Machining and ecological effects of a new developed cutting fluid in combination with different cooling techniques on turning operation

Turning is deemed as one of the most fundamental processes of metal cutting in industry. The heat generated in the cutting zones during turning plays an essential role in the final workpiece quality and power consumption. The present work tried to elaborate the performance of a new cooling technique i.e. pre-cooling the workpiece integrated with a developed cutting fluid applied with minimum quantity cooling lubrication method. To do so, to produce the desirable eco-friendly and user-friendly cutting fluid, water mixed vegetable oil was combined with a little amount of anti-bacterial agent and a scented essence. To assess the machining parameters in question i.e. surface roughness, consumed machining power and chip formation as well as machining hazards, some tests were conducted on the hardened and tempered AISI 1045 steel. Based on the findings of the study, a great improvement was observed in terms of machining parameters as well as health and ecological-related issues. The better machining performance of the new method probably is mainly due to efficient penetration of the oil into the tool-workpiece interface and colder cutting zone when compared with the conventional machining. Also, compared to the straight oil, the new vegetable oil showed positive results in terms of controlling the growth of bacterial colony. It seems that the proposed combined cooling method may potentially enhance the productivity of cutting operations in terms of machining quality, costs, operator health and environmental protection.