7001ENG - Research Proposal: Sustainable Machining Processes

This research proposal explores sustainable machining processes, aiming to evaluate opportunities for manufacturing companies to promote sustainability. The study addresses the challenges faced by metal machining industries, including supply chain demands, environmental regulations, and competition. The proposal emphasizes the importance of sustainable machining practices, such as cryogenic machining and high-pressure jet-assisted machining, to improve environmental performance, reduce costs, and enhance employee health and safety. The literature review covers the principles of sustainability, current machining processes, and the benefits of incorporating sustainable practices. The proposal investigates the social and technological aspects of sustainable machining, highlighting the correlation between human processes and technical infrastructure. The proposed machining technologies, including high-pressure jet-assisted machining and cryogenic machining, are discussed in detail, outlining their benefits and potential for reducing environmental impact. The research aims to provide a comprehensive, well-structured, and methodical approach, with adequate supporting literature references, on how the particular selected research topic needs to be investigated.

Griffith School of Engineering and Built Environment
7001ENG – Research Methods for Engineers
Trimester 01, 2019
Final Assignment – Research Proposal
DECLARATION: I declare that this research proposal contains no material which has been submitted for assessment in any
other subject at Griffith University or elsewhere. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this research proposal contains no
material that has been previously published by any other person, except where due acknowledgement has been made.
Student name: Student number:
Program in which student is enrolled:
Sustainable Machining Processes
PROJECT SUMMARY
Sustainable metal machining also involves practices that strategically protect the environment and resources to enable
a positive future for the people and the industry. The main aim of this study is to evaluate sustainable opportunities in
machining process which can be implemented by manufacturing companies to promote sustainability in the
organization. The current crisis faced by industries dealing in automotive industry and mass production are difficulties
in attaining the expected profits. The only solution that can be implemented to overcome these crises depends on
creations and innovations of attractive processes which follow the rules of sustainability on production manufacturing.
There is need of a suitable machining processes which will enable lower production cost leaving room for profit while
using resources effectively without negatively affecting the environment so as to attain sustainability in
manufacturing. The development and research in the field of machining has led to development of cryogenic
machining and high pressure jet assisted machining innovations which have promoted quality of machined tools and
productivity. These sustainable machining technologies are very important and should be implemented by every
manufacturing company since they will play a major role in improving personnel health, enhancing operation safety,
reducing waste, reducing power consumption, reducing cost, and improving environment safety.
KEYWORDS
Sustainability, Machining processes, High pressure jet-assisted machining, Cryogenic machining, Sustainable
manufacturing
1. INTRODUCTION
Metal machining industries are under increasing pressure because of supply chain demand, stricter environmental
regulations, and high level of competition in both local market and international markets for improvement in
performance and low level of skills within the manufacturing companies. Majority of these industries dealing in
machining processes are currently adopting the practices of manufacturing that provides these metal machining
industries a cost-effective strategy of improving their social, environmental, and economic performable (Varghese, et
al., 2018). Metal machining also involves practices that strategically protect the environment and resources to enable a
positive future for the people and the industry. There is need of a suitable machining processes which will enable
lower production cost leaving room for profit while using resources effectively without negatively affecting the
environment so as to attain sustainability in manufacturing.
A growing and large number of manufacturing industries are realizing substantial environmental and financial
benefits from sustainable manufacturing processes. Sustainable manufacturing is generally attained through
sustainable machining and it entails the production of manufactured products through processes that are economically
sound which reduces the negative impacts of the environmental while conserving natural resources and energy
(Deiab, 2014). This sustainability concept promotes product, community, an employee safety. The traditional
machining processes that have been implemented in industries include CAD fundamental design of new production
level, CAD, and product using CAM, Contents level of organize structure, and pyramid structure of production
knowledge.
