Design of a testbed for sustainable milling with minimum quantity lubrication
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan - Powertrain Manufacturing for Heavy Vehicles Application Lab - a Collaboration between KTH and Fraunhofer |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 500 000 |
| Project duration | November 2020 - May 2021 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | FFI - Sustainable Production |
| Call | Sustainable production - FFI - June 2020 |
| End-of-project report | 2020-02980eng.pdf (pdf, 1311 kB) |
Important results from the project
MQL has the potential to improve working conditions, significantly cut operating costs, and decrease the environmental impact of machining processes. A preliminary literature study revealed that the literature on MQL in milling is limited compared to other machining processes where more studies have been pursued. The purpose of this project is to design a testbed for MQL in milling, where further research studies aimed at facilitating the implementation of MQL in industry can be conducted.
Expected long term effects
The result is an experimental testbed design based on an assessment criterion for milling operations with MQL, and a database for testbed designs in MQL machining processes created during an extensive literature review. The literature review was also used as an opportunity to understand the state-of-the-art of MQL research and to identify relevant research gaps. The result will be used for follow-up projects to facilitate the implementation of MQL in industry.
Approach and implementation
The testbed has been equipped with a MQL system and is capable of in-process measurement of cutting forces. It is planned to equip the testbed with thermal imaging for the estimation of temperature and high-speed imaging for the evaluation of mist behaviour and chip evacuation. In addition, the testbed is capable of measuring surface roughness, tool wear and chip characterisation. The literature review also revealed research gaps for MQL in milling that will be investigated in a follow-up study.