Millipore and the Cost Impact On Manufacturers Due To BS6 Norms

To comply with stringent BS6 norms, component manufacturers must implement testing procedures like millipore.

With Bharat Stage Emission Standards (BSES), it is now mandatory that all vehicle manufacturers manufacture only BS6 (BSVI) vehicles from 1 April 2020.

Significantly, the BS6 norms are now similar to the European standards. In other words, Indian-made engines are no longer more polluting than the rest of the world- which was not the case earlier.

Are you struggling to achieve millipore values? If yes, maybe our filtration systems can help. Please click here to know how we can assist you.

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Millipore- What is it?

Millipore is a method of verifying part cleanliness. It measures the presence of solid particles and other non-soluble contaminants on machine parts.

Millipore test equipment gathers suspended particles in a liquid. It applies them to a filter which is then dried to allow for weighing and further study.

In most cases, the millipore results are either the number or size of particles in the tested fluid.

Millipore cleanliness testing is integral to the automotive industry. Almost every machined component that goes into making an engine needs to adhere to a millipore value decided by the auto-OEM.

Please click here to learn more about millipore testing.

Why is millipore important?

Cleanliness results validation

Cleanliness validation is a process you can perform to verify the results of a cleaning process, filtration system, or manufacturing process.

Hence, it is essential for any operation involving materials cleaning and fluid filtration.

Particle accumulation data

Millipore results give us an accurate understanding of what is happening with our manufacturing process and the fluids we use.

Therefore, we can understand trends of particle counts or particle build-up in a fluid. Hence, we can conclude if we need to improve any manufacturing process Eg. Introduce a filtration system or change a filtration system.

Using the millipore values, we can conclude whether a particular machine or a machine cell is not achieving the desired specifications and take timely corrective action.

Production and safety standards

Millipore results provide valuable information about the quality of our products and the safety of our manufacturing process.

The millipore reports also help us show that we comply with all relevant standards and regulations.

Cleaning and filtration system process optimization

When it comes to your manufacturing processes, you want to ensure that everything runs as cost-effectively as possible. That’s where millipore results can help!

Millipore testing provides an objective way to measure how well your cleaning and filtration processes are working.

Hence, millipore testing allows you to optimize your process for more efficient manufacturing, saving you time, money, and resources by avoiding rework.

Are their changes in millipore requirements due to changes in BS6 norms?

BS6 is a set of standards used in the automotive industry across India to regulate vehicle emissions. To comply with these strict standards, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) must reduce Millipore values across all components by up to 90% compared to values for BS4 engines.

The Millipore value refers to the amount of residue left on an engine component, like a cylinder head or block. The unwanted residue enters the cleaning (degreasing chemical) fluid during the component cleaning or parts washing process. We get the millipore value after testing a sample of the degrease chemical.

The millipore value of each component is significant because it determines how efficiently and cleanly the engine will eventually run—the lower the number, the cleaner and hence less emitting it will be.

For example, one of our customers shared that for BS4 engines (introduced in 2017), their cylinder head required a Millipore value of 10 mg/lit. Their OEM has now changed the requirement to 1.2 mg/lit for BS6 engines (which came out in 2020).

Understanding BS6 Norms

BS6 Norms

BS4 and BS6 norms set the maximum permissible levels for pollutants from a car or a two-wheeler exhaust. Compared to the BS4, BS6 emission standards are stricter.

The below Table offers an insight into the change in the permissible emission levels of BS-6 vehicles compared to BS-4 vehicles:

What caused the need for stricter emission norms?

‘India 20’0’ was the first emission standard in the series of norms, introduced in 2000. Later, India introduced BS2 in 2005 and BS3 in 2010, at regular intervals of 5 years.

Similarly, India introduced BS4 in 2017 after seven years. During these seven years, the effects of climate change were evident. For instance, increased global warming, rising sea levels, and increased frequency of high-intensity weather disturbances like cyclones. These changes are why India skipped implementing BS5 to move to better emission norms.

In other words, the BS6 emission standard is the sixth iteration of the emission norm. Comparatively, it’s a substantial leap in reducing pollution compared to the outgoing BS4.

The challenges associated with achieving millipore values

The additional cost of millipore testing

Suppose you are a manufacturer with a small production run. In that case, this increase may not be significant enough to impact your bottom line significantly.

