In various manufacturing processes, metalworking fluids (MWFs) are applied to ensure workpiece quality, to reduce tool wear, and to improve process productivity. The specific chemical composition of an applied MWF should be strongly dependent on the scope of application. Even small changes of the MWF-composition can influence the performance of MWFs in manufacturing processes considerably. Besides defined variations of the composition, the MWF-chemistry furthermore changes over the service life of the fluid. This paper presents the current state of the art regarding the assumed working mechanisms of MWFs including the effects of desired and undesired changes of the MWF properties

In industrial practice, the generation of a desired surface integrity of high performance components is still an iterative process based on experience. Despite the findings of researchers correlating the process parameters with the resulting surface integrity, until today, it is not possible to deduce the required process parameters from a given desired surface integrity. This inverse problem shall be addressed by a new approach focusing on process-independent correlations between the thermo-mechanical loads within the workpiece material and the resulting material modifications. The concept of Process Signatures, which aggregate information on material modifications caused by the physical conditions to which a material is subjected to on different levels of scale, are a promising strategy to achieve a knowledge-based solution of the inverse surface integrity problem. This paper presents the current understanding regarding the identification of Process Signatures as well as their potential for future application in practice