Electrical energy and material efficiency analysis of machining, additive and hybrid manufacturing

The manufacturing sector consumes a significant amount of energy and their outputs, like solid and gaseous waste streams, can result in substantial stress on the environment. This paper aims to analyze and compare the electrical energy and material efficiency of machining, additive and hybrid manufacturing. The analysis of the manufacturing processes is based on machine tool data from a sample process. To get a generalized statement about the energy consumption of the investigated processes the electrical energy demand was extrapolated as a function of the material removal ratio. The results indicate that hybrid manufacturing becomes beneficial from an environmental point of view compared to milling, when the material removal ratio exceeds 55%. The electrical break-even point for selective laser melting is approximated to 82% material removal ratio from data extrapolation. Subsequently, opportunities for electrical energy and material efficiency improvements are presented for these technologies to gain an understanding of how each can contribute to a more sustainable manufacturing landscape. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.