WITNESS Modelling of Energy Use in the Ceramic Tile Industry

Every week at the moment I seem to find a new paper on Simulation referring to WITNESS. The latest one to cross my path is one presented at the 8th International Conference on Manufacturing Research held in September 2010 at Durham University in the UK.

The paper concerns the effect of Production Scheduling changes on Energy consumption in a manufacturing process. Presented by Professor David Zhang and Richard de Salis of Exeter University the paper records the first steps in working with a ceramic tile manufacturer to predict energy use and to aim at greater efficiencies. The high levels of thermal energy used in the multiple firing phases are costly and the modelling with WITNESS described in the paper shows that better schedules leads to less energy use. Another interesting point is that every waste or scrapped tile not only wastes the materials but the energy that was used to create it!! 

There are many interesting factors in the modelling – cooling – requiring re-heating, weather conditions – e.g humidity affecting amount of gas used, and more. I shall be watching the next developments planned with interest. If anyone is interested in this work then do let me know for extra information.