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Today I am pleased to share with you the fact that SPRI has published an article entitled “HRE Hidraulic drives cryogenics in the machining world with Be Cold”.

“From using vast quantities of non-recyclable elements to achieve the machining of materials in sectors such as aeronautics to reusing the industry’s CO₂ for cryogenic machining at minus 78 degrees. Since the end of 2019, the Basque company HRE Hidraulic, based in Elgoibar, together with Tecnalia and the UPV/EHU, has launched BeCold on the industrial market so that the tools used in the machining process have cooling and lubrication with a lower environmental impact, as well as lower production costs.

This new equipment is a combination of two different technologies, explains José Ángel Alberdi, head of R&D at HRE Hidraulic. On the one hand, the CO₂ cooling system and, on the other, MQL machining (Minimal Quantity Lubrication) seeks to reduce lubricating fluids and is committed to fluids that are biodegradable). In this way, carbon dioxide is injected into the cutting area – it changes from liquid to gas once injected – to cool the tool and the workpiece, thus replacing traditional wet machining.

The two together reduce costs – tool life is increased, lubricant filters or other systems are avoided, there are no costs for removing swarf and lubricants once the part has been made, etc. Production time is reduced (between 30% and 50% less), and progress is made in the circular economy by giving a second use to the CO₂ generated by industry. Focused mainly on the aeronautics sector to date because it works particularly well on titanium, Inconel and hard or heat-resistant steels that are complex to work, the device is also being used on soft materials such as plastics and cork.

BeCold is a new case of knowledge transfer that started from the UPV/EHU with its research on cryogenics and ends with creating a patent and marketing it with Tecnalia and HRE Hidraulic. The device now comes in four models, which allow for using cryogenic machining alone, MQL alone, or combined. It can be integrated into new machinery and delivered with a stand-alone PLC for adaptation to other old equipment.

All of them will be present at the Machine Tool Biennial, postponed to November due to the current health emergency, and Germany. Over the coming months, depending on how the global pandemic evolves, Alberdi points out that they are also working to approach technology centres, universities and state and European research centres, and vocational training centres to publicise the new equipment. Both Tecnalia, a centre that is part of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), and the UPV/EHU have first-generation equipment to offer the possibility of carrying out tests and trials with the equipment.

The project has been supported by the Basque Government’s Hazitek 2013-2019 line of support. The alliance is currently making progress to take advantage of this technology in machining electric car components. Many of the parts are made of aluminium and can be machined using this technique”.

For more information or to read the article directly, click here: SPRI “HRE Hidraulic drives cryogenics in the machining world with Be Cold”.