1.1. Background
In applying, understanding, and describing sustainable machining processes, it is important to have knowledge of
sustainability and its indicators. The sustainability concept was first introduced by the Brundtland Commission in
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1987 with the purpose of attaining the needs of the present without affecting the capability of the future generation to
attain their own requirements. Sustainability describes the diversity and productivity over duration of systems from
ecological perspectives and potential long-term welfare. Therefore, attaining sustainability requires a multi-
dimensional indicators and integrated approach that link the society, environment, and economy of the company
(Nawata & Huang, 2019).
Figure 1: Sustainability concept (Moldavska & Torgeir, 2015)
1.2. Aims and Objectives
The overarching aim of this research is to evaluate sustainable opportunities in machining process which can be
implemented by manufacturing companies to promote sustainability in the organization. Other objectives of this study
include:
 To evaluate the concept of sustainability in manufacturing
 To determine the major machining processes
 To assess sustainability in machining processes
 To propose suitable sustainable machining processes (Peralta, et al., 2015)
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The sustainability principles basically considers operational safety, personal health, environmental impacts,
manufacturing cost, waste management, and energy consumption. Traditionally, majority of the manufacturing
companies implemented various levels sustainable machining processes, namely CAD fundamental design of new
production level, CAD, and product using CAM, Contents level of organize structure, and pyramid structure of
production knowledge (Samson, 2019). There is need of a proposed sustainable production which will incorporate all
these conventional levels on the same equal levels while defining the sustainable product synergistically in terms of
sustainable principles.
Previously, the economical mass production played a major part in success of the company. Nevertheless, the
current crisis faced by industries dealing in automotive industry and mass production are difficulties in attaining the
expected profits. The only solution that can be implemented to overcome these crises depends on creations and
innovations of attractive processes or products which follow the rules of sustainability on production manufacturing
on all the levels and promoting the sustainability principles in terms of production growth (Chindarkar &
Thampapillai, 2018).
2.1. Social and Technological Concept
The most significant aspect in sustainable machining process is social and technological correlation. The social
and technological part emphasizes on the optimization of the human processes, technical infrastructure processes in
production and company in general. Companies should be designed such that the relationships between technical and
social elements result in the emergence of wellbeing and productivity.
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Figure 2: Technology selection (Ghosh & Rao, 2015)
2.2. Sustainable Machining
With the incorporation of the principles of sustainability in the machining process, the machining industries of all
sizes have the capability of improving their environmental performance and saving money even though the production
is reduced or remain in the same level. It have been proved that the major reason for the current industrial challenges
is because of high production and consumption that have overestimated the actual consumer consumption. Therefore,
large quantity of products are still kept in various warehouses owned by the manufacturing companies (Lee & Badrul,
2014). The origin of these crises is that the machining industries are conventionally aimed at short-term financial
considerations, without any long-term view on the future of the company.
The long-term strategy of any organization is significant to attain ultimate survival and sustainable development.
These companies can improve their social, environmental, and economic performance through training employees on
sustainable practices, using best machining practices, improving working conditions, adopting lean manufacturing,
improving management of hydraulic oils, lubricating oils, swarf, and metalworking fluids, efficient use of resources
like energy and materials, and also reducing waste generation through recycling or re-use (Ghandehariun, et al.,
2016). Research and development in the field of machining has led to innovations that have promoted quality of
machined tools and productivity.
Nevertheless, the latest trends towards high productivity through high-speed machining predictably result in
higher temperatures in both the part and the cutting tool. The management of heat in machining processes for
improvement of machined part and tool-life quality is not novel. Nevertheless, the establishment of lubrication and/or
cooling methods and process of management of temperature is still referred to as and merging and new direction to
research (Somashekaraiah, et al., 2016). The applications of industrial metal cutting generally uses the traditional
cooling lubrication fluids like aqueous emulsions, oils, and air to reduce the exceedingly high generated levels in the
cutting sections during the process of machining. Research shows that 15% of the total cost of machining is as a result
of cooling lubrication fluids, while the cost of tool is as low as 4% (Pratap & Singhal, 2016).
