Several strategies in the areas of process planning, machine design, and machine operation exist to develop green machine tools. Before exploring different solutions, a life-cycle energy analysis is first presented to guide subsequent investigation. The results of this analysis provide a range of the environmental impact of the use of machine tools in different types of manufacturing facilities. One strategy explored energy consumption reduction by process parameter selection. The specific energy of the NV1500 DCG was characterized to estimate the environmental burden of the manufacture of a standard part under various cutting conditions. Finally, we present a software solution to implement green machining strategies to aid process planning. This software is a “dashboard” program that estimates environmental impact for a given NC program.

Microfluidic devices are gaining popularity in a variety of applications, ranging from molecular biology to bio-defense. However, the widespread adoption of this technology is constrained by the lack of efficient and cost-effective manufacturing processes. This paper focuses on the roller imprinting process, which is being developed to rapidly and inexpensively fabricate micro-fluidic devices. In this process, a cylindrical roll with raised features on its surface creates imprints by rolling over a fixed workpiece substrate and mechanically deforming it. Roller imprinting aims to replace processes that were developed for laboratory scale prototyping which tend to not be scalable and have high equipment requirements and overheads. We discuss the limitations of PDMS soft lithography in large-scale manufacture of microfluidic devices. We also discuss the design, fabrication, and testing of a simple roller imprinting device. This imprinter has been developed based on the principles of precision machine design and is implemented using a three-axis machine tool for actuation and position measurement. A framework for the micromachining of precision imprint rolls is also presented.

Interoperability standards, which provide standardized communication and information exchange between machine tools and components, are necessary to bring together the many advances of the manufacturing community and fully address the challenges facing industry. Such a comprehensive approach is necessary due to the growing complexity in manufacturing and the shrinking time scale of manufacturing decision-making. In this paper we discuss the benefits of interoperability in different aspects of manufacturing research including process monitoring, CAD/CAM/CAPP, and flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing systems, as well as the advantages of interoperable systems in fulfilling the growth of sustainability and environmental requirements in manufacturing.

A life-cycle energy consumption analysis of a Bridgeport manual mill and a Mori Seiki DuraVertical 5060 has been conducted. The use phase incorporated three manufacturing environments: a community shop, a job shop, and a commercial facility. The CO2-equivalent emissions were presented per machined part. While the use phase comprised the majority of the overall emissions, the manufacturing phase emissions were significant especially for the job shop, which is not as efficient as the other facilities due to its inherent need for flexibility. Since the Mori Seiki is heavier, the manufacturing phase of this machine tool had a greater impact on emissions than the Bridgeport. Transportation was small relative to the use phase, which was dominated by cutting, HVAC, and lighting. These results highlight areas for energy reductions in machine tool design as well as the importance of facility type to the manufacture of any product.