Energy management in plastics processing — framework for measurement, assessment and prediction

Abstract

Energy management is a task of growing importance to plastics processors but there is no established structure for measurement, assessment and prediction. Many companies are trying to measure the wrong things in the wrong ways. They then wonder why they get the wrong answers! This paper describes and illustrates a framework for measurement, assessment and prediction that can be used for most plastics processing companies. It looks at both internal and external benchmarking, at site level and at machine level and how this information can provide real insights into how the site and the process are performing. More importantly, the paper looks at how this information can be used to improve both operations and performance.