Life Cycle Assessment Of Drilling In-718 With Hybrid Nanofluid: LPBF Vs WAAM
Authors :- Vats, P.; Gajrani, K.K.; Lotwala, T.; Khanna, N.; Kumar, A.
Publication :- Volume 1: Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing, ASME 2025 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition – India
Nickel-based superalloys are classified as difficult-to-cut materials due to their high strength, low thermal conductivity and high toughness, which results in accelerated tool wear, high cutting forces and elevated power consumption. When it comes to an additively manufactured part with anisotropic behaviour and non-uniform microstructure, machining of materials is even more challenging. To mitigate these challenges, industries are moving towards sustainable solutions like the use of eco-friendly cutting fluids. Establishing a sustainable machining process that maintains the balance between the ecological and economic feasibility among the existing issues of manufacturing industries. This current study compares the power consumption and sustainability factors during the drilling of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and wire arc additive manufactured Inconel 718 in the presence of a hybrid nanofluids environment. The sustainability and environmental impacts are investigated by using the life cycle assessment (LCA) process with ReCiPe 2016 (H) midpoint methodology to analyse 18 impact midpoint categories. Drilling was performed at a cutting velocity of 20m/min, feed of 0.02mm/rev and depth of cut of 3.5mm. Minimum quality lubrication technique was used to deliver the hybrid nanofluid at a flow rate of 80ml/hr and a pressure of 5 bar. The experiment and the LCA results indicated that the WAAM-fabricated Inconel 718 consumes more energy and has a more negative impact on environmental and human health compared to LPBF, especially regarding eco and human toxicity categories. This may be attributed to the increased material deposition, selection of substrate material, and energy consumption levels. Additionally, the water consumption and the impact of climate change on WAAM were substantially higher than those of LPBF. Furthermore, the incorporation of the drilling tool manufacturing process in the LCA underscores critical environmental regions that are frequently overlooked in prior studies. This technique has the potential to significantly decrease environmental impact, optimise resource usage and encourage sustainable strategies in aerospace and high-performance industries. By bridging the gap between additive manufacturing and sustainable machining, this study contributes to advancing environmentally responsible industrial practices.