A model for analyzing the consumption situation of product material resources in manufacturing systems

Manufacturing systems transfer useful resources (materials, energy, etc.) into industrial products or living products. On one hand, the systems create great wealth for mankind, but on the other hand, they consume a great amount of resources and discard a lot of waste, which usually causes environmental pollution. In order to minimize the consumption of product material resources, first there is a need to know the consumption situation of the resources. The product material resources’ consumption situation of manufacturing systems is extremely complex. So far, there is no valid way for systematically and quantitatively describing the situation. In this paper, based on a resource-classifying description and a flow model for the resources’ consumption situation of manufacturing systems, a model for analyzing the consumption situation of product material resources in manufacturing systems is put forward. Based on the model, a means of calculation of the total utilization rate and the classified utilization rate of the product material resources in manufacturing processes is presented. A case study and successful application of the above model shows that the model is practical.