Grantee Research Project Results
Low-Cost Machining Without Cutting Fluids
EPA Contract Number: 68D02016Title: Low-Cost Machining Without Cutting Fluids
Investigators: Rozzi, Jay C.
Small Business: Creare Incorporated
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: April 1, 2002 through September 1, 2002
Project Amount: $69,891
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2002) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Cutting fluids have been used in machining processes for many years to increase lubricity by decreasing the cutting temperature and thereby increasing tool life and part quality. These fluids are environmentally unfriendly, potentially toxic, and costly to manage. In recent years, the high-volume machining industry has moved toward dry cutting to reduce or eliminate the use of cutting fluids. The dry-cutting option is not feasible for relatively small shop sites, where the capital for new machines is not available. Creare, Incorporated's innovation is a low-cost cutting tool-cooling system that can be retrofitted easily onto existing machine tools. It uses very small flow rates of inexpensive, inert fluids that can be vented to the outside environment easily and safely. This tool-cooling system is an excellent way for small machine shops to eliminate the use of cutting fluids and decrease production costs. During Phase I, Creare, Incorporated will machine stainless steel with a prototype design to prove the feasibility of the novel tool-cooling system. During Phase II, Creare, Incorporated will implement a complete tool-cooling system on a production machine for long-term testing and evaluation. This tool-cooling system has significant cost and performance advantages over technologies that represent the current state-of-the-art. Correspondingly, the potential commercial applications span a range of diverse industries, such as automotive, aerospace, naval, recreational, and large-scale infrastructure.Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, cutting fluids, machine, process, machine shop, clean technology, pollution prevention., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Sustainable Industry/Business, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Sustainable Environment, Physics, Environmental Chemistry, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Economics and Business, Environmental Engineering, in-process changes, dry machining, cleaner production, waste minimization, waste reduction, environmentally conscious manufacturing, nanocoatings, clean technology, cutting tools, alternative materials, cutting fluids, coating processes, process modification, machining, innovative technology, pollution prevention, nonocaotings, industrial innovations, source reductionProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase II:
Low-Cost Machining Without Cutting Fluids | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.