Energy monitoring of plastic injection molding process running with hydraulic injection molding machines

Today’s ubiquitous use of plastics in product design and manufacturing presents significant environmental and human health challenges. Injection molding, one of the most commonly used processes for making plastic products, consumes a significant amount of energy. A methodology for accurately estimating the energy consumed to injection-mold a part would enable environmentally conscious decision making during the product design. Unfortunately, only limited information is available at the design stage. Therefore, accurately estimating energy consumption before the part has gone into production can be challenging. In this paper, we describe a methodology for energy estimation that works with the limited amount of data available during the design stage, namely the CAD model of the part, the material name, and the production requirements. The methodology uses this data to estimate the parameters of the runner system and an appropriately sized molding machine. It then uses these estimates to compute the machine setup time and the cycle time required for the injection molding operation. This is done by appropriately abstracting information available from the mold flow simulation tools and analytical models that are traditionally used during the manufacturing stage. These times are then multiplied by the power consumed by the appropriately sized machine during each stage of the molding cycle to compute the estimated energy consumption per part.© 2010 ASME

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A Systematic Methodology for Accurate Design-Stage Estimation of Energy Consumption for Injection Molded Parts

The use of discrete event simulation integrated with energy consumption computation is nowadays very useful for the efficient design of an industrial production plant. In this paper a serial manufacturing line made by four operating machines has been modelled by means of SIMIO discrete event simulator, focusing on the production line energy consumption computation. Each operating machine has been described according to three different aspects. Firstly the mechanical behaviour, that is guaranteed from the simulator modelling functionalities itself. Secondly the control functionalities that have been designed by means of Finite State Machines (FSMs), then translated into the C# programming language and finally integrated into the SIMIO platform. Finally the energy consumptions, that have been computed by modelling the energy states associated to the different operating machine working functions. In the end a simulation experiment has been run and the regarding results have been presented. The power absorbed and the energy consumed from the whole plant and from each single machine have been compared in order to allow the discussion about possible actions to be taken in order to respect the maximum amount of energy supplied to the plant, value that often represents a primary economic constraints for the industrial plant management. Main limitations coming from the proposed work regard the missing of plant power and energy measurement and the level of approximation used to model the different machines energy consumption.

Modelling, simulation and evaluation of energy consumptions for a manufacturing production line

While carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) can reduce transportation energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle weight, the production of virgin carbon fibre (CF) itself is energy intensive. CFRP recycling and the reutilisation of the recovered CF have the potential to compensate for the high impact of virgin CF production due to low cost and to open up new composites markets – e.g., in the automotive sector. The aim of the research is to examine the life cycle environmental and financial implications of a fluidised bed process to recycle CFRP wastes and to identify potential markets for CFRP reuse in automotive applications. 

Firstly, process models of the fluidised bed carbon fibre recycling technologies are developed based on thermodynamic principles and established modelling techniques to quantify the heat and electricity requirements and predict the energy efficiency of a hypothetical commercial-scale plant. The energy model shows that the energy requirement of recycled CF production is generally less than 10% relative to virgin CF and results are robust across likely operating conditions. Further optimisation of the fluidised bed recycling process is needed to balance to the feed rate per unit bed area to minimise process energy use and potential implications for recycled CF properties. Opportunities exist for recovering stack heat loss which could further improve the energy efficiency of the fluidised bed process.

Secondly, process models for recycled CF processing (i.e., wet-papermaking/ fibre alignment) and subsequent CFRP manufacture (i.e., compression moulding/ injection moulding) technologies are developed to quantify the energy and material requirements of a hypothetical operating facility. Models are based on optimised parameters based on the best performance from previous experiments, where available, while target values are used for the fibre alignment technologies currently under development. 
Thirdly, the life cycle environmental implications of recovering carbon fibre and producing composite materials as substitutes for conventional materials (e.g., steel, aluminium, virgin CFRP) are assessed and proposed as lightweight materials in automotive applications, based on process models of the fluidised bed recycling process and remanufacturing processes or available life cycle assessment databases. Life cycle impact assessments demonstrate the environmental benefits of recycled CFRP compared with end-of-life treatment options (landfilling, incineration). Recycled CF components can achieve the lowest life cycle environmental impacts of all materials considered, although the actual impact is highly dependent on the design criteria of the specific components. Low production impacts associated with recycled carbon fibre components are observed relative to lightweight competitor materials (e.g., aluminium, virgin CFRP). Recycled CF components also have low in-use fuel consumption due to mass reduction and associated reduction in mass-induced fuel consumption. The results demonstrate the potential environmental viability of recycled CF materials.

Finally, financial analysis of carbon fibre recycling, processing, and use in recycled CFRP materials is undertaken to assess potential market opportunities in the automotive sector. Cost impacts of using recycled CF as a substitute for conventional materials are also assessed in the full life cycle, making use of data from energy and cost models, manufacturers and existing cost databases. Recovery of CF from CFRP wastes can be achieved at $5/kg and less across a wide range of process parameters. CFRP materials manufactured from recycled CF can offer cost savings and weight reductions relative to steel and competitor lightweight materials in some cases, but are dependent on the specific application and associated design constraints– e.g., the material design index - as this drives the weight reduction/in-use fuel consumption and material requirements. Fibre alignment could potentially improve financial performance by inducing larger vehicle in-use fuel cost savings associated with weight reductions. Further investigations to monetise environmental impacts show larger cost benefits for recycled CFRP materials in replacement of conventional steel and lightweight competitor materials.

Environmental and cost analysis of carbon fibre composites recycling

Industry is using more than 30% of the total energy consumed in industrialized countries and manufacturing is one of the most energy-intensive industrial activities. Because of the current global energy crisis, reducing energy consumption in manufacturing has become one of the top research priorities. This paper aims to review the existing technologies that directly improve the energy efficiency in manufacturing plant as well as identify future research opportunities. Four levels to study energy saving technologies are systems, process, equipment, and facility. Two industrial energy monitoring case studies are presented where idle energy is observed to contribute up to 63% of the total energy consumption.

Energy saving and monitoring technologies in manufacturing systems with industrial case studies

Sustainable economic development necessitates a careful design of the energy infrastructure. The energy infrastructure is primarily composed of energy producers on the supply side, the energy consumers on the demand side and the network which connects them. The increasing energy demand, the spiraling cost of capacity addition and the global climate change scenario have put the energy infrastructure under enormous pressure. Reducing the demand by leveraging energy efficiency techniques is a major viable option towards redesigning the energy infrastructure. Energy efficiency analysis provides a basis for developing a detailed trajectory towards reduced energy consumption and sustainability. We present results of energy efficiency analysis at the machine level in the manufacturing sector which is a major user of the energy infrastructure.

Machine level energy efficiency analysis in discrete manufacturing for a sustainable energy infrastructure

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Machine level energy efficiency analysis in discrete manufacturing for a sustainable energy infrastructure