ECO-FRIENDLY MANAGEMENT OF COOLING LUBRICANTS IN CNC MACHINES

Purpose – The paper aims to present the environmental and ecological benefits as a case study on sustainable technical solutions used CNC cooling lubricants, with lifetime extension and cooling quality increase. Methodology/approach – Implementing modern treatment methods such as reverse osmosis, seeking to increase the quantity and quality of recovered water while reducing environmental impact, and additionally, installing a waste briquetting press and an extra filtration system to improve waste lubricant reuse and quality ratio. Findings – A tested system for increasing the quality of recycled lubricants was successfully implemented. Research limitations/implications – The specific application depends on the catted materials and the lubricant increased lifetime depends on lubricant and compliance with the proposed procedure parameters. The reduction of waste amount and the capability to be reused in the process, depends on the adopted devices. Practical implications – The drawn conclusions are based on a specific industrial configuration and may be different if variables as working conditions are changed or if other machine configurations are chosen. Further research can be done to validate practices in other processing environments. Originality/value – The study is developed and tested in real-world settings and may serve as a best practice guide for increasing lubricant quality and lifetime.