Hundreds of manufacturing operations are finding that methods and tools that support near-dry machining or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) provide numerous benefits in both metal cutting and forming operations.
Part of the Manufacturing Insights Video Series, this program surveys four very-different manufacturers: Ford Motor Company, Amerimax, Advanced Mold, and World Machinery & Saws System Co., that apply only the minimum amount of lubricant needed for each job. Each of these companies had once relied on traditional flood-coolant methods that supply large amounts of fluids to the machining process -- creating high handling, cleaning, and disposal costs, as well as hazards to plant workers' skin and lungs. These shops have found that MQL systems cut these costs and eliminate these hazards, while increasing production rates and tool lifetimes.
