Comparison the Effect of MQL, Wet and Dry Turning on Surface Topography, Cylindricity Tolerance and Sustainability

Abstract

The increasing needs for the production of high quality parts require the use of new techniques to produce parts with higher precision. One of these modern techniques is minimum quantity lubricant (MQL) machining. In this paper, the effects of MQL, wet and dry machining on surface characteristic and geometric tolerances in turning of parts made of AISI 1045 steel were investigated. The influences of machining parameters i.e. feed rate and cutting speed as well as MQL parameters, namely air pressure and flow rate on surface topography, cutting force and cylindricity tolerance were studied. In addition, dry, wet, and MQL machining were compared to study the performance of different cooling systems. In the final step, the Pugh matrix approach was implemented to compare different cooling strategies in terms of sustainable production. According to the obtained results, MQL machining significantly improved the output parameters in AISI 1045 steel turning. By using MQL system, not only was the topography of machined surfaces improved and parts with tighter tolerances produced, but sustainability criteria were also improved. Based on sustainability assessment results, MQL turning was superior to wet and dry conditions in terms of the environmental impact, operator heath, manufacturing economy and production efficiency.