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Tribology

Environmental factors in metal forming and machining

Many of the fluids which are used to lubricate metal forming and machining, especially of high alloy or stainless steels, contain environmentally harmful or potentially damaging chemical constituents. Environmental concerns, market forces and legislative requirements are combining to make imperative a search for new solutions which minimise environmental impact without compromising process economics. Driven by these, as well as the costs of cleaning and disposal of used fluids, there is renewed interest in dry or minimally lubricated metal forming processes. The role of the vapour phase of any lubricant including the atmosphere, has been an area of interest for many years [1-9] and the environmental cutting chamber is available for continued work. A short stroke strip drawing bench has also been recently refurbished through some collaborative development work with Castrol International; it would be in ideal workhorse to do some imaginative work on the fundamental mechanisms in the lubrication of deforming materials building on the models involving surface roughness currently being explored by Sutcliffe and his colleagues in the Department.

Relevant/recent publications

  1. Williams, J. A. and Tabor, D. 'The role of lubricants in machining' Wear, 43, pp275-292 (1977).
  2. Williams, J. A. 'The action of lubricants in metal cutting' J. Mech. Engng. Sci., 19, pp202-212 (1977).
  3. Doyle, E. D., Horne, J. G. and Tabor, D. 'Frictional interactions between chip and rake face in continuous chip formation' Proc. Roy. Soc., A366, pp173-183 (1979).
  4. Wright, P. K., Horne, J. G. and Tabor, D. 'Boundary conditions at the chip-tool interface in machining; comparisons between seizure and sliding friction' Wear, 54, pp371-394 (1979).
  5. Williams, J. A. and Stobbs, W. 'Changes in the mode of chip formation as a function of the presence of oxygen' Met. Tech., 6, pp424-432 (1979).
  6. Wakabayashi, T., Williams, J. A. and Hutchings, I. M. 'The action of gaseous lubricants in metal cutting' IMechE Conference on Tribology in Metal Cutting and Grinding, London, April 1991 (1992)
  7. Wakabayashi, T., Williams, J. A. and Hutchings, I. M. 'The kinetics of gas-phase lubrication in the orthogonal machining of an aluminium alloy' Proc. Instn of Mechanical Engineers, J. Engineering Tribology, 209, pp131-136 (1995).
  8. Wakabayashi, T., Williams, J. A. and Hutchings, I. M. 'The action of gaseous lubricants in the orthogonal machining of an aluminium alloy with titanium nitride coated tools' Surface and Coatings Technology, 57, pp183-189 (1993).
  9. Liew, W. Y. H., Hutchings, I. M. and Williams, J. A. 'The interaction between tool material, environment and process conditions in the machining of aluminium alloys' J Machining Science & Technology, 3(2), pp273-286 (1999).

Contact Details

For further information on the work summarised above contact Dr J A Williams at Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington St, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK. Tel: 01223 332641, Fax: 01223 332662. E-mail: jaw@eng.cam.ac.uk
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