Target-oriented analysis of resource consumption in manufacturing process chains

Nowadays, manufacturing companies have to view their resource consumption as a cost driver in order to identify efficient and economical processes. Methodologies for investigating, assessing and comparing process chains are vital in order to gain an accurate insight into cost drivers over the course of the entire process chain [1]. Scrutiny of this nature enables cost drivers to be identified via the parameters process time, machine and staff costs in addition to costs related to energy, material and consumables. A review of the usage phase permits elevated costs during manufacture to be justified by reduced costs during operation. The allocation of costs to resources within individual cost-driving process steps ensures target-oriented derivation of improvement measures. The methodology has been designed to serve as basis for production planning, for example, with regard to (energy and resource) efficiency and applied to low-pressure turbine blades made of nickel-base alloys and titanium aluminide. A dedicated analysis of process chain costs provides an insight into the development of individual production costs. This information forms a basis on which to make decisions regarding output quantity or the most appropriate time for investment in new machines. In conjunction with the process chain comparison, this serves as a basis for the integration of the results obtained into a data base which allows the user to select a goal-oriented process chain selection. The data base can provide information regarding the organization of production chains in order to ensure that the product is manufactured accordingly to reduce resources, energy consumption, process times or overall costs.