Abstract
The automotive industry is facing on-going challenges to improve the sustainability of its manufacturing processes and vehicle emissions due to economic, environmental, marketability and policy concerns. This review aims to evaluate steps that could be taken by automotive manufacturers to further reduce energy consumed during manufacturing processes, particularly focusing on thermal management of low-temperature heat sources that are extensively present in the whole plant and in the paint shop. Through an extensive literature review on the subject, this article presents vehicle production processes, the past and future drivers, and strategies towards sustainability. Firstly, the whole vehicle manufacturing process is explained focusing on the energy sources and their use in the plant. Then, the paint shop is described as being responsible for the highest energy consumption in the production process, focusing on components, paints and energy utilisation. After presenting the practice performed by automotive manufacturers to reduce the energy consumption of their production process in terms of energy efficiency and thermal management, the article is closed by future steps that could be undertaken by the automotive industry towards the realisation of a low-carbon sector. It is concluded that unexploited potential for heat recovery in the paint shop is present in the low-temperature range and this waste heat could be effectively exploited by liquid desiccant technology for energy consumption reduction and could increase paint quality of the painting process due to more efficient moisture control.
Highlights
Automotive manufacturing is a complex and energy-intense process which consumes a significant quantity of raw materials and water
To reduce the energy cost and environmental burden of manufacturing processes, automotive original equipment manufacturers focus on energy efficiency and thermal energy management practices
The article reviews the automotive manufacturing process and the steps undertaken by manufacturers towards the realisation of a sustainable sector, including: (i) the whole manufacturing process and related energy sources and uses, (ii) the paint shop, focusing on the description of the process in terms of energy sources employed and effect of the paint used on the painting process, (iii) energy efficiency practices and heat recovery strategies employed by automotive original equipment manufacturers in the whole manufacturing process and in the paint shop, and (iv) current and future steps of the automotive sector towards the realisation of a low-carbon sector in terms of evolution of vehicles, of the materials used and of the manufacturing process
Summary
Automotive manufacturing is a complex and energy-intense process which consumes a significant quantity of raw materials and water. The automotive industry in the UK as well as around the world is facing new challenges due to an increase in the overall vehicle production, energy cost and environmental responsibilities
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