Less lubricant results in better sawing?
Is your sawing operation underwater because of a flood of cleanup costs? The shop uses traditional flood coolants because they do the job: keep production up and running and extend the saw blade life. However, it’s not the cleanest scenario (see Figure 1). Lubricant is sprayed all over the saw and workpiece. A combination of rags and buckets are used to keep the mess in check, but it’s an uphill battle. Perhaps it doesn’t have to be. Research and development efforts have led to the emergence of lubricants that can be applied minimally and still dissipate the heat that is associated with sawing. This type of minimum-quantity-lubrication (MQL) technology is environmentally responsible, because less of it is needed to do the job, and also can reduce manufacturing costs by increasing saw blade life and production rates. Although it is not quite as simple as simply exchanging your coolant for an oil, using these lubricants for near-dry sawing can make a tremendous difference in your operation when properly implemented.