As more manufacturers develop sustainability goals, there needs to be a cost-effective way to measure progress. To this end, manufacturing engineers can use existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to track and report their carbon footprints.
Carbon emissions are denoted as a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e)—i.e., the weight of CO₂ emissions with the same global warming potential as other greenhouse gases of an equal weight. Dozens of items make up a manufacturer’s carbon footprint—from electricity to raw materials and supply chain components to distribution. Fortunately, you can find the CO₂e content of most materials or activities on the internet. For instance, an average kilowatt of electricity produced in the United States creates 0.85 lbs (0.38 kg) of CO₂e.
Two primary methods for calculating a carbon footprint are the spend- and activity-based methods for reporting product-level carbon information to upstream customers (for “Scope 3” emissions tracking).
To calculate a carbon footprint using spend-based accounting, first identify various purchasing costs. Typically, a company’s top 3-4 purchasing categories are also the top contributors to its carbon footprint.
Next, estimate your baseline carbon footprint. For example:
Electricity: 5M Kilowatts x .8 lbs. CO₂e /KWH = 4M lbs (1.81M kg) CO₂e
A company’s ERP system is an excellent source for the spend data on significant carbon footprint-related items, which can be converted into total CO₂e by applying the appropriate emission factors.
Activity-based carbon accounting calculates carbon footprint per unit of production. This method relies upon an ERP system’s bill of manufacturing (BOM) and production reporting functions to calculate item-level carbon footprint.
First, create carbon-related inventory items in the company’s inventory item master, with the cost of the item representing the carbon emission per unit of measure. Energy content per item can be estimated by taking the operation’s entire energy costs and dividing that total footprint by the number of work center operating hours to derive an average CO₂e per operating hour. Note that ascribing energy costs to production hours also takes into account the costs of lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and auxiliary equipment.
Next, augment the BOM with the carbon inventory items and their respective consumption per finished good unit. Carbon impacts are readily determined in that the BOMs already contain the material quantities and run times necessary to calculate the carbon content.
Using these methods, carbon cost per item can be automatically calculated by an ERP system’s costing and inventory control systems. And, just like any other inventory item, carbon costs can be reported on by item, customer or category. They can even be printed directly on shipping labels and documentation (see image).
By treating the carbon footprint of manufacturing activities just like any other business expense, and using ERP and manufacturing operations systems to measure their cost, the recording of environmental impact becomes routine and efficient.
More than 80% of manufacturing companies plan to increase spending on artificial intelligence (AI) in the next 18 months, according to a survey conducted by San Ramon, Calif.-based Rootstock Software. Nearly a quarter of the respondents are planning substantial increases, which Rootstock lists as between 26% and 50%.
Manufacturers have long needed tools capable of rapidly transforming operational, supply chain and production processes, Rootstock says, adding that these are the same areas where AI can drive significant value. As manufacturers seek to take advantage of AI, they’ll need to have the proper digital infrastructure and a keen understanding of how the technology is likely to impact their workforce, asserts Rootstock, a leader in cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology.
The survey queried executives at 350 manufacturers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. More than 70% of respondents indicated they have implemented some form of AI into their operations. Automation software is the most used type of AI at this stage (60%), though manufacturers are exploring other types, including predictive AI (37%) and generative AI (35%).
Other findings include:
“We are witnessing the dawn of a new era powered by AI, and manufacturers are eagerly embracing these tools as they’ve seen its potential to unlock powerful data insights across critical functions such as inventory, production planning, supplier collaboration and more,” said Raj Badarinath, chief product and marketing officer at Rootstock Software. “While AI is not a new concept in the industry, we’re still just scratching the surface of what is possible. As our survey indicates, manufacturers need a solid ERP foundation in place to successfully leverage AI-powered tools.”
ABB Robotics is expanding its industrial SCARA robot portfolio with the addition of the IRB 930. Capable of handling up to 22 kg, the robot is designed to meet the demands of growth opportunities in traditional and new markets, according to the company.
Engineered for fast point-to-point tasks that demand high payloads and large work areas, the IRB 930 has three variants capable of providing the highest payload of any SCARA robot in its class. In addition, the 22-kg variant delivers a 10% increase in throughput by handling more and heavier workpieces at once.
ABB says the IRB 930 also provides a 200% increase in stronger push-down strength (with a maximum downward force of 250N), making it well-suited for force-intensive operations such as screw-driving and assembly tasks required when working with components such as battery cells, display panels and solar modules.
The IRB 930 will be powered by ABB’s OmniCore controller, which is said to provide best-in-class motion control through TrueMove and QuickMove alongside built-in digital connectivity and scalable functions. The motion control delivers a cycle time of 0.38 seconds, with a repeatability deviation position of only 0.01 mm. This performance empowers the IRB 930 to enhance hourly production rates while upholding high-quality manufacturing standards.
The new IRB 930, along with the IRB 910INV, IRB 920 and IRB 920T, completes ABB’s range of SCARA robots for customers with a 3 kg to 22 kg payload requirement. These high-performance SCARA robots are designed for use in various industries, such as packaging and manufacturing where high speed and high repeatability pick-and-place and assembly operations are required.
“Our latest SCARA addition broadens our portfolio, offering our customers even more automation choices,” Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, said in a statement. “Whether 3C, automotive electronics, electric vehicle battery cells or solar panels, our new IRB 930’s higher payload and longer reach brings the performance advantages of our wider SCARA range to new and traditional segments alike. With the global SCARA market predicted to grow to $15.54 billion by 20271 at a compound annual growth rate of 14.4%, the IRB 930 positions ABB well for growth.”
Emerson Electric Co., Marshalltown, Iowa, has introduced the Fisher FIELDVUE 4400 position transmitter for use in critical isolation valve applications, including chemical reactor feed shutdown, pressure swing absorption, mineral pressure oxidation isolation, steam generator shutdown and others.
Isolation valves are typically outfitted with open and closed limit switches that provide valve position feedback. But the on/off nature of the switches limits the ability to diagnose valve performance, so a degrading valve will go unnoticed until it fails outright, Emerson says, noting that such a failure can have serious process implications and safety risks.
HART-enabled FIELDVUE 4400 valve position transmitters provide a cost-effective solution, according to the company. The transmitter is easy to calibrate and features a linkage-less design. As compared to limit switches, it provides much higher reliability, along with valve diagnostics and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 2 capabilities—the latter often required in critical isolation valve applications. The position transmitter also includes limit switch outputs, so it can be retrofitted into an existing on/off switch circuit, while taking advantage of the valve position information.
The position transmitter offers an inherent advantage over limit switches since it provides a continuous position indication throughout the valve stroke to a host, such as a distributed control or an asset management system, via HART. If a valve is failing to reach end-of-stroke or hanging/sticking during transition, this is immediately apparent from the position signal. Also, a failure of the transmitter itself is instantly detected as the continuous signal is lost, so it can be flagged for repair.
Mitsubishi Electric will showcase its FLEXConnect advanced vehicle cockpit system at CES in Las Vegas (Jan. 7-12).
Boasting advanced safety features, an intuitive interface and enhanced sensory feedback, FLEXConnect will “revolutionize” the way drivers interact with vehicles, according to the supplier.
Other features include:
Mitsubishi Electric says the collaboration with BlackBerry IVY, an edge-to-cloud vehicle data platform, enhances road safety by leveraging an array of sensor data to anticipate safety risks, reduce driver distractions, highlight potential hazards and enable new user experiences.
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