Energy Efficiency Evaluation for Machining Process in Flexible Manufacturing Systems - A Case Study

In the industry, the cost of electricity, although increasing, is not regarded as a production cost, and thus the energy efficiencies of equipment are usually not considered. To gain knowledge about energy efficiencies in the machining industry, this study proposes a new method of evaluating the machining process and the machines, devices, and equipment involved. To validate the suggested method, a case study in the automotive industry is presented, comparing the machining processes in two flexible manufacturing systems, one in which aluminium is machined and the other in which cast iron is machined. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.