Development of a method based on MADM theory for selecting a suitable cutting fluid for granite sawing process

The stone processing sector has begun to implement the Cleaner Production (CP) strategy to tackle with these burdens caused by the production process. Decision-makers need to select the most suitable cutting fluid for achieving the CP mode in their firm. However, the assessment methods of characteristics and performances of cutting fluid in granite processing field have rarely been examined in the literature. This paper proposed a multi-criteria evaluation system that enables decision-makers to quantitatively analyze the comprehensive effectiveness of application of cutting fluid in their granite production lines. A four-hierarchy indicator system was initially structured with three attributes, 13 characteristics and 30 indicators according to the context and literature of the stone processing field. The definitions of measurement method for all the indicators were closely related to the laws, rules, regulations and discharge standards. The decision algorithm was designed based on the integration of two distinctive Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) techniques: Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach was used to determine the weights of each indicator, and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique was applied to obtain the prioritization of alternative cutting fluids. This research introduced the statistical analysis principle to help the decision makers to further understand the nature of the final ranking: confidence interval (CI) provided the decision-makers an interval where the ranking may be valid instead of a single absolute rank; and Tukey's HSD tests were done to show if the final score of alternatives were statistically different from each other. A case of application demonstrated that the proposed decision method and procedures can become a scientific foundation for formulating guidelines to select the most suitable cutting fluid for implementing CP strategy in the granite processing organizations.