A hybrid approach of cooling lubrication for sustainable and optimized machining of Ni-based industrial alloy

The utilization of cutting fluids in metalworking industries causes health issues and environmental impacts. Owing to eco-friendly apprehensions and rising regulations over pollution and contamination, the need for a greener approach is increasing to diminish the employment of cutting fluids and dwindle the ecological impact. Therefore, special attention should be focused on clean and sustainable machining processes. Foremost, the optimal setting for multiple response problems in the manufacturing sectors must be acknowledged to reduce energy consumption. Even though machining industries established mist lubrication with vegetable oil and cryogenics as a substitute for mineral oils-based flooding, its meager lubrication and cooling property at elevated speed lead to a hunt for a new hybrid approach that offers adequate cooling/lubrication (C/L). Moreover, as of now, no information concerning the effects of hybrid cooling on milling of Nimonic-80A is existing. In this holistic investigation, machining of Nimonic-80A under hybrid C/L was compared with other cooling strategies (flood, MQL, and cryogenic) to determine the viability of employing cryogenics and hybrid cooling method. Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) technique was applied to select the optimum cutting conditions to get the ideal surface trait. Besides improving the surface quality, the hybrid condition is treated as a trendsetter which is in legitimate agreement with the latest global swing for sustainable means of production. The optimization result indicated that machining at a cutting speed of 60 m/min and a feed rate of 0.04 mm/rev under the hybrid cooling strategy provides the optimal value, that controls the energy requirement. Pugh matrix method has been deployed to establish the sustainability assessment among the distinct cooling conditions. The research verdict illustrates the suitability of the hybrid cooling strategy and explains the process of going green.

Automated summary

The focus of the study is on finding clean and sustainable metalworking methods, with the hybrid cooling strategy being considered an innovator that effectively controls energy consumption. Machining Nimonic-80A with hybrid C/L can improve surface quality and align with the global trend towards sustainable production.