This study, conducted in collaboration with ENEA as part of a national project financed by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security on the topic of Energy Efficiency of Industrial Products and Processes (“Ricerca di Sistema PTR22-24”), focuses on the energy analysis of plastic injection moulding. The research is based on the evaluation of mandatory energy audits, as required by Legislative Decree 102/2014, for high-consumption companies. The primary objective is to develop a comprehensive set of energy performance indicators and an advanced monitoring dashboard to facilitate energy efficiency improvements in the industrial sector. Initially, an analysis of the production processes was conducted to establish the reference production process for the study. Subsequently, a three-level energy mapping was carried out, beginning with the identification of the energy vectors utilized and culminating in the definition of energy consumption at each stage. The primary energy vectors identified were electricity, natural gas, and diesel; among the production phases, injection moulding was determined to be the most energy-intensive. Subsequently, to support industrial energy management, a monitoring dashboard was developed to offer companies an intuitive interface to track and analyse their energy consumption. This tool allows the visualisation and monitoring of consumption, comparative analysis over different time periods, and an in-depth analysis of the moulding phase. In addition, the dashboard includes a ‘What-if?’ scenario analysis, which allows companies to simulate and evaluate potential energy efficiency measures prior to implementation. The goal of this research is to equip manufacturing companies with effective self-diagnosis tools, facilitating continuous energy performance improvements. By promoting a data-driven approach to energy management, this work contributes to enhancing the sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and competitiveness of the industrial sector while supporting broader efforts to reduce energy consumption.
Energy Efficiency Assessment and Monitoring in Plastic Injection Moulding: Development of a Decision-Support Dashboard
De Simone V.;Ferrara V.
;Iannone R.;Miranda S.
2025
Abstract
This study, conducted in collaboration with ENEA as part of a national project financed by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security on the topic of Energy Efficiency of Industrial Products and Processes (“Ricerca di Sistema PTR22-24”), focuses on the energy analysis of plastic injection moulding. The research is based on the evaluation of mandatory energy audits, as required by Legislative Decree 102/2014, for high-consumption companies. The primary objective is to develop a comprehensive set of energy performance indicators and an advanced monitoring dashboard to facilitate energy efficiency improvements in the industrial sector. Initially, an analysis of the production processes was conducted to establish the reference production process for the study. Subsequently, a three-level energy mapping was carried out, beginning with the identification of the energy vectors utilized and culminating in the definition of energy consumption at each stage. The primary energy vectors identified were electricity, natural gas, and diesel; among the production phases, injection moulding was determined to be the most energy-intensive. Subsequently, to support industrial energy management, a monitoring dashboard was developed to offer companies an intuitive interface to track and analyse their energy consumption. This tool allows the visualisation and monitoring of consumption, comparative analysis over different time periods, and an in-depth analysis of the moulding phase. In addition, the dashboard includes a ‘What-if?’ scenario analysis, which allows companies to simulate and evaluate potential energy efficiency measures prior to implementation. The goal of this research is to equip manufacturing companies with effective self-diagnosis tools, facilitating continuous energy performance improvements. By promoting a data-driven approach to energy management, this work contributes to enhancing the sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and competitiveness of the industrial sector while supporting broader efforts to reduce energy consumption.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
