Experimental Study on the Sustainability Assessment of AWJ Machining of Ti-6Al-4V Using Glass Beads Abrasive Particles

Abstract

Abrasive Waterjet Machining (AWJM) is considered a viable alternative to conventional machining processes, due to its capability of rendering even complex features on parts with high productivity. However, it is currently also important for manufacturing processes to comply with the various aspects of sustainability, by putting emphasis on the environmental dimension apart from the economic. Although AWJM generally is considered an inherently environmentally friendly process, it is required that thorough experimental studies be carried out to evaluate the sustainability of AWJM under various conditions. In the present work, AWJM experiments under various conditions were conducted on a Ti-6Al-4V workpiece in order to determine the optimal conditions leading to a high degree of sustainability in this process based on several indicators. The experiments were carried out using glass beads, which act as an eco-friendly abrasive. After the basic outcome of the experiment was analyzed to determine the correlations between process parameters and depth of penetration, kerf width, and kerf taper angle, sustainability analysis with the aid of Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) was conducted. The optimum solution provided a sufficiently high score regarding both the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability.