REVIEW article
Front. Mech. Eng.
Sec. Digital Manufacturing
Volume 11 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmech.2025.1639320
This article is part of the Research TopicTransformative Impact of AI and ML on Modern Manufacturing ProcessesView all 4 articles
Non-Conventional Machining of Monel-400 Alloy: A Critical Review of Techniques, Challenges, and Sustainable Prospects
Provisionally accepted
Kamalpreet Singh1
Raman Kumar1,2
Sehijpal Singh1,3Rajender Kumar4,5Fadhil Faez Sead6
Jasmina Lozanovic7*- 1Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, India
- 2Jadara University, Irbid, Jordan
- 3Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, India
- 4Chandigarh University, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, India
- 5Chitkara University, Rajpura, India
- 6The Islamic University Technical Engineering College, Najaf, Iraq
- 7University of Applied Sciences Wien, Vienna, Austria
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Monel-400, a nickel-copper-based alloy, is renowned for its exceptional corrosion resistance, high strength, and toughness across diverse operating environments. However, these desirable properties also make Monel-400 a challenging material to machine using conventional techniques, leading to excessive tool wear, poor surface finish, and high thermal stresses. There is currently no comprehensive review that systematically consolidates and compares non-conventional machining approaches applied to Monel-400 alloy. This review critically examines the non-conventional machining methods employed to address these challenges, including Electric Discharge Machining (EDM), Wire EDM (WEDM), Electrochemical Machining (ECM), Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC), Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM), Photochemical Machining (PCM), and Hot Machining. A systematic comparison of process performance, surface integrity, material removal rate (MRR), Tool Wear Rate (TWR), Surface Roughness (Ra), and optimization strategies is presented. Key advancements such as hybrid dielectrics, cryogenic treatments, near-dry machining, and AI-based optimization techniques are discussed. Challenges related to surface defects, environmental sustainability, tool degradation, and process scalability are highlighted, along with identified research gaps. Future research directions emphasize the development of eco-friendly machining solutions, hybrid machining systems, real-time adaptive control, and life cycle assessments to enable sustainable industrial applications. This review consolidates fragmented knowledge, provides a roadmap for future innovation, and supports the advancement of efficient, precise, and environmentally responsible machining practices for Monel-400.
Keywords: Monel-400, Non-conventional machining, Electric discharge machining (EDM), Electrochemical machining (ECM), Surface integrity, Process optimization
Received: 01 Jun 2025; Accepted: 14 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Singh, Kumar, Singh, Kumar, Sead and Lozanovic. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jasmina Lozanovic, University of Applied Sciences Wien, Vienna, Austria
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.