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Fraunhofer IPA
01.10.2018 | Research

Project Started on Cooling Lubricants for Wet Machining of Fibre-Reinforced Plastics

Reducing the weight of moving masses is one of the primary future goals in the automotive and aviation sectors. Due to their outstanding weight-related stiffness, fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) offer enormous potential for achieving this goal. Annual growth rates between 10 and 13 % and a doubling of the demand for FRP are expected by 2022. Dry machining has serious disadvantages in terms of the machining required despite near-net-shape production. Glass or carbon fibres lead to high tool wear and FVK dusts pose a threat to process and machine safety. If cooling lubricants are used, however, the dust is directly bound and removed.

The focus of the research project is therefore on the development of a cooling lubricant tailored to the needs of FVK machining and the demonstration of the production chain. The project data on plastic compatibility, adhesive, and paintability, as well as sliding friction coefficients in combination with selected FRP materials will be available to experts after the project in the form of a database.

In addition, suitable wet tools are identified which, in interaction with the optimum coolant, lead to longer tool life with increased machining speed and thus to cost-effective, high-quality FRP components.

 

Research Centres

Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation
IPA

Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology
IGB