OPTIMISATION OF A NEEM OIL BASED MINIMUM QUANTITY LUBRICATING (MQL) SYSTEM PARAMETERS FOR THE ORTHOGONAL MACHINING OF MILD STEEL

Cutting tools experience early failure and dimensional variation due to the high temperature developed during machining. Conventional cutting fluid applications do not successfully remove heat because they do not reach the chip-tool contact. Operators on the work floor may experience the adverse side effects of cutting fluids, such as skin and respiratory issues. As a result, a different lubricating method is necessary for machining without harming the tool-workpiece, which would also be advantageous for health and the economy. This research aims to develop and evaluate the efficiency and optimization of minimal use of Neem seed oils as lubrication for the Taguchi L9 array-based design for machining of mild steel. The Taguchi optimization technique was used to examine the impact of the neem oil based Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) system (with flow rate, air pressure and nozzle diameter as factors) on the workpiece temperature and chip thickness ratio at cutting speeds of 260 rpm and 470 rpm. The outcome demonstrated that optimal settings at 260 rpm were a flow rate of 50 ml/hr, air pressure of 1.5 bars, and nozzle diameter of 0.8 mm for workpiece temperature, and a flow rate of 100 ml/hr, air pressure of 1 bar, and nozzle diameter of 0.8 mm for chip thickness ratio. At 470 rpm, optimal settings for workpiece temperature were a flow rate of 50 ml/hr, air pressure of 1.5 bars, and nozzle diameter of 0.5 mm, while chip thickness ratio optimization indicated a flow rate of 100 ml/hr, air pressure of 1 bar, and nozzle diameter of 0.5 mm.