The HANDBOOK A guide to machining with Minimum Quantity Lubrication Tim Walker Dedication: To Wally Boelkins who was championing MQL well before it even had a name, and who wanted to get it all in writing before he retired but found there was always one more person to talk to and one more place to visit. For more information contact Unist at: 1-800-253-5462 (US & Canada) 1-616-949-0853 (international) Email:
[email protected] unist.com The MQL Handbook Copyright © 2013 Unist, Inc. V1.0.3 Table of contents What is Minimum Quantity Lubrication?......................................................... 1 Introduction.................................................................................................... 1 Where is MQL practical?................................................................................... 4 Open machines................................................................................................ 4 Machines that are used intermittently.............................................................. 4 Micromachining.............................................................................................. 4 High-speed machining..................................................................................... 5 General machining........................................................................................... 5 What about the mist?......................................................................................... 5 Process and ecosystem....................................................................................... 6 How does MQL work?....................................................................................... 7 Heat management............................................................................................ 7 Less is more.................................................................................................... 11 More is better................................................................................................. 11 The sweet spot............................................................................................... 12 MQL equipment.............................................................................................. 13 The applicator................................................................................................ 13 Moving the fluid............................................................................................ 15 The outputs................................................................................................... 16 Internal or external?....................................................................................... 17 The lubricant................................................................................................. 21 Types of MQL fluids...................................................................................... 21 Wetting:....