Automation Technologies for Sustainable Production [TC Spotlight]

Sustainability has become a major component of competition among manufacturers worldwide. Approximately one-third of the energy consumed in the United States is used for manufacturing. Sustainable production is the top concern for manufacturers and consumers because generating greenhouse gases and harmful emissions and disposing of waste generated during the manufacturing processes could pollute the environment. Therefore, production system design, analysis, and control play key roles in providing cleaner energy and reducing emissions, waste, and pollution, as well as minimizing the impact of climate change and conserving natural resources and energy during the product’s entire life cycle. Therefore, sustainable production automation (SPA), which involves designing, structuring, and engineering operations and products, is a significant part of manufacturing. The technical committee (TC) on SPA promotes the idea of developing innovative algorithms, models, heuristics, hardware, and software in broad areas.