Projektinitiativ #82: Cooling-lubrication methods to improve quality and productivity in machining

The focus is on cryogenically-assisted manufacturing processes (including combination with MQL) producing functionally superior metallic products. This multi-disciplinary research deals with the analysis of process physics and computational materials mechanics covering tribological and thermo-mechanical interactions, followed by surface integrity and characterization of functional surfaces for assessing product quality gained with advanced cooling-lubrication.

Relation to the work program:

• Meeting new demands on functionality, sustainability and resource efficiency via emerging material-processing technologies.
• Understanding of how the new finishing steps in the process chain affect the final properties of the products.
• Methods are developing as environmentally-benign, toxic-free, hazardless machining operations that need to be assessed in a lifecycle perspective.
• Idea developed based on real industrial needs within the Chalmers Centre for Metal Cutting Research (MCR), closely linking universities, institutes and industry.

Overall Objectives:

A series of pilot cooling-lubrication systems will be evaluated to enable industrial demonstration. Here, the methods such as high-pressure cooling, cryogenic cooling and hybrid methods such as combined cryogenic-MQL will be compared in the identified industrial demonstrators. Pilot applications target end-use industrial demos in the (1) steel, (2) automotive, and (3) tooling sector.

How achieved: Multi-level modelling and simulation of the case-studied processes.The methods will be then integrated into a series of machining demonstrators and their performance verified via process demonstration tests. Research targets gaining a fundamental understanding of these methods via modelling/simulation & demonstration activities, solving real industrial challenges and maximizing end-use acceptance with full process understanding available.

Idea registered by the support of:
• Volvo Group
• Volvo Car Corporation
• Sandvik Coromant
• Uddeholm Holding
• Swerea IVF
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Namn Peter Krajnik
Organisation Chalmers University of Technology