From Production Data to Resource Efficiency: A Case Study on Machining Operations

Paper in proceeding, 2026

As the manufacturing industry moves towards responsible consumption and production, manufacturers are intensifying their focus on enhancing resource efficiency. While resource efficiency in manufacturing is understood conceptually, measuring and managing it is challenging in practice. Though many factories are data-rich, it is often difficult to use data effectively in assessing resource efficiency. With the aim of demonstrating production data's key role in resource efficiency, this study presents an approach for evaluating resource efficiency using readily available production data through a use case of lubricant usage on machining operations. The machining equipment were grouped into four categories based on their lubricant consumption and running time in the results. Results also found significant variations across identical machines. The identification of hotspots and role models, as well as the quantified lubricant efficiency gaps, can be translated into improvement actions, which positively impact sustainability practices in the company's daily operations. Future work will focus on diving deeper into the analysis of individual machines and extending the approach to other resource flows. This research supports an effective application of research-based methods for resource efficiency assessment in industry, encouraging the usage of available production data for more resource-efficient manufacturing.