Aurion Machining Technologies Oy (“Aurion”) has developed new technology – using ionized air as a clean-tech alternative for metal working fluids and emulsions in parts manufacturing. Ionized air is functional for achieving high quality machining results and it is safe for employees and environmentally friendly. The technology is fully compliant with modern sustainability regulations which require end-to-end clean-tech solutions and is a response to increasing concern that metalworking fluids contribute significant carbon emissions on global basis
Disposal of used cutting fluids causes significant environmental contamination. Global annual consumption of cutting fluids is estimated to exceed 2 billion liters; although the actual amount of cutting fluids waste is assumed to be up to 10 times higher, as most fluids are diluted before their use. Cutting fluid treatment and their release to the environment leads to significant oxygen depletion and nutrient destruction in surface waters.
The core of the Aurion technology is in the ionized air which generates an electrochemical process resulting in electron loss and atomic level transformation of the Aurion gas medium at the cutting surface. The electrochemical process acts as a dry lubricant in the cutting process, penetrating the cutting zone and optimizing the interaction between the tool edge and the workpiece. This process accelerates oxide layer formation and significantly reduces the friction, thermal stress and tool wear.
The Aurion system consists of three components – ionizer, controller and air-cooling unit. The system is connected to the factory compressed air network and machinery CNC. There is no need for any special safety precautions as ionized air pressure remains at 2 – 3 bar and temperature in the -10°C to +10°C during machining operations.
Aurion technology is the result of years of industrial research and development work. Its technical properties have been proven in thorough tests conducted by authoritative institutions and industrial partners. Most recently the respected Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) of the University of Sheffield in England achieved excellent results in titanium milling trials.
Aurion reduces manufacturing costs and cutting lead times in workshop processes. Thousands of validation runs have proven that Aurion technology delivers at least the same machining quality and performance as cutting fluids – measured by cutting speed, tool life and surface quality. Ionized clean air is safe for its operators and the relevant machinery and meets the highest standards for workpiece residuals.
Aurion technology is suitable for all machining applications and materials. It is easy to integrate to both existing and new machines, either by using the external piping to the cutting zone or by using existing coolant channels in standard tool holders and tools.
High integration flexibility and the possibility to use existing machine tool features minimizes the up-front investment and limits the transition costs for introduction of the Aurion technology. The payback for the Aurion system is typically 3-6 months.
