Machining with minimum quantity lubrication: a step towards green manufacturing

Increased cost associated with the use of coolant in machining operations, increased environmental awareness, and strict protection laws and health regulations for occupational safety demanded elimination/reduction of cutting fluids in metal cutting operations. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL)/near dry machining (NDM), which relies on total use without residue has been gaining popularity as a new alternative for flood cooling. The quantity of cutting fluid in MQL is in ml/hr instead of in l/min as in flood cooling. The paper begins with an overview regarding the problems associated with the use of conventional flood cooling method leading to the need of MQL, and subsequently discusses the components and working principle of MQL system. The literature related to turning and milling operations has been reviewed and presented in two major headings: effect of operating parameters on MQL performance and effect of MQL on machinability to provide a clear and complete understanding of the system.

[1]  Fumihiro Itoigawa,et al.  Effects and mechanisms in minimal quantity lubrication machining of an aluminum alloy , 2006 .

[2]  P. S. Sreejith,et al.  Machining of 6061 aluminium alloy with MQL, dry and flooded lubricant conditions , 2008 .

[3]  M. Simoncini,et al.  Surface roughness modelling in finish face milling under MQL and dry cutting conditions , 2008 .

[4]  Hans Thordenberg,et al.  An experimental investigation on contact length during minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) machining , 2008 .

[5]  C. H. R. Vikram Kumar,et al.  Performance of coated tools during hard turning under minimum fluid application , 2007 .

[6]  N. R. Dhar,et al.  Performance evaluation of minimum quantity lubrication by vegetable oil in terms of cutting force, cutting zone temperature, tool wear, job dimension and surface finish in turning AISI-1060 steel , 2006 .

[7]  J. Paulo Davim,et al.  Turning of Brasses Using Minimum Quantity of Lubricant (MQL) and Flooded Lubricant Conditions , 2007 .

[8]  T. Obikawa,et al.  High speed MQL finish-turning of Inconel 718 with different coated tools , 2007 .

[9]  Taghi Tawakoli,et al.  Minimal quantity lubrication-MQL in grinding of Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy , 2009 .

[10]  Aitzol Lamikiz,et al.  Effect of coatings and tool geometry on the dry milling of wrought aluminium alloys , 2008 .

[11]  John W. Sutherland,et al.  An Experimental Investigation of Air Quality in Wet and Dry Turning , 2000 .

[12]  He Ning,et al.  Modeling the effects of cutting parameters in MQL-employed finish hard-milling process using D-optimal method , 2008 .

[13]  Mahmudur Rahman,et al.  Experimental Evaluation on the Effect of Minimal Quantities of Lubricant in Milling , 2002 .

[14]  Yunn-Shiuan Liao,et al.  Feasibility study of the minimum quantity lubrication in high-speed end milling of NAK80 hardened steel by coated carbide tool , 2007 .

[15]  Eduardo Carlos Bianchi,et al.  Study on the behavior of the minimum quantity lubricant - MQL technique under different lubricating and cooling conditions when grinding ABNT 4340 steel , 2005 .

[16]  Myung-Chang Kang,et al.  Effect of the minimum quantity lubrication in high-speed end-milling of AISI D2 cold-worked die steel (62 HRC) by coated carbide tools , 2008 .

[17]  Warren R. DeVries,et al.  Analysis of Material Removal Processes , 1991 .

[18]  N. R. Dhar,et al.  Effect of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) on tool wear and surface roughness in turning AISI-4340 steel , 2006 .

[19]  L. N. López de Lacalle,et al.  Cutting conditions and tool optimization in the high-speed milling of aluminium alloys , 2001 .

[20]  J. Paulo Davim,et al.  Selection of optimal MQL and cutting conditions for enhancing machinability in turning of brass , 2008 .

[21]  Young Kug Hwang,et al.  Surface roughness and cutting force prediction in MQL and wet turning process of AISI 1045 using design of experiments , 2010 .

[22]  Aldo Attanasio,et al.  Minimal quantity lubrication in turning: Effect on tool wear , 2006 .

[23]  Asif Iqbal,et al.  Refrigerated cooling air cutting of difficult-to-cut materials , 2007 .

[24]  Toshiyuki Obikawa,et al.  Micro-liter lubrication machining of Inconel 718 , 2008 .

[25]  N. R. Dhar,et al.  Effects of minimum quantity lubrication on turning AISI 9310 alloy steel using vegetable oil­based cutting fluid , 2009 .

[26]  Aitzol Lamikiz,et al.  Experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of spray cutting fluids in high speed milling , 2006 .

[27]  Ander Azkarate,et al.  New Developments in Lathes and Turning Centres , 2009 .

[28]  N. R. Dhar,et al.  The influence of minimum quantity of lubrication (MQL) on cutting temperature, chip and dimensional accuracy in turning AISI-1040 steel , 2006 .

[29]  E. O. Bennett,et al.  Occupational airway diseases in the metalworking industry Part 1: Respiratory infections, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis and emphysema , 1985 .

[30]  Steven Y. Liang,et al.  Performance profiling of minimum quantity lubrication in machining , 2007 .

[31]  Neil Canter,et al.  The Possibilities and Limitations of DRY MACHINING , 2003 .

[32]  Anselmo Eduardo Diniz,et al.  Influence of refrigeration/lubrication condition on SAE 52100 hardened steel turning at several cutting speeds , 2003 .

[33]  Hossam A. Kishawy,et al.  Effect of coolant strategy on tool performance, chip morphology and surface quality during high-speed machining of A356 aluminum alloy , 2005 .

[34]  Akira Hosokawa,et al.  Effect of Oil Mist on Tool Temperature in Cutting , 2006 .

[35]  John W. Sutherland,et al.  Dry Machining and Minimum Quantity Lubrication , 2004 .

[36]  N. R. Dhar,et al.  Effect of Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) on Tool Wear, Surface Roughness and Dimensional Deviation in Turning AISI-4340 Steel , 2007 .

[37]  Yunn-Shiuan Liao,et al.  Mechanism of minimum quantity lubrication in high-speed milling of hardened steel , 2007 .

[38]  Mahmudur Rahman,et al.  EFFECTS OF COOLANT SUPPLY METHODS AND CUTTING CONDITIONS ON TOOL LIFE IN END MILLING TITANIUM ALLOY , 2006 .

[39]  Dongbiao Zhao,et al.  A comparative study on dry milling and little quantity lubricant milling based on vibration signals , 2010 .

[40]  A. S. Varadarajan,et al.  Investigations on hard turning with minimal cutting fluid application (HTMF) and its comparison with dry and wet turning , 2002 .

[41]  Uwe Heisel,et al.  Burr Formation in milling with minimum quantity lubrication , 2009, Prod. Eng..

[42]  Michela Simoncini,et al.  Effect of the lubrication-cooling technique, insert technology and machine bed material on the workpart surface finish and tool wear in finish turning of AISI 420B , 2006 .

[43]  Ichiro Inasaki,et al.  TRIBOLOGICAL ACTION AND OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE: RESEARCH ACTIVITIES REGARDING MQL MACHINING FLUIDS , 2006 .

[44]  Steven J Skerlos,et al.  Comparison of life cycle emissions and energy consumption for environmentally adapted metalworking fluid systems. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.