ROCOL Shaves Costs For Shearing Manufacturer

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 anti-foam. 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 long-life 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.”