Investigation On The Application Of Solid Lubricants In Turning Operation

Abstract

Machining of materials has received wide attention because increased use of various machining processes in industrial application. So it is required to improve the quality of machining by various means. Turning is one of the most fundamental processes of metal removal. The heat generated in the cutting zone during turning is critical in deciding the workpiece quality and tool life. If the amount of heat generated is not controlled efficiently, it will affect the surface quality of work material, as well as tool life. To avoid the effects of heat generated during machining, cutting fluids are applied to provide proper lubrication and cooling. Due to the problems associated with the application of conventional fluid like effects on environment and worker’s health, it is required to find out eco-friendly alternatives. Not only purchasing cost but it also includes cost of handling and disposal, and thus increases overall production cost. In present work, the effort is made to assess the applicability of solid lubricants in machining process. Experiments are performed on EN 31 high carbon alloy steel material with tungsten carbide insert tool in dry and wet and solid lubricants environment. The process performance is studied in terms of cutting temperature, cutting forces, tool wear, surface roughness and power consumption. Experiments are also performed with selecting various process parameters and solid lubricants mixed with SAE 40 base oil with different proportion. The experimental results revealed that to solid lubricants performs better as compare to dry and wet machining. The improvement in output parameters of process is observed in solid lubricant assisted machining. To select a right lubricant from a number of lubricants during the turning operation of EN 31 steel workpiece with tungsten carbide tool inserts by using PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization method for Enrichment of Evaluations) method.