An investigation of the EREE-based low carbon manufacturing on CNC machine

Abstract

In CNC based machining, there are many factors, such as cutting process parameters set-up, material and cutting tool selection and machine utilization planning associated with the manufacturing process, which can lead to ineffective energy consumption, irrational resource utilization and waste generation, and consequently the large impact on carbon footprint resulted from the process. The conception of energy and resource efficiency and effectiveness (EREE) based low carbon manufacturing focuses on efficiency and effectiveness in utilizing energy/material resources and minimizing the waste generation in CNC machining. Therefore, it is essential to investigate and develop the industrial feasible/reliable methodologies and solutions applicable to CNC machines and operations. In this paper, a systematic modelling, simulation and implementation approach is proposed, which cover three parts: energy efficiency, resource utilization and waste minimization in CNC machining and operations. Energy efficiency of machine is determined by studying on the drive/actuation motors using fuzzy inference engine (FIS) while resource utilization planning is carried out by optimizing the process based on cutting parameters, material and cutting tool using the models with MATLAB-based programming. Waste minimization of the machine is evaluated specifically on idle time, machine scrap components and downtime by applying discrete event simulation, etc. This paper also presents a case study on a CNC manufacturing system with application perspectives and optimized results on energy consumption. Finally, the paper concludes with the discussion on the EREE-based low carbon manufacturing approach, its potential and applications, and future research agenda.