Local Content Utilization and Product Quality Standards Promotion for Industrial and Machine Tools Processes Application

Abstract

The research titled, local contents utilization and product quality standards promotion for industrial and machine tools processes application used oils of plant origin; Mahogany Seed Oil (MSO) and Cashew Nut Oil (CNO) to produce cutting fluids. These oils were used as base oils to formulate cutting fluids and were used in straight turning of low carbon steel through factorial design of experiment. Their performances in terms of resulting surface roughness (Ra) of machined samples) and heat dissipation tendency was evaluated. Also, the determination of some characteristics of the formulated cutting fluids was carried out. The two vegetable oils extracted were mixed with water in an appropriate ratio separately. The oil – water mixtures were finally blended with the necessary additives to obtain the various cutting fluids. Before machining, the flash points, viscosities and acidities of the cutting fluids were determined. During machining, the tool – work interface temperatures were recorded using digital thermocouple and the Ra of the machined samples was evaluated afterward using scanning electron microscope (SEM) The performances and some characteristics of the formulated cutting fluids were compared with that of a control sample (CS). The heat removal ability was best achieved by MSOCF being locally available vegetable oil-based cutting fluid attaining a temperature of 32oC at the highest cutting speed of 80mpm. Similarly, CNOCF produced the best surface roughness which range between 1.0675µm and 1.5715µm for all levels of cutting speeds. Besides the same MSOCF proved to be the safest from fire hazard with the highest flash point of 237oC. CNOCF has the highest viscosity at 40oC and 80oC being 134cp and 96cp. MSOCF was found to be the best among the cutting fluids in conducting heat away from tool-work piece interface and was followed by CNOCF. From the foregoing, it can be concluded that locally available vegetable oils can be used in the production of cutting fluids for machining operations. Hence, the vegetable oils cutting fluids can then conveniently substitute the conventional (mineral oil based) cutting fluids for all machining processes and operations under various operating conditions as coolants and lubricants. They could also be synergized to compete favorably with mineral based cutting fluids.