Automated fluidmanagement: CUMA in practical use at Liebherr

Together with the automation specialist Festo, Hermann Bantleon GmbH has developed a system that automates the management of metalworking fluids in production: CUMA – the Cutting Fluid Manager. Initial practical experience from manufacturing at Liebherr-Components demonstrates the solution’s potential.

 

In many metalworking operations, metalworking fluids are still checked manually at fixed intervals. However, these spot measurements can only capture fluctuations to a limited extent and create additional workload in day-to-day production.

 

This is precisely where CUMA comes in. The system continuously monitors key emulsion parameters such as concentration, pH value, and conductivity. The data is automatically recorded and visualized via a web-based software platform. At the same time, the system independently regulates the replenishment of water and concentrate, ensuring that the metalworking fluid tank is always maintained at optimal levels.

 

The system was developed in close collaboration with Festo, integrating sensor technology, fluidics, and software into a comprehensive solution for automated fluid management.

 

In practical use at Liebherr-Components, the tangible benefits become clear:

 

“Through continuous monitoring and automatic dosing, concentrations remain stable, the service life of the metalworking fluid improves and concentrate consumption has been reduced by around 30%,” confirms Samuel Beck, Operations Engineer in Technical Administration at Liebherr-Components.

 

With CUMA, Bantleon aims to make fluid management in production more efficient, transparent, and resource-efficient.