Defining Near-Term to Long-Term Research Opportunities to Advance Metrics, Models, and Methods for Smart and...

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Sustainability Science
• Industrial Engineering

Background:

• Manufacturing performance historically focused on cost, quality, and efficiency.
• Smart manufacturing technologies enhance potential for sustainability improvements.
• Disparate development of operational and information technologies hinders progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify research needs for harmonizing manufacturing metrics, models, and methods.
• Define advanced manufacturing research and educational needs for sustainability.
• Enable smart and sustainable manufacturing through improved metrics and decision support.

Main Methods:

• Organized a workshop sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
• Included invited talks from academia and government labs.
• Facilitated brainstorming and reflection activities with participants.
• Conducted a review of recent literature in advanced manufacturing.

Main Results:

• Identified research needs for harmonizing disparate manufacturing metrics, models, and methods.
• Defined short-, mid-, and long-term research and educational needs for the advanced manufacturing community.
• Highlighted research opportunities across conventional, nanomanufacturing, and additive/hybrid manufacturing.

Conclusions:

• Accurate performance measures are crucial for pursuing sustainability objectives.
• Convergence of operational and information technologies is needed.
• Future research should focus on improved sustainability metrics, modeling, and decision support for smart manufacturing.