Energy Efficiency as Decision Criterion for the Purchase of Machine Tools

Over the last two decades, themes such as resource scarcity, environmental pollution and rising commodity prices have gained increasing importance in the design of automotive industry production processes. As a result, the pressure on car manufacturers to plan their production facilities according to energy efficiency criteria is constantly rising. At present, machine tool suppliers still provide insufficient data to support purchasing decisions based on energy efficiency aspects. A case study conducted with Daimler AG explores a car manufacturer’s specific information requirements with respect to energy efficiency. Furthermore, an approach for the integration of energy data in the product data sheets of machine tool suppliers is presented.