How should the keyhole knife be cleaned after use to remove chips and cutting fluid residues and prevent tool corrosion?
Publish Time: 2025-05-07
As a solid carbide tool, the keyhole knife plays a key role in various processing scenarios. However, chips and cutting fluid residues are often attached to the surface of the keyhole knife after use. If it is not cleaned in time and effectively, it is very easy to cause tool corrosion, which in turn affects its service life and processing accuracy. Therefore, it is very important to master the correct cleaning method.
After the processing is completed, the keyhole knife should be preliminarily cleaned as soon as possible. Since the blade and groove of the keyhole knife are prone to accumulate chips, you can first use a soft brush or compressed air to gently blow the surface of the tool to remove most of the loose chips. When using a brush, follow the contour and texture of the tool to avoid excessive force that may damage the blade; when using compressed air, pay attention to controlling the air pressure to prevent excessive air pressure from causing impact on the tool.
For stubborn chips, a special tool cleaner can be used. Spray an appropriate amount of cleaner on the surface of the tool to allow it to fully soak the chips and oil stains. The choice of cleaning agent is crucial. Products that are compatible with the overall carbide material and non-corrosive should be selected. After waiting for a while, gently wipe the surface of the tool with a clean cotton cloth or sponge. During the wiping process, apply force evenly to ensure that you can penetrate into the grooves and gaps of the tool to completely remove the chips and oil stains. For some hard-to-reach areas, you can use a small cleaning brush or cotton swab for fine cleaning.
Cutting fluid residue is also one of the important factors that cause tool corrosion. After removing the chips, the cutting fluid needs to be further cleaned. The keyhole knife can be soaked in a container filled with deionized water or a special cleaning fluid and cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaning device. The cavitation effect generated by ultrasound can generate a strong impact force to completely strip off the cutting fluid residue on the surface of the tool and in the tiny pores inside. The cleaning time should be adjusted according to the degree of contamination of the tool, generally controlled to range from a few minutes to more than ten minutes. After cleaning, remove the tool from the container and rinse it with clean water to ensure that there is no cleaning fluid residue.
The cleaned keyhole knife needs to be dried in time. Use clean compressed air to blow dry the moisture on the surface of the tool, or place the tool in a dry, well-ventilated environment to dry naturally. Avoid storing undried tools directly to prevent moisture residue from causing rust on the tool. In addition, to further prevent tool corrosion, apply a thin layer of anti-rust oil on the surface of the tool. When applying anti-rust oil, evenly cover the entire tool surface, especially the blade and key parts.
During the cleaning process, some details should also be paid attention to. Operators should wear suitable protective gloves to avoid skin damage caused by detergents and cutting fluids. At the same time, cleaning tools should be cleaned and replaced regularly to ensure their cleaning effect.
Through the above scientific and reasonable cleaning methods, the chips and cutting fluid residues after the use of the keyhole knife can be effectively removed, tool corrosion can be prevented, the service life of the tool can be extended, and reliable protection can be provided for subsequent processing work.
