Coolant fluids – Soluble oils

The production of a mechanical part by machining involves a comprehensive and complex technical process, in which cutting fluid is a significant component. The subject of this article is not to present the machining technique, but to explain the manufacturing process and the possibilities offered by soluble oils, in order to provide an overview of their properties.

Like all machining aids, the intrinsic function of a soluble oil is to increase the efficiency of a machining operation, i.e., to improve productivity, quality, and the service life of cutting tools. This obviously helps to optimize the technical and economic performance of a machining operation, thereby making industrial activity more competitive.

The main characteristics and advantages of soluble oils are:

• no risk of fire;

• high cooling capacity;

• cleanliness of machined parts;

• low initial filling cost;

• cleanliness of the work environment;

• loss limited to chips and the machined part;

• low risk of fogging and smoke emission.

To obtain good soluble oils, close collaboration between users and manufacturers is necessary. Without this, it is difficult to adapt the product and its use to each specific case. Manufacturers are striving to develop new products in order to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of contemporary machining (constantly rising productivity, complex machinability of new materials, higher quality, etc.) as well as rapidly evolving practices.

This study consists of three complementary articles designed to provide a technical and practical overview of cutting fluids in machining in order to make the best possible choices and ensure appropriate use: this document, supplemented by [BM 7 064] and [BM 7 066] .