Development of an ultrasonic vibration assisted minimum quantity lubrication system for Ti-6Al-4V grinding

Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is widely used in machining/grinding as a competent cooling-lubrication technique owing to its advantages in terms of better cooling, lubrication, and lower coolant consumption. Ultrasonic vibration can be used to enhance the efficiency of MQL system by atomising the cutting fluid into fine and uniform droplets. In this study, an ultrasonic vibration assisted MQL (UAV-MQL) system is indigenously developed to effectively atomise the cutting fluid using the ultrasonic vibration of a suitably designed horn. To check the effectiveness of the developed UAV-MQL system, a set of experiments have been conducted on Ti-6Al-4V alloy during surface grinding operation, and the results have been compared with dry, flood and air-assisted conventional MQL grinding process using soluble oil as a cutting fluid.