coolant automatically.

A particularly striking example of the benefit of automation is a machine with an 800 to 1000-litre tank: previously, 50 to 100 litres were refilled at once, which caused the coolant temperature to drop sharply and affected the dimensional accuracy of parts. With AUTOPILOT, refilling is done in small individual quantities of approximately 5 to 10 litres with a maximum fill volume of 50 litres, the temperature remains stable, and processes run consistently.

Via MANAGER, those responsible have insight into the coolant status at any time and from anywhere. Particularly valuable is the machine-specific allocation of consumption, which enables precise cost transparency for the first time.

What's Next

Automation as a permanent part of production

Coolant management at Lean Key Solutions AG is today an automated, documented process. The system runs stably and reliably. If support is needed, questions are resolved quickly and concerns are taken seriously. Oliver Ringli rates the support 10 out of 10. Under the subscription model, defective devices are replaced at no additional cost, and new features become available automatically via software updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lean Key Solutions AG is a manufacturing operation specializing in stainless-steel materials, with 14 employees, offering contract manufacturing, proprietary products, engineering, and custom fabrication such as process equipment, producing prototypes and small batches with lot sizes of 1 to 50 pieces.