Neat Cutting Lubricants - Supplier Data by Castrol

The choices made for selecting neat cutting fluids used in metal cutting processes impact on the many aspects of the modern production process.

The health and comfort of operational staff, the manufacturing environment, the machine tool cleanliness, the quality of components being manufactured, the tool cost, the materials being machined, the disposal costs are all impacted on the correct selection of a soluble cutting fluid.

What Is a Neat Cutting Oil?

Neat cutting oils are fluids usually based on mineral oils and used for cutting without further dilution i.e. as supplied by the manufacturer.  They are generally blends of mineral oils and other additives.

Neat oils can be used for applications from light machining to heavy-duty operations such as gear hobbing, broaching, turning, honing and drilling.

What Does a Neat Cutting Oil Do?

Neat cutting oils are used in a variety of machining operations e.g. grinding, turning, milling, broaching, drilling, tapping, gear cutting etc. primarily to provide cooling and lubrication which lead to good tool life and appropriate surface finish of the components being machined.

Neat cutting oils as opposed to soluble or synthetic cutting fluids provide high levels of lubrication to help reduce frictional heat as the cutting tool penetrates the metal or rubs against the swarf.  Neat oils also save energy by reducing cutting forces.

Secondary Functions

Secondary functions of a neat cutting oil include

• The removal of swarf and dust
• Lubrication of other parts of machinery such as slideways and screws
• Corrosion protection of the workpiece and exposed metal parts of the machine tool

Neat cutting oils are used where there is

• High stock removal
• High quality surface finish requirements
• Slow speeds, high feeds
• Older machines with stock head ingress
• Water effects tool matrix

Additives

Historically extreme pressure (EP) additives such as chlorine and sulphur have been added at various levels to neat oils to provide increased tool life and improve surface finish, however environmental and improved performance requirements have lead to the development of neat cutting oils with more sophisticated environmentally friendly synthetic ester based cutting oils which are chlorine and sulphur free.

Castrol Neat Oil Brands

Ilocut , Ilogrind , Ilobroach , Variocut, Honilo

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Castrol.

For more information on this source, please visit Castrol.