Environmental Impact Characterization of Milling and Implications for Potential Energy Savings in Industry

Since machining is a prevalent process in product manufacture this study reviews the accuracy of a specific energy characterization model to predict the electrical energy consumed by a 3-axis milling machine tool during processing. The energy characterization model had an accuracy of 97.4% for the part manufactured under varied material removal rate conditions and highlighted the potential for energy reduction using higher cutting speeds. Interviews with cutting tool manufacturers and end users showed that there is a genuine potential for energy reduction during milling operations due to the extensive use of uncoated cutting tools in industry.