Development of a mixture supply system for machining with minimal quantity lubrication

The minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) technique is used in cutting processes in order to reduce the environmental pollution caused by cooling lubricants. However, there can be problems with the MQL technique in high-speed machining. In high-speed machining, a spindle-through coolant supply method can effectively supply an oil mist to the cutting area. However, the centrifugal force from the high-speed rotation of the spindle causes the oil mist to separate. As a result, there is a decrease in the oil mist supplied to the cutting area. In this study, a new oil-mist supply mechanism was developed and installed in a high-speed spindle system. The performance of this proposed mechanism was evaluated by numerical simulation and an actual cutting test.