Cutting Oils Matter in Honing

The closer a machined part gets to being shipped, it carries the accumulated operations that have been performed making it more valuable with each production step. Honing is often one of the final operations to be performed, therefore the workpiece is close to its most valuable point. Scrap or rework at this point is especially not a good thing.

Like any metalworking process, honing relies on a systematized approach combining components and variables that must work in concert to achieve the specified results. Honing oil is one of these variables that can often be overlooked.

In “Why Honing Oils Matter,” we look at the critical role honing oils play in the process of finishing high precision bores. Matching the workpiece material, honing tool and honing oil enables the shop to achieve high dimensional and surface finish specifications by taking the guesswork out of the process.

There are many honing oils available. They vary in color, viscosity and odor based on different additives and surface active ingredients used in their chemistry. Matching the optimum formulation of honing oil to the application requirements is key to achieving predictable results on the finished workpiece. Read the article here.