Dry Film Lubricants, or DFLs, provide a better metal-processing experience. When producing metal appliances, DFL eliminates the need for wet lubricants and some peelable plastic films by providing significant lubricity for metal forming with a no-mess, dry-to-the-touch coating.
Our DFL technologies are waterborne coatings that form a hard, temporary film on nearly every metal substrate including HR P&O, CRS, Galvanneal, Aluminized, HDG, EG, Aluminum and Stainless Steel. Eliminate the need for oils, pre-lubes, and peelable plastics with an environmentally-safe choice that saves money, reduces scrap and improves part quality.
DFL Advantages
Plant Efficiency
Replacing an oil-based lubricant with DFL can have a surprising impact on processing efficiency. While an oil-based lubricant is messy and requires frequent clean-up, facilities that apply DFL on their coil-coating line before stamping can save significant time by eliminating the need for frequent cleaning.
DFL acts as a barrier against metal-to-metal contact during a metal-forming step, like stamping. That translates to saving time on die maintenance and necessary die adjustments during long runs. Because it’s dry to the touch, DFL eliminates the need for rust preventatives and washing steps after stamping. Your metals can roll straight off one line and into the next one without additional processing.
Cost Savings
Extending the life of metal processing equipment benefits plant efficiency and your bottom line. Taking a holistic view on cost savings with DFLs allows a stamping company to run longer campaigns, run more efficiently, and reduce equipment wear and tear.
DFL coatings maximize the formability of a given substrate. This allows customers to down-grade to less expensive raw material specifications without sacrificing final product quality. Eliminating oil-based lubricants also saves money on facility cleaning costs while simultaneously reducing associated safety hazards.
Part Quality
You can ensure that your customers receive consistent, defect-free parts for longer by protecting your equipment from excessive wear-and-tear by using DFL. It works around tight grooves, delicate bends and precision cuts, providing temporary protection against corrosion. Applying DFLs to a substrate doesn’t affect any necessary downstream processing like slitting, CTL, etc.
Customers can easily remove DFLs with most alkaline cleaners, leave it on until a later date or remove it once the finished part is formed. Some DFLs are even weldabe and can help to container weld spatter for an easy wash post-weld.
Environmentally Friendly
These waterborne coatings can reduce or eliminate the need for oil-based lubricants, and—by extension—the storage, maintenance, and cleanup of oils. Similarly, DFLs can be used as a cost-effective substitute for many peelable plastic films used on non-exposed parts.
Eliminating the need for oil-based lubricants means no more storing oil drums, reducing both respiratory and fire safety risks associated with wet lubricants. DFL supports our mission to be an environmentally-friendly company by reducing the need to use plastic film as a protective coating against scuffing or scratching for interior and exterior components. DFL also eliminates the amount of necessary regulated reporting by removing VOCs and HAPs from the process.
A Better Option
Dry Film Lubricant provides superior lubricity, formability and flexibility when stamping and processing a wide range of metal substrates. It’s suitable for deep-draw stamping without impacting downstream processing while providing cost savings, a cleaner processing floor and so much more.
Ready to learn more about how DFL can benefit your business? Connect with a sales representative today. We’re happy to answer your DFL questions and dive into further detail.