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In this paper, a novel mechanistic model is proposed and validated for the consumption of energy in milling processes. The milling machine is considered as a thermodynamic system. Mechanisms of the significant energy conversion processes within the system are used to construct an explicit expression for the power consumption of the machine as a function of the cutting parameters. This model has been validated experimentally and is shown to be significantly more accurate than popular existing models. A simplified form of the model is also proposed that provides a balance between complexity and accuracy. The novelty of the model is that it maps the flow of energy within a machine tool, based solely on the active mechanisms of energy conversion. As a result, only limited assumptions are made in the model, resulting in an error of less than one percent, verified by experiments. This accurate model can be used to substantially reduce energy consumption in milling processes at machine and factory levels leading to massive cost savings and reduction of environmental impact of numerous industries. The generality of the modelling method makes it applicable to other types of machine tools with minimal adjustments.

The adoption of transdisciplinary capabilities within UK manufacturing could strengthen resilience in response to system disruptions. We propose a Disciplinary Maturity Grid (DMG) as a means through which industry can assess the disciplinarity of their engineering capability. The design of methods to assess maturity of disciplinary working is hindered by a lack of empirical evidence to support identification of the important dimensions. A workshop involving twelve academic experts was used to create a maturity grid. Workshop tasks focussed on defining the appropriate number of maturity levels, the dimensions of those levels, and the maturity assessment questions. The DMG contains five maturity levels and seven dimensions, providing a preliminary design from which to build in future studies.

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