Cutting lubricant disappears with Bielomatik MQL
1 min read
Upgrading to the Bielomatik MQL (Minimal Quantity Lubrication) two-channel system paved the way forward for more efficient automated manufacture of wing panels for the A380 Airbus at Broughton, enabling components to pass through various drilling, counter sinking and riveting operations without any residue tool cutting lubricant remaining.
It has proved to be a major advance over the previous lubrication operation that was messy, requiring the wings to be cleaned down after drilling and countersinking.
With a span nearly as long as a football field at 261 ft, producing a single Airbus A380 wing involves precisely positioning a massive structure to drill, rivet, and bolt approximately 180,000 holes.
The original machine tool lube system comprised of an air feed, drawing oil from a simple oil reservoir attached to the head which 'sprayed' lubrication onto the area to be drilled. The amount of oil being applied could not be controlled and so too much oil was being left in and around each hole. It made the new automated process unworkable since the Electroimpact process demands that no oil is left in the hole when riveting occurs.
The solution was to incorporate the Bielomatik 2-CH MQL system, where a pressurised, small bore ring main delivers oil from a reservoir simultaneously, but separately, with a controlled air supply to a special Bielomatik rotary transmission unit. A specially designed 'quick valve' attached to the rotary transmission unit then controls precisely the amount of lubricant released for optimum cutting performance, quality of finish and extended tool life.
Bielomatik's MQL system with its high speed valve solution enables oil deliveries as low as 3-5ml/hour to be achieved. This means that while the drilling, countersinking and spot facing operations are lubricated, the lubricant used is totally lost and the metal chips are dry, falling away from the component surface more readily.
