MINIMUM QUANTITY LUBRICATION
What are NDM and MQL?
NDM, or Near Dry Machining and MQL, or Minimum Quantity Lubrication, are alternatives to traditional metal working fluids or flood coolant. The aim of near dry machining is to replace traditional coolant and pure oil flood systems in a machining environment with an accurately controlled compressed air stream that guarantees minimal quantities of oil lubrication in an air/oil format to the cutting surface. This ensures better lubrication of the cutting surface and guarantees high performance machining.
How are NDM and MQL different from flood coolant?
The concept of MQL is fundamentally different from that of flood coolant. While flood coolant can use upwards of 30,000-60,000 mL/hour, MQL is typically less than 50 mL/hour. Where coolants flood the interface in an attempt to control temperature, MQL coats the interface with a thin film of lubricant and prevents heat buildup through friction reduction.
How does MQL work?
Minimum quantity lubrication applies a light spray of an air and oil mixture to the cutting area. This spray or aerosol lubricates the tool as it cuts. The heat of machining burns off and evaporates most of the oil, resulting in nearly dry chips and parts.
PRODUCT TESTIMONIAL
What applications will Near-Dry Machining or Minimum Quantity Lubrication work?
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Band sawing
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Circular sawing
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Milling
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Drilling
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Tapping
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Turning
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Drill presses
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Swiss Type Lathes
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CNC Lathes
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Chain lubrication
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And Many More
BENEFITS OF MQL AND NDM
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Reduced work cycle times, generally by 25% to 80%
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Increased tool life thus increasing time between tool change and gaining productivity
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Better surface finish and tolerances can be achieved
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Eliminate coolant make your plant/shop more environmentally friendly
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Parts finish machining with a fine rust inhibiting oil coating – not coolant contamination
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Water and oil consumption drastically reduced
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Our technology works on diverse materials and machining operations
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Eliminate or reorganize capital cost of high pressure thru-tool coolant system on new systems
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Side-by-bide implementation parallel to existing coolant system gives you peace of mind and maximum flexibility
NDM IN ACTION
Is MQL environmentally friendly?
MQL is a much more environmentally safe approach than using flood coolants. Most of the oils used in MQL are vegetable-based esters and fatty alcohols and are non-toxic and readily biodegradable. The move from flood coolants to near dry machining can result in improved health conditions from handling and working around conventional coolants.
How is the lubricating aerosol transported to the cutting surface?
- External Lubrication: oil is transported via an external nozzle to the cutting surface placed in the vicinity of the tool and workpiece.
- Internal or "through-the-tool" Lubrication: oil is transported through internal lubrication holes in the cutting tool.
AVAILABLE PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS
DropsA MiQueL
MiQueL is the perfect solution for air / oil external lubrication. MiQueL is the ready-to-go solution for the most demanding and high performance near dry machining applications requiring internal, thru-the-tool minimal quantity lubrication necessary for air/oil modular systems. MiQueL is designed for near dry machining lubrication for machine tools, machine for cut and fold sheet metal, steel mills, it can be used on all the systems that need a calibrate lubrication and a functions control.
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DropsA MaXtreme
MaXtreme is the ready‐to‐go solution for the most demanding and high performance near‐dry machining applications requiring internal, thru‐the‐tool minimal quantity lubrication. Thanks to state of the art aerosol generation technology and its auto‐adaptive system, MaXtreme is suited both to new machine installations saving substantial capital costs on coolant equipment and retrofit installations where existing spindle and coolant piping can be used to channel aerosol lubrication to the tool tip. With Internal or “through‐the‐tool” lubrication: oil is transported through internal lubrication holes in the cutting tools. MaXtreme therefore optimises the process through an automatic adjustment of the micro-oil mist depending on the air flow - this means best aerosol quality throughout the different sizes of cutting tool and a considerable time saving on initial setup (no complex regulation). The MaXtreme product leads the way with patented technology that generates specifically profiled micron‐sized oil aerosol particles that can be injected through existing spindles and tool‐holders to the leading edge of the cutting tool.
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DropsA Vip4
These small all-enclosed devices are ideal for use on small systems and offer fully integrated control and monitoring in a single compact package. Typical applications: high speed bearings, spindle lubrication in machine tool, micro-spray coating applications, gear lubrication, chain lubrication and cleaning.
The Vip4 Air System offers one of the most compact and feature rich air/oil systems available for spindles and it is able to achieve a significantly reduced amount of lubricant dispensing and positive feedback is a must for such systems.
A variant of the Vip4 Air, specifically aimed at chain or conveyor application can be used in any application where the lubrication cycle is not time driven but impulse driven.
On a typical application, a sensor connected to the Vip4 Chain monitors the number of links passing across the lubrication nozzle and fires a micro quantity of oil onto the point thus increasing chain or conveyor life without lubricant wastage that can drip off the chain and contaminate the industrial process.
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