8.02 - Health and Environmental Impacts in Metal Machining Processes

Haider, J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7010-8285 and Hashmi, MSJ (2014) 8.02 - Health and Environmental Impacts in Metal Machining Processes. In: Comprehensive Materials Processing. Elsevier, pp. 7-33. ISBN 9780080965338 (ebook); 9780080965321 (hardback)

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Abstract

Metal cutting machining is one of the key techniques in the manufacturing industries for shaping a particular product or a component. Turning, milling, drilling, and grinding are the most common traditional machining processes, where mechanical energy is applied to remove material from a stock with the help of a cutting fluid. New machining processes such as electrodischarge, laser beam, and water jet cutting are also emerging as alternatives to traditional processes and for specialized applications. Like any other manufacturing techniques, machining produces many by-products or wastes including metal chips/swarf impregnated with cutting fluid, spent cutting fluid, oil contaminated water, oil mist, metal dust, and unnecessary energy usage. These wastes have major consequences for health, the environment, productivity, and manufacturing costs. In recent years, owing to the increasing social awareness of health and environmental issues, new and tighter legislations are being introduced in order to minimize the impact on the environment, hence creating a more sustainable world. Machining industries are also being forced to reduce their impacts on environment through legislation introduced by both government and international bodies. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the sources of concern with respect to machining processes and their impact on health and the environment. In addition, advances in the development of emerging techniques and technologies associated with machining, cutting tools, coolants/lubricants, recycling, energy saving, and product design and planning are reviewed and discussed, in order to minimize impact.