Energy and Carbon Footprint Analysis for Machiningtitanium Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Titanium alloys are increasingly being used in manufacturing especially in aerospace industries. The environmental impact of using this material is rarely discussed especially with regards to energy consumption and its contribution to carbon emissions. The poor machinability of titanium leads to lower material removal rate and longer machining time. Coupled with high carbon footprints encountered, in extracting this material from ore, it is clear that the environmental impact of using this material needs to be optimised. In the research reported here, cutting tests were undertaken on a lathe and milling machine using unified cutting conditions. The associated energy and carbon footprints were analysed and discussed with emphasis on high speed machining. The paper clearly shows the impact of process choice and cutting speed on environmental footprints as a key performance measure in sustainable manufacturing.