Ecological and Economic Assessment of Resource Use - Industry 4.0 retrofit measures on machine tools

Retrofitting instead of buying new

Modern production systems are needed to make production in the manufacturing industry fit for Industry 4.0. However, it is not always necessary to buy new machines to switch to Industry 4.0. Existing systems or other equipment can also be integrated into a networked production environment by upgrading or retrofitting sensors and communication interfaces. The results of this so-called retrofit can include an extension of the service life of the production system, an increase in production volume or a reduction in production-related environmental impacts.

This study focusses on machine tool retrofits in machining production. A retrofit of systems can be carried out on the basis of various approaches. For the economic-ecological evaluation of retrofitting as a modernisation option for existing systems, a test scenario for the external cylindrical grinding of a bearing ring was implemented as part of the study and the consumption of natural resources such as energy, raw materials, water and soil over the entire life cycle of a machine tool was taken into account. The focus here was on a software and hardware solution that was as easy to implement and cost-effective as possible in order to cover a wide range of applications, particularly in the environment of small and medium-sized companies in the manufacturing industry.