Optimization and sensitivity analysis of drilling parameters for sustainable machining of carbon fiber–reinforced polypropylene composites

Abstract

Machining processes face two major challenges: sustainability and cleaner production. However, the effective utilization of tool and methods of lubrication system in sustainable machining have been dealt in depth in earlier investigations. This work aims to optimize sustainable machining parameters in drilling process for recyclable carbon fiber-reinforced polypropylene (CFR-PP) composites. This work is focused on modeling and optimization of drilling parameters for sustainable machining with respect to thrust force and torque for CFR-PP composites. The response surface method based on D-optimal design of experiments is used for modeling and optimization with variables such as drill spindle speed and drill feed rate as numerical factors, which includes different drill material as the categorical factor. The influences of tool materials on the sustainable machining are also discussed in detail. Further, the sensitivity analysis is applied to compare the relative impact of control parameters (spindle speed, feed rate, and drill materials) on thrust force and torque. The scanning electron microscope images are used for analyzing the morphologies of drilled surfaces.