LubriLean – Minimal

Quantity Lubrication
Lower processing costs and avoidance
of ecological problems

Wasteful handling of cooling lubricant in the

processing industry is becoming less tolerated
now that Minimal Quantity Lubrication technol-
ogy is available. This technology is far less detri-
mental to the environment, and brings tangible
advantages in terms of cost and productivity.
Overall costs are reduced considerably be-
cause the use of coolants, lubricant filters and
reprocessing plants is no longer required, and
there is no need for disposal of used coolant and
cleaning of chips and workpieces.
Productivity is increased by a significantly
shorter production time, a higher metal removal
rate and longer tool life.
Internal Minimal Quantity Lubrication (MQL)

Lubricant can be fed to the tool or

workpiece in two different ways
• Internal Minimal Quantity Lubrication
(MQL)
With the internal lubrication method, com-
pressed air or the aerosol is applied through
the spindle, the tool holder and the tool di-
rectly at the point between tool and
workpiece.

• External Minimal Quantity Lubrication

(MQL)
With this system, the lubricant and air are
applied to the working area between tool and
workpiece by tubing and jets, which are not External Minimal Quantity Lubrication (MQL)
integrated into the machine concept. The jets
have to be adjusted for each application.
 Tool Tool holder Spindle Rotary lead trough LubriLean Minimal Quantity Lubrication

Reduces costs – by elimination of:

PC • Cooling lubricant
• Tooling machine components such as lubricant
Aerosol monitor filters and reprocessing plants
AM1000 • Cooling lubricant disposal
Data bus
• Workpiece and chip cleaning
Compressed air
Profibus
Increases productivity
• Reduction in processing time
Internal Machine
control control • Higher metal removal rate
• Longer tool life up to 300 %
Aerosol DigitalSuper • Reliable control of production processes
system

Lubricant Uses technological advantages

• Solutions for initial equipment and for upgrading equipment
Topping-up • Parallel use for wet and dry processing
pump • Better surface qualities

Topping-up
reservoir

LubriLean Minimal Quantity Lubrication system

for modern processing centres

Active principles and specifications Productivity increase from 10 % through

for one channel system
A fine aerosol is produced in the tank by a special jet system, which
generates a homogeneous droplet size of up to 0.5 µm from com-
pressed air and the lubricant medium. Due to the small particle size,
the aerosol reaches the chipping point via the rotating spindles of
processing centres or by the winding channels, which pass through
the revolver heads of modern turning centres, without being mixed
during transport. Safe process machining is ensured because of the
nearly loss-free transportation.
To perfect this safety feature, Vogel developed the Aerosol Sensor
AM1000, which monitors the aerosol quality in the lubrication feed
line by an optical measuring method. The signal from the aerosol
sensor can be evaluated by the machine control and can, for exam-
ple, interrupt the actual processing if deviations occur, therefore
avoiding tool breakage.
The advantages for the customer of Minimal Quantity Lubrication
are obvious. Apart from the already mentioned cost and productivity
benefits, a low capital expenditure is all that is required to achieve
agreeable work surroundings in machining production. This in turn
is beneficial to personnel and conserves the environment.
consequent use of Minimal Quantity
Lubrication in the production of cylinder
rollers for roller bearings
Considering the business management cost parameters – “Produc-
tion Time” and “Coolant Lubricant Consumption”, the following re-
sults were achieved in the cutting process of cylinder rollers for
roller bearings:
Savings in production time:
Through the use of Minimum Quantity Lubrication and adjustment
of tools and cutting parameters, production time savings enabled
output increase of 10 %.
Reduction of lubricant consumption:
Lubricant consumption could be lowered from 3 to 0,45 l per day in
a three-shift operation, by the additional optimisation of the lubrica-
tion process.
Prolonging of tool lifecycle up to 300 %
Minimal Quantity Lubrication enables adjustment of the cutting
parameters and tools for drilling deep holes for automotive crank-
shafts, such that a three-fold increase in tool life and reduction in
tool change cycles can be achieved.

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Internal Minimal Quantity Lubrication

DigitalSuper 1 DigitalSuper 2

External Minimal Quantity Lubrication

Smart Basic Vario

VarioPlus VarioSuper

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 The Power of Knowledge Engineering
Bearings Lubrication Drawing on five areas of competence and application-specific expertise amassed over 100 years,
Seals
and units systems SKF brings innovative solutions to OEMs and production facilities in every major industry worldwide.
These five competence areas include bearings and units, seals, lubrication systems, mechatronics
(combining mechanics and electro­nics into intelligent systems), and a wide range of services, from 3-D
Mechatronics Services computer modelling to advanced condition monitoring and reliability and asset management systems.
A global presence provide SKF customers uniform quality standards and universal product availability.

® SKF and Vogel are registered trademarks of the SKF Group.

© SKF Group 2008
The contents of this publication are the copyright of the publisher and may not be reproduced (even extracts) unless permission is granted.
Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication but no liability can be accepted for any
loss or damage whether direct, indirectw or consequential arising out of the use of the information contained herein.

Publication 6678 EN/I  ·  May 2008

Printed in Sweden on environmentally friendly paper.

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