Eco-efficient and highly productive machine tools by means of an holistic eco-design approach

Machinery manufacturers are facing the challenge of designing machine tools that are productive, accurate and reliable and that at the same time consume the least possible amount of material and energy resources. In view of this, this paper presents a multidisciplinary methodology for designing milling machines that achieve a high level of productivity while at the same time ensuring high machining quality and less energy consumption during their use phase. Following this methodology, an eco-productive milling machine has been designed and manufactured which, combining different technologies (light materials, active vibration damping system etc.), has managed to reduce the inertias involved in servo-drives by over 50%, with a corresponding reduction in energy consumption, whereas the productivity of the machine - measured in terms of metal removal rate- has been increased by 100% in such a way that productivity and eco-efficiency have been combined in a single machine: the eco-productive milling machine.