Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are steadily gaining relevance, e.g. due to the increasing production of wind turbines. Here, machining and thus the machinability of the material is a necessary prerequisite for the production of the end product. However, machining is made more difficult by the temperature sensitivity of CFRP materials and the heavy wear on cutting tools.
26.01.2022 | Research, Publications
Research report published: Cooling lubricants for wet machining of fiber-reinforced plastics
BMWK-funded research
The BMWK has funded a research project on this subject. The work focused on the development of a cooling lubricant tailored to the machining of fiber-reinforced plastic and a machining process adapted to it.
After a three-year project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institutes IPA and IGB are delivering applied research results to achieve lower tool wear and increased productivity and thus cost reduction in the finishing of fiber composites through the use of cooling lubricants and, in parallel, to improve occupational health and safety and machine safety.
Cooperation and expert network
The project was initiated by the members of the DGMK Lubricants Expert Committee and carried out in cooperation with Composites United Leichtbau-Forschung gGmbH - the network for fiber-based multi-material lightweight construction.
The project-supporting committee, composed of experts from the lubricant, cooling lubricant and additive industries, manufacturers of tools, of process materials for the production of high-quality fiber composite components, suppliers of cooling lubricant real-time monitoring coolant filter systems and plant planners have accompanied the project.
Research Centres
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V.
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA
Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB
The DGMK Research Report 800 has been published and can be ordered directly from DGMK.
The IGF project (20284 N) of the research association DGMK Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Erdöl, Erdgas und Kohle e.V. (German Scientific Society for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Coal) was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) within the framework of the program for the promotion of joint industrial research (IGF) on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.