Influence of Material and Injection Molding Machine's Selection on the Electricity Consumption and Environmental Impact of the Injection Molding Process: An Experimental Approach

摘要

Reducing energy consumption is an important issue for green manufacturing. In this paper, the specific energy consumption (SEC) of the injection molding process is analyzed. Results showed significant variations depending on the injected thermoplastic material and the type of injection molding machine (IMM) suggesting that IMM selection has a high relevance for the efficiency, cost and environmental impact of the process. The manufacturing of 36 plastic parts has been characterized by measuring the electricity consumption and obtaining the environmental impact, being this consumption its most important factor. A descending tendency for both is observed when high throughputs are obtained because the size of the IMM is more optimized. Conversely, the savings obtained by the all-electric IMMs are significant. This research could help engineers to properly select an IMM by taking into account the part weight, material and environmental criteria. Also, this study will be useful for life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners. Real consumption data is presented, providing details about the materials, and relationships with the IMM that was used. The high variability suggests that if the injection molding process is relevant in a LCA study, its consumption must be analyzed in depth, preferably by measuring real consumptions in the factory.