Material efficiency and the optimization of processes are relevant for companies from both an economic and an ecological point of view. However, due to a lack of information on operating data and a lack of knowledge of production systems, many potentials remain untapped.

The Institute for Environmental Informatics (Institut für Umweltinformatik Hamburg GmbH, ifu) and the University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW) are therefore looking for solutions that facilitate, standardize and systematize data acquisition and interpretation. First, the project partners developed an app to record the operating states of machines, substance concentrations or inventories on a mobile device. In this way, manufacturing processes can be analyzed individually and specific measures for increasing efficiency can be derived.

The current further development of the project in cooperation with the Rhein-Neckar Environmental Competence Centre (Umweltkompetenzzentrum Rhein-Neckar, UKOM) supplements the consideration of material flows with a monetary assessment of the savings potential. Thus, a material flow cost accounting (MFCA) with actual operational data that can be recorded at the point of origin becomes possible. The central idea is to use such modeling and simulation tools to reduce material losses in operational production and to lower the "entry hurdles" of data acquisition.

Project implementation:
ifu Institut für Umweltinformatik Hamburg GmbH
Max-Brauer-Allee 50
22765 Hamburg
+49 40 480009-15
www.ifu.com

AZ 33928