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Development and
Evaluation of Near-Dry Machine Tools for the Production of Aluminum
Components (Near-Dry) This report summarizes the second of the two-phase project whose objective was to evaluate the achievable benefits from an advanced near-dry production machining process. Machining Enterprises, Inc. (MEI), a parts manufacturer for the automotive industry, piloted the first phase of the program by machining 30,000 GM engine brackets. Data from this pilot project established the technical and economic feasibility for using near-dry technology in a U.S. factory. In comparison to a conventional process incorporating high-pressure coolant delivered through the spindle, the near-dry process was determined to be 8.5% less expensive - even without taking into account the costs of eliminating a central coolant treatment facility as well as the costs of dealing with coolant-related health issues. Phase II, which Ford piloted in their Livonia, MI transmission plant, focused on determining the productivity potential of a near-dry machining center that consisted of an Ex-Cell-O XHC 241 machining center with high-speed linear motor driven slides, a dual-channel minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) delivery system, a high-speed spindle, robotic parts-handling equipment, a multi-part clamping fixture, multi-function tooling, and a high-efficiency dry filtration system. The baseline for assessing the value of the Phase II system consisted of machining 4,200 cast aluminum housing extensions for a Ford 4X4 transmission on a Horkos near-dry machining center of the same model that was used in the Phase I test program. In the Phase II machining system, 14,200 extension housing parts were produced. Whereas the baseline system produced 139 parts per shift at a machining cost of $3.40 per part, the Phase II system could produce 460 parts per shift at a machining cost of $2.00 per part. Compared to the baseline, the new system can double the production at a 41% lower unit cost. These results as shown in Table E-1 and clearly show that the Phase II machining system can enable a substantial increase in productivity, which was the principal objective of this project. Further, the inspection results confirm that the quality of the parts from the Phase II machining system confirms that the process is implementation ready. Collaborative project participants for Phase II were: Ford Motor Company (Ford), General Motors Corporation (GM), DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ex-Cell-O Inc., Naval Air Depot Cherry Point and Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center. Comparison of Advanced Near-Dry Machining with Baseline Near-Dry Machining
NCMS Program Manager:, steveh@ncms.org, (734) 995-2195.
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