Regulating cutting fluid parameters for optimal energy and economic performance: Methods for efficient and Low-Energy electrical machining

•Quantitative modeling of wire-cutting resource and energy consumption.•Predict machining economics for each workpiece.•Cutting fluid’s role in energy efficiency and economy.•Control strategies for optimized energy and economy. Scholars today have been dedicated to researching economically viable and efficient methods to enhance the energy efficiency of manufacturing, aiming for sustainable production. Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) holds a significant position in current mechanical processing due to its unique operational principle, which results in notably higher energy consumption compared to conventional processing methods. Various factors influencing machining performance are complex, among which the condition of the cutting fluid plays a crucial role. Effectively controlling the parameters of the cutting fluid to improve its discharge state during machining is vital for enhancing energy and economic efficiency. Specifically, this study analyzes the characteristics of the WEDM process, models its resource and energy consumption, and predicts its economy. A method for optimizing control of cutting fluid parameters is proposed. By correlating different cutting fluid parameters with machining performance using the selected machine tool, and recommending combinations of cutting fluid parameters that ensure quality while improving the material removal rate, the study aims to achieve optimal energy efficiency and minimal cost. The results show that the proposed models for energy efficiency and economic prediction have an average accuracy of 96.64 %. An optimized machining scheme selected reduces machining time and energy consumption by approximately 1255.6 s (about 19.14 %) and 2240112.92 J (about 17.48 %), respectively, and saves about ¥ 6.084 (approximately 14.90 %) in machining costs. Additionally, the energy consumption of the pulse system’s proportion of total energy use increased by 1.63 %. The research demonstrates a general method for specifying combinations of cutting fluid parameters aimed at optimal energy efficiency and economy during the process optimization design stage of machining, providing a reference for improving the energy efficiency of wire cutting operations.