A comprehensive review on sustainability in EDM process of additive manufactured materials

Abstract

Sustainability aims to leave a better world to future generations where they can be self-sufficient in every field and by producing without endangering the present and the future. Sustainability, which is a very broad concept, is generally evaluated under three main headings that are not independent of each other; environmental protection, social development and economic growth. Considering these concepts, each of the production stages, from raw material to the final product, is important for dealing with the ever-increasing needs. With sustainable production, the use of raw materials, waste generation resulting from production, energy consumption and the formation of hazardous chemicals during production can be reduced. Thus, environmentally friendly and economical production can be achieved. Rapidly advancing and developing production technologies bring innovative solutions in sustainable production for various applications. Today, developing technology to overcome the constraints in production methods and increase production quality, Additive manufacturing (AM) and electrical discharge machining (EDM) methods come to the fore in strategic industrial production areas for example aerospace, defense, automotive and health. Through the utilization of AM, sustainable and next-generation intelligent production can be realized by overcoming conventional manufacturing constraints, including material wastage, challenges in fabricating intricate geometries, and dependency on specialized tooling. A wide variety of materials such as Al-based alloys, stainless steel, Inconel and Ti6Al4V alloys are widely used in metal AM. Although AM components are produced in a near-net shape, subsequent post-production treatments are still necessary to meet the stringent requirements of critical industrial applications. EDM, a non-contact machining process that will minimally affect workpiece performance and reduce material waste, enables the processing of parts produced with AM. The ability to easily process electrically conductive materials that are difficult to process with traditional machining has expanded the usage area of this method. However, the EDM process of these materials raises concerns about sustainability due to factors such as energy consumption and environmental impact. AM and EDM find use in the production and processing of important materials used in the industrial field, but the development of EDM processes applied to AM materials for sustainable production continues. In this review research, it is aimed to comparatively reveal the sustainability characteristics of Al and nickel-based (Ni) alloys, stainless steels and Ti alloy in the AM process. The literature review indicates substantial progress in enhancing the energy efficiency of EDM operations, especially via the creation of environmentally sustainable dielectric fluids and energy-optimized milling techniques. These developments illustrate viable methods for diminishing the environmental impact of EDM, exactly corresponding with the aim of the study