Minimum Quantity Lubrication in Reaming

Cutting fluids applied in machining provide lubrication and cooling, minimizing the heat produced between the surface of the workpiece and the tool and the contact area between the tool and the chip. During the last decade, a significant research has been undertaken with the aim of diminishing the quantity of cutting fluids applied in production. In order to minimize the use of cutting fluids and to fulfill the demands concerning health work environment, the minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) technology was introduced. MQL is a machining method that delivers a precise amount of lubrication to the tool tip. In this work, quality of a reaming process when using MQL was investigated. A number of different performance criteria for the manufacturing quality assessment were selected, concerning both the product and the process. This work is focused on achieving a consistent documentation of the capability of the reaming operation using a metrological approach. The study is related to research at the Technical University of Denmark concerning the development of performance tests for cutting fluids, in particular those involving measurements of product quality and cutting forces.