Environmentally Conscious Machining and Grinding With Cryogenic Cooling

High production machining and grinding is becoming essential to enhance productivity and profitability. But such machining technique inherently increases the machining and grinding zone temperature, which in turn enhances tool wear rate and impairs the product quality. Historically cutting compounds and grinding fluids are applied to control such high temperature. Not only are such cutting fluids not very effective, but most importantly they are being perceived as a major source of pollution from the machining and grinding industry. The drastic cooling action of liquid nitrogen jets does provide desirable temperature control along with other technological benefits. Several research groups and a few organisations in different parts of the world are investigating the effects of cryogenic cooling on the machinability and grindability of different work materials using different approaches.