Examination of cutting parameters in machining by dry, minimum quantity lubrication and nano-minimum quantity lubrication systems: Application with 304 stainless steel materials

Machining processes, an essential issue in mechanical engineering, have a fundamental place in industrial production processes. In this sense, it is accepted that the determination and optimization of cutting parameters are critical factors that directly affect the efficiency of the process and product quality. As it is known, minimum quantity lubrication is an environmentally friendly approach that aims to use resources efficiently and protect operator health by minimizing the quantity of lubrication. Understanding how this system is effective in machining operations has the potential to be an essential step toward sustainable production. This study examined cutting parameters in machining with dry, minimum quantity lubrication, and nano-minimum quantity lubrication systems using 304 stainless steel material. In this process, 27 experiments were conducted with three different feed rates and cutting speeds, keeping other variables constant. The depth of cut was kept constant in all experiments. As the first finding, an increase in all parameters was observed when the cutting speed was increased while keeping the feed rate constant and when the feed rate was increased while keeping the cutting speed constant. However, improvements were observed in experiments with minimal lubrication compared to dry experiments for all parameters. Finally, an improvement was detected in the experiments with nano-minimum quantity lubrication compared to those with minimum quantity lubrication. When the dry experiments were switched to experiments with minimum quantity lubrication, a decrease of 23% in surface roughness data, 30% in vibration data and 4% in power data was observed. However, there was a 4% increase in sound level. On the other hand, when switching from experiments with the minimum quantity lubrication to experiments with the nano-minimum quantity lubrication, a decrease of 13% in surface roughness data, 15% in vibration data, 2% in power data, and 2% in sound level was found. The study's findings were discussed, and suggestions were made for further research.