Multi-response optimisation of machining aluminium-6061 under eco-friendly electrostatic minimum quantity lubrication environment

Abstract

The emerging grave consequences of conventional coolants on health, ecology and product quality, have pushed the scientific research to explore eco-friendly lubrication technique. Electrostatic minimum quantity lubrication (EMQL) has been underscored as a burgeoning technology to cut-down bete noire impacts in machining. This research confers the adoption of a negatively charged cold mist of air-castor oil employed in turning of aluminium-6061T6 material by varying the cutting conditions, as per experimental designed through response surface methodology (RSM). For comprehensive sagacity, a range of cutting speed, feed, depth of cut and EMQL-flow rate were considered. Material removal rate, tool life, surface roughness and power consumption of machine tool were adopted as performance measures. To satisfy multi-criterion simultaneously, RSM-based grey relational analysis (GRA) was employed for multi-objective optimisation. Highest proportion of grey relational grade (GRG) as a single desideratum response function, provided a trade-off between performance measures with 15.56% improvement in GRG.