Toward Cleaner Production by Evaluating Opportunities of Saving Energy in a Short-Cycle Time Flowshop

Abstract

Energy efficiency is a critical component in cleaner production, and evaluating the opportunities for saving energy could improve energy efficiency by reducing electricity consumption and increasing competitiveness. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine different scenarios that can lead to better energy efficiency in a short-cycle time flowshop, which is performed with the aid of digital manufacturing software. It has been widely acknowledged in the literature that changing the energy state of machines in short-cycle time flowshop manufacturing is impossible due to the high production volume, which requires the machines to operate full time. We used computational simulation, via digital manufacturing software, to examine the potential for improvements in energy indicators through various scenarios. The scenarios were built using energy and manufacturing data from a real system. The main contribution is in showing that, by controlling the buffers’ occupation, the feeding systems of the machines and planned introduction stop. In addition, it is possible to consider new energy states for the machines and, consequently, enhance the energy, as well as the sustainability, indicators in this type of manufacturing process.