Hierarchical Evaluation of Environmental Impacts from Manufacturing System and Machine Perspective

Methodsand tools for evaluating energy efficiency of machines and manufacturing lines have become available recently. These are e.g. manufacturing system simulation approaches and detailed machine performance simulation approaches. However, there is a lack of applicable tools for the evaluation of whole factory systems. The above mentioned simulation approaches can deliver valuable input for methods and tools for the environmental evaluation of entire factory systems. This paper presents a hierarchical approach and a case study for a synergetic combination of tools for simulating machine behavior and manufacturing line performance as well as for the calculation of Total Cost of Ownership and environmental impacts of factory systems.