Investigating of eco- and energy-efficient lubrication strategies for the drilling of light metal alloys

Abstract

Energy use will be one of the main drivers for the achievement of more eco-efficient drilling processes in the automotive industry. Industry awareness of the environmental impact of used cutting emulsions, and the negative effect on worker health, has increased sharply. This has led to innovative lubrication methods such as through-spindle minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) for drilling aluminium-silicon alloys. In this work the performance of MQL at different cutting speeds and feed rates has been investigated using infrared temperature measurements. The results indicate that MQL is a feasible eco-efficient alternative to conventional flood cooling when drilling aluminium-silicon alloys.