Energy consumption is of great interest to manufacturing companies. Beyond considering individual processes and machines, the perspective on process chains and factories as a whole holds major potentials for energy efficiency improvements. To exploit these potentials, dynamic interactions of different processes as well as auxiliary equipment (e.g. compressed air generation) need to be taken into account. In addition, planning and controlling manufacturing systems require balancing technical, economic and environmental objectives. Therefore, an innovative and comprehensive methodology - with a generic energy flow-oriented manufacturing simulation environment as a core element - is developed and embedded into a step-by-step application cycle. The concept is applied in its entirety to a wide range of case studies such as aluminium die casting, weaving mills, and printed circuit board assembly in order to demonstrate the broad applicability and the benefits that can be achieved.

This edited monograph presents a selection of research contributions on eco-factories of the future. The topical focus lies on cutting-edge solutions from academia and industry that enable and support companies in their efforts towards sustainable manufacturing. The authors provide an overview over recent developments, aiming at a comprehensive understanding of eco- and cost-efficient manufacturing from machine to factory level. The solutions contributed by leading research institutions and companies have been mostly implemented and evaluated in industrial pilot projects across Europe. The methodological approaches cover topics such as factory planning, manufacturing simulation, energy management as well as life cycle evaluation. The target audience comprises industry experts and decision makers as well as researchers in the field of sustainable manufacturing.

Energy consumption is of great interest to manufacturing companies. Beyond considering individual processes and machines, the perspective on process chains and factories as a whole holds major potentials for energy efficiency improvements. To exploit these potentials, dynamic interactions of different processes as well as auxiliary equipment (e.g. compressed air generation) need to be taken into account. In addition, planning and controlling manufacturing systems require balancing technical, economic and environmental objectives. Therefore, an innovative and comprehensive methodology - with a generic energy flow-oriented manufacturing simulation environment as a core element - is developed and embedded into a step-by-step application cycle. The concept is applied in its entirety to a wide range of case studies such as aluminium die casting, weaving mills, and printed circuit board assembly in order to demonstrate the broad applicability and the benefits that can be achieved.

This edited monograph presents a selection of research contributions on eco-factories of the future. The topical focus lies on cutting-edge solutions from academia and industry that enable and support companies in their efforts towards sustainable manufacturing. The authors provide an overview over recent developments, aiming at a comprehensive understanding of eco- and cost-efficient manufacturing from machine to factory level. The solutions contributed by leading research institutions and companies have been mostly implemented and evaluated in industrial pilot projects across Europe. The methodological approaches cover topics such as factory planning, manufacturing simulation, energy management as well as life cycle evaluation. The target audience comprises industry experts and decision makers as well as researchers in the field of sustainable manufacturing.