Sustainability and flexibility are crucial aspects in todays' manufacturing processes. Within this study an innovative approach of modular machine tool frames (MMTF) equipped with micro system technology is presented that aims at enhancing flexibility of mutable production processes. This new approach extends the existing reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS). MMTF goes beyond the platform approach via minimizing the machine tool frame parts used for the building block system of manufacturing cells. The concept has been realized by integration of modularized microelectronics and actuators enabling for integrity and accuracy of the machine tool frame. In this contribution, sustainable hotspots for the production of the MMTF are identified via a tiered life cycle sustainability assessment. From these findings, new approaches are derived that provide for a reasonable usage of mechanical and electronic components in MMTF for sustainable value creation.

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The manufacturing industry contributes over 19% to the world's greenhouse gas emissions (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2008, “Rep: Annual Energy Review 2008,” Report No. DOE/EIA-0384; Diaz et al., 2010, “Environmental Analysis of Milling Machine Tool Use in Various Manufacturing Environments,” 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology.) and 31% of the total energy consumed annually in the U.S. (Herzog, T., 2005, “World Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2005,” World Resources Institute, Washington, DC 2; Diaz et al., 2010, “Environmental Analysis of Milling Machine Tool Use in Various Manufacturing Environments,” 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology.). There is therefore an increasing demand for sustainable solutions for the production technology industry. At the Technische Universitat (TU) Berlin, Germany, a collaborative research center (CRC) is focusing on new solutions for the sustainable machining of high performance alloys, with developments from machine tool frames to cutting tool technology being undertaken. An innovative machine tool concept with a modular frame, which allows a high level of flexibility, has been developed. Furthermore, add-on upgrading systems for older machine tools, which are particularly relevant for developing countries, have been developed. These systems allow the accuracy of outdated machine tools to be increased, thus making the machine tools comparable to modern systems. Finally the cutting process also requires solutions for dry machining, as the use of cooling lubricant is environmentally damaging and a significant cost contributor in machining processes. Two solutions are being developed at the TU Berlin: an internally cooled cutting tool and a heating concept for ceramic tools to allow dry machining of high temperature alloys, for example, for the aerospace industry.

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Cutting machine tools have a significant impact on manufacturing and sustainability. There exist a large number of outdated cutting machine tools especially in developing and emerging countries which are still taking a considerable share in global value creation. Furthermore, an increasing trend in field of reuse, retrofitting and upgrading can be observed. For Life-Cycle-Assessment and analyses of end-of-life behavior of such machine tools in context of sustainability, reliable values for energy consumption and machining efficiency under realistic machining conditions are indispensable. In the present paper the energy consumption and machining efficiency of an exemplary outdated milling machine have been measured and analyzed under consideration of different influences such as process parameter, machining material and ratio of prim time to secondary time. Additionally a comparison between a newer and the outdated milling machine has been carried out in order to identify and quantify possible improvement potentials of outdated machine tool concerning energy consumption and machining efficiency. Based on obtained results more accurate and realistic decision can be made by enterprises who aim to promote sustainable manufacturing.