Sustainability in Manufacturing

The world population is constantly increasing, it is a concern as natural resources are limited and economic imbalances are going higher. Given the situation, it is required to promote sustainabilitySustainability to ensure resource conservation for coming generations. ManufacturingManufacturing accounts for the largest energy consumption and making the manufacturing processes sustainable can lead to great results. Sustainability has three verticals, i.e., Environmental, Economical, and Social. Manufacturers should focus on all three verticals to announce themselves as sustainabilitySustainability adopters, in fact, most of them are trying to follow sustainability norms in their practices, but the practices lack structuredness. Recent surveys show that millennials are willing to pay extra for sustainable products. This acts as motivation for makers to focus on sustainability and promote it through their products and campaigns. The main challenge in this process is how to measure the sustainability index along with finding gaps in their activities. The next challenge is how to improve sustainabilitySustainability and maintain transparency in documenting those. Data is the new oil. It is trivial for any technologyTechnology adoption. Industry 4.0 techniquesIndustry 4.0 exactly enable the same, it starts with acquiring data and ends with useful recommendations. In recent times, emerging technologies are being adopted across industries to make a positive difference in their operations. TechnologiesTechnology like internet of things, data science, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and cyber security can reduce uncertainties and improve efficiency. This chapter focuses on measuring sustainability and technology’s role in ensuring sustainabilitySustainability in manufacturing, it throws light on Industry 4.0 automation techniques and how data can be leveraged to make a difference in manufacturingManufacturing.