[ Cutting ]
[ Cutting ]
Ionized air offers cleaner machining
A new technology which uses ionized air offers a cleaner alternative for metal working fluids and emulsions in parts manufacturing .
Text & images by Aurion
The disposal of used cutting fluids causes significant environmental contamination . The global annual consumption of cutting fluids is estimated to exceed 2 billion litres although the actual amount is assumed to be up to 10 times higher , as most are diluted before use . Cutting fluid treatment and their release to the environment leads to significant oxygen depletion and nutrient destruction in surface waters . New technology developed by Aurion Machining Technologies Oy using ionized air provides a cleaner alternative for metal-working fluids and emulsions in parts manufacturing . The core of the technology is ionized air which generates an electrochemical process , resulting in electron loss and atomic level transformation of Aurion gas medium at the cutting surface . The electrochemical process acts as a dry lubricant in the cutting process , penetrating the cutting zone and optimising the interaction between the tool edge and the workpiece . This process accelerates oxide layer formation and significantly reduces
Aurion can use existing coolant channels in standard toolholders and tools .
friction , thermal stress and tool wear . The system consists of three components - ionizer , controller and air-cooling unit – and is connected to the factory compressed air network and machinery CNC . There is no need for any special safety precautions as ionized air pressure remains at 2 - 3 bar and temperature in the -10 ° C to + 10 ° C during machining operations . The new technology is the result of years of industrial research and development work . Its technical properties have been proven in thorough tests conducted by authoritative institutions and industrial partners . Most recently the respected Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre ( AMRC ) of the University of Sheffield in England achieved excellent results in titanium milling trials .
Economically compelling solution The Aurion technology reduces manufacturing costs and lead times in workshop processes . Thousands of validation runs have proven it delivers at least the same machining quality and performance as cutting fluids – measured by cutting speed , tool life and surface quality . Ionized clean air is safe for its operators and the relevant machinery and meets the highest standards for workpiece residuals . Aurion technology is suitable for all machining applications and materials . It is easy to integrate to both existing and new machines , either by using the external piping to the cutting zone or by using existing coolant channels in standard toolholders and tools . High integration flexibility and the possibility to use existing machine tool features minimises the up-front investment and limits the transition costs for introduction of the Aurion technology . The payback for the Aurion system is typically 3-6 months .
The electrochemical process acts as a dry lubricant in the cutting process .
Moving to industrial scale Following years of successful development work , Aurion is now ready for full scale industrial use . Attracted by the recent positive tests and validation runs , a number of highquality manufacturers are engaged as partners in the next steps of the Aurion journey to transform their profitability and accelerate their carbon net zero plans .
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