Manufacturing Machinery World April 2022

ROCOL SHAVES
COSTS FOR
SHEARING
MANUFACTURER
CASE STUDY
Located on the Stroudwater Business Park in
Stonehouse, Lister Shearing has a rich history
that started when R A Lister & Co used their
42 years of experience in the agricultural
industry to develop their first electric
shearing machine. Working with Australian
shearer Jim Davidson, the company released
the No 3 shear, which was renowned for its
ability to cut closer to the skin. This
engineering success was just the beginning of
a revolution in sheep shearing, today Lister
Shearing is a name synonymous in the
agricultural industry.
The company has evolved beyond
recognition over the last century and the
Gloucestershire business now manufactures
clippers, trimmers and handpieces, combs
and cutters, blades, machines and drives and
accessories. Much of this extensive product
portfolio passes through the company’s
extensive CNC machining facility that
utilises cutting fluids from ROCOL.
Providing background on the company,
David John from Lister Shearings says: “We
manufacture sheep shearing equipment and
horse clippers, and any means of removing
hair from an animal anywhere in the world.
We are over 110 years old, starting in a
factory 10 miles away from our current site.
We moved here around six years ago due to
expansion and the business keeps on
growing.”
Alluding to the company’s secrets to
success, David John says: “We just keep
listening to what the customer requires, we
look at their needs, the animals and discuss
with them. We are part of a team involved in
animal welfare everywhere and we have
worked on our quality down the years. The
future is also quite exciting as we are part of
the Wahl Group and we are looking to
expand into different parts of the world and
taking the big opportunities in South
America where we are looking to grow with
a new customer with a retail base out there.
Europe is another market that is expanding,
as we continually see where and how we can
expand around the world.”
Discussing shop floor activities, machine
shop manager, Mr Kryspin Skabk says: “We
are manufacturing blades for clipping
machines that are very well known in the
market with the shearing equipment. This
starts from the bodies through to the
shearing cutters. We forge, laser mark, lap
and polish them.”
With CNC machining and grinding on the
site, Lister Shearings has enlisted the support
of ROCOL for its cutting fluids. Alluding to
this, Kryspin says: “Since we moved to
ROCOL to supply our coolants, we have got
fewer problems with regards to flooding and
foaming. It is a much better and more stable
coolant and it costs less than the competitors
fluid that we used to have. The service is
amazing, as we have guys coming on-site
and looking after us. They treat the coolant,
save us money on disposal, and for me, it’s
the best manufacturer of coolant.”
Using ROCOL’s ULTRACUT 320 on its
CNC machining and grinding centres,
Kryspin says: “This is a huge advantage from
the perspective of having just one type of
coolant. This makes it easier for operators to
know what coolant is going into the machine
and we don’t have to supply different
coolants that could cause problems from the
purchasing department through to the
people who are responsible for maintaining
the machines. It is a really good coolant for
grinding and milling.”
Highlighting the changeover process
from a previous coolant supplier, Kryspin
says: “We went through a long learning
curve and it took us some time to do it, but
ROCOL never gave up on the process. It
probably took us 12 months to set it all up,
but with huge thanks to ROCOL and with
their patience, we have got through that
process and we are a very happy customer.”
Discussing the trial and implementation
process, Ian Fenney from ROCOL says: “It
has gone well here and the customer is really
happy with the results so far. This was quite
an extensive trial that we run for up to 9
months until we proved the product out.
First and foremost, you have to get a product
that will cut the material and deliver on the
job. Thereafter, it was about solving all the
problems this particular customer had. It was
a slow and vigorous process where we
proved that we could cut the material, as this
was first and foremost. Then, we had an issue
with foaming - it is a massive issue here and
they had previously bought 55 litres of antifoam.
Waste was another factor and we have
cut that dramatically. Kryspin and his team
are delighted, so that is a massive tick in the
box.”
Referring to applying the coolant across
different machine tool types, Ian says: “We
are using ULTRACUT 320, a cutting and
grinding product that is working
fantastically well.”
The impressive results derived from the
extensive implementation process are a
credit to not only the engineering expertise
applied by the ROCOL team but also the
properties of the ULTRACUT 320 product.
ULTRACUT 320 is an extreme pressure longlife
semi-synthetic cutting fluid that extends
tool life, promotes excellent surface finishes,
provides long and predictable sump life,
resists foaming, emulsifies tramp oil and
inhibits corrosion and staining of
components. Furthermore, ULTRACUT 320
can be applied to a diverse range of
applications as it is suitable for both cutting
and grinding machines and it can be used
with a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous
materials.
Alluding to the ULTRACARE support
package from ROCOL, Ian adds: “The
support we have provided here is what we
provide to all of our Ultracare customers.
Without giving too much away about the
processes here, it is a difficult job to achieve.
What they are doing here is unique and there
is an element of very traditional
manufacturing alongside modern
manufacturing technologies.”
www.rocol.com
Manufacturing Machinery World, April 2022 33