Through avoiding the usage of cooling lubrication fluids and applying the alternative of dry machining processes
with the novel coated cutting tools of high performance, there would be a huge progress in terms of sustainability. The
major challenge faced by this sustainable machine process is that there are novel material parts which are very
difficult to like titanium alloys and nickel alloys which are known high-temperature alloys applied in aerospace
industry because of their capability of maintaining characteristics even at high temperatures of operation (Sun & Gao,
2019). Such materials have small thermal conductivity, resulting in exceedingly high temperatures in the cutting
sections. When combined with high speed cutting, severe challenges are encountered, restricting the application of
dry machining despite the latest use of coating.
These findings promoted the increasing awareness of sustainability challenges in machining, recognizing the
traditional oil-based cooling lubrication fluids as the primary non-sustainable component of the process. These
findings resulted in the research and development of alternative sustainable lubrication and /or cooling mechanisms
during machining processes.
2.3. Proposed Machining Technologies
Since the traditional oil-based cooling lubrication fluids have been realized to be a primary non-sustainable
component in any machining process, there have been numerous research and developments to determine an
alternative sustainable lubrication and /or cooling mechanisms during machining processes (Khandey, et al., 2017).
The proposed machining processes that can be implemented by manufacturing and machining companies to ensure
sustainability in their processes include high pressure jet-assisted machining and cryogenic machining. These
machining processes provides reduced health and environmental hazards related to the usage of cooling lubrication
fluids and also reduction in cost (Olaru & Iulian, 2015).
2.3.1. High pressure jet assisted machining
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This technology is a current innovative approach of lubricating or/and cooling the cutting section during the
process of machining. This technology involves supplying water-based or oil-based cooling lubrication fluids in
relatively small rates than the traditional flood cooling lubrication fluids under exceedingly high pressure of about
300MPa to the tip of the cutting tool (Courbon, et al., 2011). The cooling lubrication fluids under such pressure can
reach nearer to the area shared, which withstands the highest heating during the process of machining and reduces its
temperature. This technology part from cooling effect, has the capability of controlling the conditions of friction
between the chip back section and cutting tool take face.
Figure 3: High pressure jet assisted machining (Lakić, et al., 2017)
The technology further provides control of breakability of the chip through forming a physical hydraulic impacts
between chip back section and cutting tool rake section, resulting into improvement in the performance of machining
process. The technology involves outlet nozzle fixed besides tool holder, high pressure tubing, and high pressure
pump (Nakatsukasa, et al., 2013). Some of the benefits of this technology include extension of operation ranges of
machining parameters, radical improvement of chip breakability, reduced cutting tool-chip length of contact, and also
sustainable machining through reduced rates of flow of cooling lubrication fluids compared to the traditional
machining while providing better mechanisms of lubrication and cooling (Obikawa & Yamaguchi, 2017).
2.3.2. Cryogenic Machining
This technology is an innovative approach of cooling part or/and entire cutting tool during the process of
machining. The technology entails the application of cryogenic cooling lubrication fluids to the region of cutting of
the cutting tool instead of the traditional oil-based cooling lubrication fluids (Wang, et al., 2017). The cutting regions
experiences the higher temperature during the process of machining and is where the cryogenic fluid is channeled so
as to improve the performance of machining process and change the material characteristics. The cooling lubrication
fluid is this case is normally nitrogen fluid undergoes the process of liquefaction through cooling to -196oC. Nitrogen
is selected as a coolant in this machining process since it is noncorrosive, noncombustible, and safe gas.
Figure 4: Cryogenic Machining (Razak, et al., 2011)
The liquid nitrogen in cryogenic system of machining evaporates quickly and returns to the environment, without
leaving residues to contaminate the operator, machine tool, chips or part hence reducing the costs of disposal. This
machining system shows a significant process towards ensuring sustainability during machining processes. This
technology can also help in reducing the overall cost, increase machining performance, high quality and faster
machine part (Vicentin, et al., 2011). Some of the benefits of this technology include improved quality of machined
parts, increased tool-life because of lower chemical ware and abrasion, increased material removal rate, and
sustainable machining.
