Sustainable machining of P20 mold steel via trochoidal milling: Optimization strategies, cutting forces, and energy efficiency

Trochoidal tool paths are preferred due to their superior material removal rate (MRR) compared to conventional strategies. Reducing cutting forces directly contributes to lower power consumption, which in turn decreases both machining time and operational costs, thereby enhancing overall productivity. In the context of intensifying global competition, minimizing the cost per unit through optimized cutting conditions—particularly by reducing cutting force and power—is imperative. Given that electricity generation still heavily relies on finite fossil fuel resources, optimizing machining parameters also supports sustainability objectives. Trochoidal milling has emerged as a transformative strategy for the sustainable machining of AISI P20 mold steel, offering significant improvements in cutting force reduction, surface integrity, and energy efficiency. By leveraging an extensive scientific background together with newly generated computational results, this work establishes that well‑calibrated trochoidal machining approaches deliver measurable improvements over traditional milling in terms of operational effectiveness and environmentally responsible manufacturing. Multi-objective optimization frameworks and experimental validations are discussed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how trochoidal milling contributes to green manufacturing. The paper concludes with identified research gaps and future directions for industrial implementation. In 27 experiments, the average force ranged from 1359.3 N to 2546.1 N. The cutting power was between 1042.6 and 1203.5 watt. The innovation in this study is to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and ensure sustainability by machining plastic mold steel with a trochoidial tool path using the latest technology 6 or 7-blade cutting tool.