METAL CUTTING FLUIDS: A look‐back at the growth of a specialized service industry with details of some of the products developed to aid metalworking production

In the late 19th century, work attributed to a Mr F. W. Taylor showed that water flooding a cutting area permitted a great increase in cutting speeds. Prior to this cutting was performed dry, at very slow speeds, but it was found that water gave an easier removal of swarf, enabling the cutting speed to be increased by some 40 to 50%. Water, obviously, gave rise to the problems of corrosion.