Energy value mapping: A novel lean method to integrate energy efficiency into production management

Abstract

Integrating energy efficiency as a key criterion in production management is critical to increasing energy efficiency while maintaining productivity in manufacturing systems. However, this integration still poses a huge challenge for decision-makers due to a lack of knowledge about the linkage between energy efficiency and productivity. Consequently, related energy-saving potential remains unexploited. In this context, this paper presents an innovative Energy Value Mapping (EVM) method to promote the systematic integration of energy efficiency into production management. The method includes three consecutive phases: (i) energy loss modeling to reveal the coupling relation between energy losses and productivity variables; (ii) lean energy analysis using production-oriented energy performance indicators to highlight energy inefficiencies and indicate improvement directions; (iii) improvement strategies determination to improve energy efficiency simultaneously considering traditional production management decisions. Furthermore, an industrial case study of a die-casting plant has demonstrated the effeteness and practicality of the method, showing its great potential in identifying, visualizing, quantifying, analyzing, and decreasing the energy losses related to production and operations management. The results showed that the overall energy demand of the process chain could be reduced by 6.17% with the energy utilization and time utilization being increased by 5.0%, 4.8%, respectively.