BMW Williams F1 team achieves winning performance with Castrol metalworking fluids

Citation

(2003), "BMW Williams F1 team achieves winning performance with Castrol metalworking fluids", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 55 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2003.01855dab.001

BMW Williams F1 team achieves winning performance with Castrol metalworking fluids

Keywords: Castrol, Fluids

To cope with the year-on-year design changes that are the life-blood of a Formula One team, designers and engineers at the BMW Williams F1 Team make most of the predictive disciplines such as finite element (FE) analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to create accurate computer models, without ever having to "cut" metal (Plate 1).

But when they do start cutting metal – to create high performance components for the cars' drive train, suspension and chassis – they rely on Castrol cutting and grinding fluids. With cars and components in a perpetual state of evolution throughout the season, the quality and reliability of the components produced in the BMW Williams FI Team production machine shop is one of the cornerstones of the team's performance.

Plate 1 The Castrol sponsored BMW Williams F1 team

The main production workshop at Grove near Wantage operates CNC lathes and CNC mills – all dedicated to produce gearbox, chassis, suspension and steering components from titanium, aluminium, magnesium and stainless steel.

The machines, which have their own sumps and are fed from a central distribution unit, run on a 7-day, three-shift basis to meet the deadlines that are an essential part of Formula One. Components, with the exception of those associated with the engine, are continuously developed and machined on-site and used for both test and race cars throughout the season.

Taking up the story, Machine Shop Manager Steve Blewett says machining complicated components to tight tolerances and very tight deadlines makes the machine shop a demanding environment for cutting fluids.

"We had some product and service concerns with coolants from another manufacturer", he continues: "and agreed to look at Castrol as an alternative. As this is a hard water area with high levels of chloride, they were asked to run initial trials on one machine. The results confirmed that to improve component quality and optimise the performance of both lathes and grinding machines with Castrol's recommended fluids, we needed to install a reverse osmosis unit to remove impurities from the water and soften it".

Following the award of the contract in 2001, Castrol Alusol XT replaced the previous fluids for general machining and grinding operations in all but two of the machines. Hysol MG was recommended for two machines that are dedicated to machining magnesium. The same fluids are also used in a smaller R&D workshop.

Reporting on the performance of Castrol's cutting fluids, Steve Blewett says: "The first thing operators noticed was that the Castrol products are much cleaner than anything we have used in the past. They eliminated the misting and foaming problems, which we experienced, and screens and machines stay clean."

Whilst the CNC machines are maintained by the machine shop operators, who also check pH and coolant levels on a regular basis, Steve Blewett says monitoring is still a joint effort with regular visits by the local Castrol Sales Engineer Phil Eltham.

Commenting for Castrol, Phil Eltham says: "Alusol XT is also saving money for BMW Williams F1 Team. It is naturally cleaner than other fluids and prevents tramp oils from emulsifying, making them separate easily for removal with skimmers. That means it lasts much longer than their previous coolant, even in this environment, which is confirmed by the fact that they have not had to clean out the sumps since Alusol XT was introduced over 12 months ago."

Steve Blewett is also pleased with the performance of the Castrol slideway and hydraulic oils currently used by the machine shop, saying that they are a real improvement on the previous products used. He concludes by quoting an example of the demands of a Formula One environment, saying: "When a racing component has been machined, tested and proven reliable in the R&D machine shop, there may be as little as 3 or 4 days for the production machine shop operators to produce them to the same exact standards before qualifying and race days. It goes without saying that we must be able to rely on our coolant supplier".

That is why the BMW Williams F1 Team recognises that, beyond the traditionally credited engine and tyre manufacturers, technical partners such as Castrol make a significant contribution to the performance of the cars based on their own advanced research and development programmes.

For further information contact: Cliff Thrussell, Castrol (UK) Ltd, Wakefield House, Pipers Way, Swindon, SN3 1RE UK. Tel: +44(0)1793 452356; Fax: +(0)1793 486083; E-mail: thrussc@castrol.com; Web site: www.castrol.com