Dry Machining Features:

  • Benefits operations that must be “dry”;
  • External and through tool cooling capability;
  • Precision machining of plastics, PEEK, UHMW, etc.;
  • Increases in tool life and tighter hole tolerances;
  • Additional capability can be achieved with MQL for certain applications.

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Milling Cutter Spraying CO2 Through Tool for Dry Machining

Dry machining is essentially machining without the use of any cutting fluid or coolant. It is becoming increasingly popular due to:

• Concerns regarding the environment;
• Operator Safety – Fumes and splashing coolant;
• Issues related to the use of conventional flood coolants;
• “Dry” may work better for certain metals (Examples Titanium, composites, plastics);
• Eliminates cleaning and messy work environment.

Dry machining is typically reserved for certain applications, and it may never completely replace the use of cutting fluids, but developments are being made. A significant new advancement called the ChilAire™ cooling system, offers the performance benefits of a dry coolant and the environmental benefits of dry machining, all with great economics.

The ChilAire™ system represents the only machining dry coolant. Machining facilities can perform hard turning and milling of hard materials by utilizing the ChilAire™ revolutionary CO2 technology. Benefits of the ChilAire™ are as follows:

• Clean Operator Work Environment;
• No Splashing Coolant;
• Cutting Tool Does Not Experience Thermal Shock;
• Improved Economics;
• No Secondary Cleaning.

By controlling the temperature of the cut zone, customers are able to use lower cost cutting tools on applications that typically require higher prices CBN, Ceramic, PCD, etc. The ChilAire™ system keeps the tool and work piece at ambient temperatures, hence preventing thermal shock. Until the advent of ChilAire™, there has never been a truly safe coolant that can also be considered “dry”.

The process is straightforward: Compressed gaseous CO2 is refrigerated into the liquid phase. The chilled liquid is transported to the nozzle where liquid CO2 and compressed air are mixed. The CO2 is allowed to expand into crystals that are delivered to the cutting zone. When the spray hits the cutting edge, the ice-crystals melt and flash back to CO2 gas in a process called sublimation – a physical state conversion, capable of absorbing significant amounts of heat.