Superchill: Medical Manufacturing

Whether it’s by conventional coolants, minimum-quantity lubrication or cryogenics, end users want effective cooling and lubrication of the tool/workpiece interface, easy integration of the system into a machine tool, a low environmental impact and a healthy and safe environment for their workers. Add supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) to the list of what users want. Developer Fusion Coolant Systems Inc. says scCO₂provides superior performance for those characteristics compared to the competition.

Fusion Coolant’s supercritical CO₂ system dissolves minimal quantities of lubricants in the scCO₂ stream and carries them to the cutting zone. Image courtesy Fusion Coolant Systems.

Invented in 2003 by Dr. Steve Skerlos, a professor at the University of Michigan, Fusion Coolant was founded in 2009 as a spin-off company from the university to commercialize the technology. After developing and testing the system across multiple platforms, Fusion will achieve that in near future, according to CEO Brad Darr. “We are in the process of integrating the technology with a European machine tool builder that will apply it to a medical application.”

Darr explained that scCO₂ completely dissolves a lubricant or metalworking fluid in the scCO₂ stream and delivers the solution to the cutting zone via a single channel. “We’ve been using standard off-the-shelf MQL oils, vegetable oils and cutting chemistries that our customers already use and haven’t had any problem dissolving any type of lubrication in the stream,” he said. The scCO₂ system enables a controlled flow of oil from 6 to 600 mL (0.203 to 20.288 oz.) per hour, depending on the application.