Minimum Quantity Lubricant Machining

Ford is continuing its leadership in green manufacturing with an innovative parts cutting technology called Minimum Quantity Lubricant (MQL) machining. Ford was the first in the industry to implement this technology, which significantly improves environmental, quality and cost performance.

MQL is a major improvement over the traditional wet process used to machine metal parts. In MQL machining, the cutting tool is lubricated with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip of the tool as a finely atomized mist. The metal chips created during the machining process are then removed from the work-zone by a vacuum extraction system and recycled. Conventional wet machining, by contrast, requires pumping millions of gallons of metal-working fluids to cool and lubricate cutting tools and remove the metal chips from the machines. These fluids, typically a mixture of coolant and water, must be regularly treated to control their chemical composition, and they require special disposal to avoid contaminating the environment. Wet machining systems also require a large system of pipes, pumps, filters and tanks to circulate and store the fluids.

MQL is delivering significant benefits in environmental performance, quality, working condition and costs. Because the technology uses a small amount of oil instead of a coolant/water mixture, it saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per year. By eliminating the coolant/water mixture, MQL also eliminates the need to treat and dispose of an oily waste stream. It significantly reduces energy consumption, because it does not require the energy-consuming auxiliary machines like compressors, pumps and chillers used in a wet system. MQL also makes it easier to recycle the metal chips created during the machining process.

MQL also increases quality. In traditional wet machining systems, the coolant/water mixture can degrade over time, resulting in inconsistent performance. MQL provides more consistent results because it introduces new oil lubricant for each part. MQL also improves surface quality characteristics compared to wet machining.

An unexpected side benefit of MQL is an improvement in plant air quality. The vacuum system used to collect and transport metal chips created during the process also includes an air filtration system that cleans plant air. The air discharged from this vacuum system is as clean as air in an office environment. This system virtually eliminates oil mist from the work area, which can cause skin and respiratory irritation, further improving working conditions. The absence of water-based coolants also eliminates odors associated with wet machining systems.

Finally, MQL reduces costs. It reduces the amount of oil used per part to less than a tenth of the oil used in traditional wet machining methods; it uses less energy, thereby reducing energy costs; and it costs less to install in the first place because it does not require expensive auxiliary machinery like compressors and pumps. It has been shown to reduce per part costs by up to $1 per valve body or transmission case and to reduce initial facilities and tooling investment by up to 15 percent.

Ford is using MQL primarily in the production of valve bodies and transmission cases at our transmission plants. We have already implemented MQL at the Van Dyke and Livonia Transmission plants in North America. We plan to integrate MQL into all of our North American automatic transmission plants and possibly into manual transmission plants.