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Both the cryogenic machining and high pressure jet assisted machining have their advantages and disadvantages
which determines when each of the machining processes should be applied. Therefore, the primary question is, which,
what, where, and how the cooling lubrication fluids can applied to promote product needs, satisfying constraints, and
machining performance (Ahmed & Hrairi, 2012).
3. METHODOLOGY
The research strategy used in this study of sustainability in machining process includes the application of
questionnaires and the use of secondary sources of information such as case studies and journals. This research
methodology used in this study basically focuses on the use of case studies and journal articles in the form of a
qualitative research method, which are used in the evaluation of research gaps from the concept of sustainability in
manufacturing, the major machining processes, opportunities of sustainability in machining processes, and suitable
sustainable machining processes.
3.1. Secondary Sources
The application of journal articles in this research heavily focuses on the description of the concepts on a given
scale and then generalizing the results to the wider manufacturing industries globally. The researcher will collect
substantial information related to the different sustainable machining processes which were done by the previous
researchers and then analyzing the findings to determine the research gaps that can be focused on. The major barriers
faced by the use of secondary sources are the credibility of these research articles, journals, and case studies.
Nevertheless, the information and research attained from these research methods are expected to be passed through
google scholar to make sure that these sources are reliable and validated.
3.2. Questionnaires
The use of questionnaires as a research strategy is also a very important source of information which the research
can focus on so as to gather firsthand information on the level of sustainability in manufacturing processes and
machining processes. This research strategy will basically target various manufacturing industries that have made
significant steps towards ensuring sustainability in their manufacturing processes. The questions used in the research
will evolve around the concept of sustainability in manufacturing, the major machining processes, opportunities of
sustainability in machining processes, and suitable sustainable machining processes.
4. DISSEMINATION OF FINDINGS
The results attained from this research on sustainable machining process will be disseminated in different
categories of interest individuals who may have interest on the research. The people who are likely to hard interest in
this research includes students, professional engineers, and manufacturing companies. The results can be made
available to these groups of people through publishing the research in form of articles are making these journals
accessible through internet, or disseminating them to different school and national libraries. These results can also be
distributed electronically through numerous academic platforms such as school websites, google groups, and
academic websites.
5. ESTIMATED TIMELINE
The projected project timelines for this research is anticipated to be approximately 60 weeks and illustrated in the
table 1 below:
Milestones Deliverables Anticipated Duration Activities
Preparation
of research
Identification of research areas,
manufacturing companies
Contacting resources persons
Collection of literature
Week
1-16
This milestone entails the initials activities
of project preparation seeks to indemnify
potential sources of information
Execution of
research
Formulation of literature review
Identify research gap
Objectives and aims
Information collection
Week
17-29
This is the actual project delivery and
entails activities done to collect relevant
information
Research
Evaluation
Comparing data attained
Consultation with supervisors
Potential review identification
Week
30-43
Consultation and comparison is done to
ensure that the research is relevant and also
proposal writing
Proposal
delivery
Consultation of proposal writing
Compilation of proposal
Final submission
Week
44-60
This is the final stage of writing report and
then submitting
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6. METHODOLOGY
This research presents the sustainability principles in production, but focusing on sustainable machining
processes. Focus is directed on the sustainable technologies that can be implemented in manufacturing companies to
assist in reducing the overall cost, increase machining performance, high quality and faster machine part. The
proposed alternative machining processes that can be implemented by manufacturing companies include high pressure
jet assisted machining and cryogenic machining since they will play a major role in improving personnel health,
enhancing operation safety, reducing waste, reducing power consumption, reducing cost, and improving environment
safety.
7. REFERENCES
Ahmed, M. & Hrairi, M., 2012. Efficient Cryogenic Cooling during Machining of Rolled AlSl
4340 Steel. Advanced Materials Research, Volume 576, pp. 123-126.
Chindarkar, N. & Thampapillai, D., 2018. Rethinking Teaching of Basic Principles of
Economics from a Sustainability Perspective. Sustainability, Volume 10, p. 1486.