However, suppose you are a prominent manufacturer producing a high volume of products per month. In that case, this extra step can significantly impact your profit margin. In a nutshell, the cost impact due to millipore testing is as follows-

1. It adds a step in the manufacturing process
2. Overall manufacturing costs increases
3. Dispatch delays are inevitable, which ultimately impacts the manufactumanufacturer’sine
4. Customers can reject a finished component without an accompanying millipore report.

Is it better to do millipore testing in-house or in a lab?

The initial investment can be pretty high for in-house testing, but it might make sense to look at it from a Return on Investment (ROI) standpoint. If you test many samples, the cost per test will decrease over time.

When it comes to millipore testing, there are many advantages and disadvantages of doing it in-house or sending it out to a lab. Here we look at both sides of the argument:

Pros of in-house testing

1. Validating results can become more manageable for you.
2. Return on investment in purchasing and maintaining the testing equipment is faster than getting it tested from a lab each time.
3. Testing costs reduce over time.
4. Faster turnaround times.
5. More control over the process, which means more accurate results if you do it right

Cons of in-house testing

1. Manufacturers need to make the initial investment in testing equipment and getting accreditation.
2. Operational costs increase because of hiring skilled technicians, making SOPs, and maintaining and calibrating the test equipment.
3. It proves expensive for low-volume operations.

Improvements in manufacturing processes

BS6 norms have led to a reset of sorts for manufacturers. The out-of-control manufacturing process will lead to out-of-control millipore values.

Some improvements that our customers have noted since the introduction of BS6 norms are-

Component surface finish

If a component has a poor surface finish, it will trap dirt and tramp oil. When machining, the cutting tool leaves behind metal chips on the surface. These chips are usually tough and tiny, making them difficult to remove. As a result, they get trapped inside the component and cause contamination.

Metalworking fluids

Using low-quality fluids or degrease chemicals during machining will stick to the component surface and trap contamination, leading to out-of-control millipore values in your system.

Filtration systems

The filtration system should be able to filter out all types of dirt from your metalworking fluids and degrease chemicals before they enter your machine tool. If not done effectively, then there is no way that you can achieve millipore values in your system.

One of the most popular filtration systems to achieve millipore values in degreasing chemicals is the compact band filter system.

Some customers also use the paper band filter system, however, we would advise caution in using them as they may not be very effective in reducing the millipore values.

Cost-saving measures

Here are some cost-saving measures that you can implement:

Parts washing machine

Good quality parts washing machines are an essential part of the process of achieving the desired millipore value in a product. They help to reduce the risk of contamination on the component and customers rejecting it.

A good part washing machine can help you achieve lower millipore values at the first instance. The parts washing machine should reduce the time it takes for your components to be cleaned and rinsed.

Filtering degreasing chemical

Filtering the degreasing chemical used in the parts washing machine is crucial because it ensures that contamination is removed during washing and doesn’t circulate in the system.

If you don’t filter degreasing chemicals effectively, then contamination gets deposited on the component getting washed. Instead of removing the contamination, it gets added to the part.

We have instances where our customers reworked all their finished components since they did not meet the desired millipore value. Subsequently, when they investigated, they found the root cause of the high millipore value was because the chemical filtration system with their component cleaning machine was ineffective.

The most effective filtration system to confidently achieve millipore values is the bag filter system.

Oil separation of degreasing chemical

Tramp oil is a problem. It’s the thing that gets left behind when you degrease components in parts washing machine, and it can negatively impact your millipore testing.

Tramp oil adds to the contamination during millipore testing, which means that it can help attract dirt particles to the finished components.

Tramp oil also attracts dirt particles, adding to the high millipore value you get during testing.

Suppose you’re not removing tramp oil from your degreasing chemicals. In that case, you should at least be sure to set up your parts washing machine so that it doesn’t add any extra dirt particles.

Learn how a 2-wheeler manufacturing company solved their millipore crisis by only removing tramp oil from their degreasing chemical.

We highly recommend installing a coalescer oil-water separator to remove floating tramp oil from degreasing chemicals used in component washing machines.

For some installations, we also recommend using tube-type oil skimmers to remove floating tramp oil from degreasing chemicals.

Key takeaway for manufacturers

The BS6 norms and millipore requirements are stringent, but they’re beneficial. If we did not have these regulations, there would be no way to ensure quality management in our factories.

So let’s do our part: manufacturers, buyers, and suppliers. We can work together to ensure that everyone feels safe when they use the products we make.

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