A study of plane surface grinding under minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) conditions

Abrasive material removal processes can be very challenging due to high power requirements and resulting high temperatures. Effective lubrication and cooling is necessary to ensure temperature levels do not become excessive. Current fluid delivery systems are frequently seen to increase production cost due to fluid purchase and disposal. Moreover, waste fluids have a negative environmental impact. One of the successful fluid reduction methods employed in machining is minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), where a small amount of fluid is directed into the machining area in the form of an aerosol. This study aims to improve understanding of the effectiveness of MQL in the fine grinding plane surface grinding regime. This paper presents a comparative study of three cooling methods: conventional flood cooling, dry grinding and grinding with MQL. Common steels ENS, M2 and EN31 were ground with a general purpose alumina wheel. Results obtained demonstrate that MQL can deliver a comparable performance to flood delivery under the conditions investigated. Performance indicators included: grind power, specific forces (tangential and normal), grind temperature and workpiece surface roughness. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.