Courbon, C., Sajn, V. & Kramar, D., 2011. Investigation of machining performance in high
pressure jet assisted turning of Inconel 718: A numerical model. Journal of Materials
Processing Technology, Volume 211, pp. 1834-1851.
Deiab, I., 2014. On Energy Efficient and Sustainable Machining through Hybrid Processes.
Materials and Manufacturing Processes, Volume 29, pp. 1338-1345.
Ghandehariun, A., Nazzal, Y. & Kishawy, H., 2016. Sustainable manufacturing and its
application in machining processes: a review. International Journal of Global Warming,
Volume 9, p. 198.
Ghosh, S. & Rao, V., 2015. Environment Friendly Machining of Ni–Cr–Co Based Super Alloy
using Different Sustainable Techniques. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, Volume 31,
pp. 852-859.
Khandey, U., Ghosh, S. & Hariharan, K., 2017. Machining parameters optimization for
satisfying the multiple objectives in machining of MMCs. Materials and Manufacturing
Processes, Volume 32, pp. 1082-1093.
Lakić, G., Sredanović, B. & Kramar, D., 2017. Possibilities of Application of High Pressure Jet
Assisted Machining in Hard Turning with Carbide Tools. Tribology in Industry, Volume 39,
pp. 238-247.
Lee, B. & Badrul, O., 2014. Optimization for sustainable manufacturing based on axiomatic
design principles: a case study of machining processes. Advances in Production Engineering
& Management, Volume 9, pp. 31-43.
Moldavska, A. & Torgeir, W., 2015. Development of Manufacturing Sustainability Assessment
Using Systems Thinking. Sustainability, Volume 8, p. 5.
Nakatsukasa, R., Hayashi, M. & Obikawa, T., 2013. High Speed Machining of Stainless Steel
Using Low-Pressure Jet Coolant. Proceedings of International Conference on Leading Edge
Manufacturing in 21st century : LEM21, pp. 255-258.
Nawata, R. & Huang, K., 2019. Systemic Functions Evaluation based Technological
Innovation System for the Sustainability of IoT in the Manufacturing Industry. Sustainability,
Volume 11, p. 2342.
Obikawa, T. & Yamaguchi, M., 2017. Influence of Coolant Application Direction on the
Cutting Performance of Ceramic Tool in High-Speed Air-Jet-Assisted Machining of Inconel
718. Key Engineering Materials, Volume 749, pp. 87-93.
Olaru, I. & Iulian, D., 2015. Study on Minimum Quantity Lubrication Systems in Cooling of
Machining Processes. Applied Mechanics and Materials, Volume 809, pp. 1022-1027.
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Peralta, M., Marcos, M., Aguayo, F. & Córdoba, A., 2015. Sustainable Fractal Manufacturing:
A New Approach to Sustainability in Machining Processes. Procedia Engineering, Volume
132, pp. 926-933.
Pratap, R. & Singhal, S., 2016. Investigation of machining characteristics in rotary ultrasonic
machining of alumina ceramic. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, Volume 32, pp. 309-
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Razak, A., Sharif, S. & Venkatesh, C., 2011. Performance of Cryogenic Machining with
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Parameters. International Journal of Engineering Materials and Manufacture, Volume 4, pp.
22-26.
Somashekaraiah, R., Prakash, D. & Vasu, S., 2016. Eco-Friendly, Non-Toxic Cutting Fluid for
Sustainable Manufacturing and Machining Processes. Tribology Online, Volume 11, pp. 556-
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Sun, C. & Gao, S., 2019. A Novel Method of Sustainability Evaluation in Machining
Processes. Processes, Volume 7, p. 275.
Varghese, V., Ramesh, M. & Chakradhar, D., 2018. Experimental investigation and
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Vicentin, G., Sanchez, L. & Scalon, V., 2011. A sustainable alternative for cooling the
machining processes using a refrigerant fluid in recirculation inside the toolholder. Clean
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Wang, Z., Basu, S. & Saldana, C., 2017. Low-temperature machining in a fully submerged
cryogenic environment. Machining Science and Technology, Volume 21, pp. 19-36.
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