Based in Tyne and Wear, Protek CNC is a small subcontract machine shop specialising in oil and gas valve component production. Their machining capability spans a wide range of materials, from plastics through to titanium and Hastelloy.
Protek had ongoing issues with bacterial growth in their coolant systems. Although they were previously using a coolant that performed reasonably well, it was no longer readily available in the UK, making supply increasingly difficult. In addition, bacterial contamination continued to develop over time.
After trialling a well-known coolant brand, Protek found that while performance was acceptable, the significantly higher top-up rate and cost made it commercially unviable and did not resolve the underlying issue.
After discovering Pennine through social media and the machining community on Instagram, Protek reached out to see whether their coolant challenges could be resolved. Pennine provided expert guidance on selecting the most suitable coolant, along with practical advice on local water hardness and pH levels.
Protek ultimately chose Ultrasol X-777 and were also educated on early warning signs of coolant degradation, how to address issues promptly, and how to maintain long-term coolant performance.
Protek CNC now also uses Pennine slideway oil, system cleaner, and Commando Floor Cleaner, and has invested in several CNC oil skimmers. Additionally, to maintain machine health and product quality, they purchased a Freddy coolant vac from Pennine for coolant filtration and system clean-outs. This is further supported by their use of PROCARE Fluid Cloud to log and monitor coolant results.
Managing Director Tim described the support as “brilliant.”
“Pennine helped set us up and guided us through regulations and routine checks. Even though they offer this as a service, it wasn’t used as a sales tactic, they were happy for us to manage this ourselves. The coolant has performed brilliantly compared to other brands that are double the price, and we’re seeing much lower top-up levels, so it lasts significantly longer. Honestly, I believe that if Pennine coolant hasn’t worked in someone’s shop, it’s not down to the coolant or the support Pennine provide. Any coolant needs to be maintained properly to achieve long life and performance. That’s something we used to overlook.”
Protek CNC has been consistently impressed with both the performance of Pennine’s coolant and the level of ongoing support provided. The combination of technical guidance, fair pricing, and genuine customer care has delivered measurable improvements to coolant life, cost control, and shop-floor reliability.
Tim and the Protek team regard Pennine’s customer support as “second to none” and see no areas for improvement. As a result, Protek continues to recommend Pennine to other businesses seeking high-quality coolant solutions backed by knowledgeable and honest support.
