3. Cutting fluids

3.1 Machining assistance

Machining techniques and technologies are constantly evolving. Numerous avenues are being explored to optimize quality, productivity, and therefore the profitability of machining operations.

Machining aids are no exception to this rule. They provide "assistance" (thermal and/or mechanical) to the cutting zone, and therefore to the material removal process. This optimizes:

• chip fragmentation;

• shearing of the material;

• and/or the removal of chips from the cutting area.

There are five types of assistance (Figure