In recent years, with the steady development of the domestic economy, environmental pollution issues have become increasingly prominent, leading to a growing emphasis on the protection of the natural environment. In machining, reducing the environmental pollution caused by product processing and manufacturing, lowering energy consumption, and achieving green manufacturing have become critical issues facing the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing enterprises are researching how to use green machining equipment to produce products, while machinery manufacturing companies need to strengthen the research and analysis of green technologies and increase investment in green mechanical manufacturing technologies and personnel training. As public awareness of environmental protection gradually increases, many high-end manufacturing enterprises have begun to explore green machining technologies to reduce pollution and damage to the external environment during the manufacturing process.
- Characteristics of Green Machining Technology
The use of green machining technology differs significantly from traditional manufacturing technology. Green machining technology does not cause harm, pollution, or damage to the external environment. For instance, the cutting fluids used by some domestic manufacturing enterprises not only harm the external environment but also pose certain risks to human health. Through extensive data surveys and analysis, it has been found that during machining with cutting fluids, tool wear accounts for nearly 5% of the total production cost, while the cost of cutting fluids accounts for 15%. Therefore, the application of green machining technology can gradually reduce the cost of cutting fluids, conserve resources, and avoid pollution from chemical reagents in the external environment [1].
- Analysis of the Research Status of Green Machining Technology
(1) High-Speed Dry Cutting Technology
When using green machining technology, equipment manufacturers should gradually optimize and improve the internal structure of mechanical equipment. In cases where cutting machines or lubricants are used in the machinery department, efforts should be made to enhance the cutting efficiency of mechanical equipment. This idea is ideal, but in reality, a certain amount of cutting fluid is still required. Therefore, manufacturing personnel should minimize the use of cutting fluids and apply high-speed dry cutting technology. However, the conditions for large-scale promotion are not yet in place, and this technology is currently only applied in some small-scale processing plants with strong capabilities. Around the 1930s, German scholars proposed the concept of high-speed cutting. High-speed cutting can effectively reduce tool wear and further improve machining quality. The advantages of high-speed cutting are evident. However, based on the current state of domestic cutting technology, it cannot meet the requirements of high-speed cutting. There are still many unresolved issues in the research of high-speed cutting technology, such as the selection of lubricants and anti-corrosion agents. Lubricants, as an essential component of cutting machinery, are primarily based on base oils. Although China is a resource-rich country, domestic oil reserves are relatively limited. In some machining processes, research and promotion of high-speed cutting technology should be intensified to achieve practical applications in manufacturing enterprises.
(2) Research and Application of Green Machining Cutting Fluids
The use of green machining technology can prevent mechanical equipment from impacting the external environment and harming human health during processing. High-speed dry cutting technology is an environmentally friendly technology, but its application requires a certain technical foundation, which limits its widespread adoption. Currently, some researchers are gradually exploring ways to improve the application of cutting fluids in manufacturing. However, since cutting fluids are contaminated and do not align with China’s environmental protection plans, some researchers have turned their attention to green cutting fluids. The development of environmentally friendly cutting fluids primarily involves the scientific selection of base oils and anti-wear additives added to the oil to enhance the lubricity of mechanical equipment, reduce wear, achieve green production, and effectively lower the cost of cutting fluids in green equipment processing.
(3) Application of Low-Pollution Cooling and Lubrication Technology
Many domestic mechanical manufacturing enterprises focus on how to reduce the use of lubricating fluids, thereby improving their efficiency and lowering the cost of lubricants in processing. Currently, in the application of green machining technology in China, many enterprises are adopting low-pollution, low-energy lubrication technologies to reduce the use of lubricating fluids and minimize their pollution to the external environment. Engineering and manufacturing personnel can reduce the amount of lubrication required for mechanical equipment while ensuring that performance standards are met, thereby improving the quality of the entire mechanical equipment operation. During mechanical cutting, the cost of lubricants is relatively high. Therefore, reasonable methods should be adopted to reduce lubricant usage and component wear, thereby improving equipment utilization efficiency and extending its service life.
III. Development Trends of Green Machining Technology
(1) Green Machining Industrial Fluids
In recent years, some domestic manufacturing enterprises have strengthened research and analysis of green mechanical machining technologies. Some researchers have begun using naturally degradable cutting fluids in production and manufacturing. Natural degradation can reduce pollution of external water and soil during processing and manufacturing and achieve natural decomposition. The application of micro-oil film low-water coverage technology, discovered by workers when applied to new equipment cutting, significantly reduces cutting fluid pollution, avoids damage to the external natural environment, and further highlights the importance of environmental protection in production and manufacturing. In the future, the green machining industry will gradually replace traditional machining industries, gaining wider popularity and application.
(2) Achieving Zero Pollution
With green machining technology, production equipment has a minimal impact on the external environment. Green machining areas do not require excessive equipment or produce significant waste, enabling zero emissions of exhaust gases and solid waste from production equipment. Additionally, in green equipment, the use of chemical fluids will be reduced, along with the harmful components in chemical agents. The amount of chemical reagents used will be gradually decreased, achieving natural degradation and the reuse of cutting and lubricating fluids. This will reduce the cost of cutting fluids and bring more economic benefits to the entire product manufacturing process. Compared to traditional machining technologies, green machining technology can gradually extend tool life, reduce waste, save on disposal costs, and significantly improve the efficiency of mechanical manufacturing.
(3) Low Pollution and High Efficiency
Currently, the level of mechanical cutting technology abroad is not high, and high-speed cutting cannot be achieved. At this stage, manufacturing enterprises can only use some green lubricants and cutting fluids. Manufacturing companies must research how to reduce the flow of lubricants to minimize pollution during product processing and manufacturing. In the future development of green machining technology, efforts should be made to gradually reduce the application cost of green lubricants and decrease their usage, thereby improving the efficiency of mechanical equipment processing and making green machining technology the mainstream of modern manufacturing.
(4) High-Quality Clean Surface Technology
Clean surface technology is a non-toxic, harmless, and energy-saving surface treatment technology that does not contain organic solvents. These production equipment require high wear resistance. The use of ion beam-assisted coating technology can enable the application of more precise instruments and tools, gradually extending the service life of these components. Compared to traditional technology, this technology offers strong corrosion resistance and effectively saves material and energy. It is widely used in domestic automotive and home appliance manufacturing.
