Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing and Carbon Life Cycle Assessment

Administrative Details and Assessment Components

• Session Context: This town hall is a multidisciplinary learning experience conducted from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, focusing on advanced manufacturing and sustainability.

• Total Grade Contribution: Today's session and the associated workshop are compulsory and contribute to $10\%$ of the final marks.

• Assessment Breakdown:

  • OJT 1 (On the Job Training 1) ($5\%$): Industry certification which can be earned through the OMRON e-certificate, AI manufacturing training, or alternative training provided by a subject leader.

  • OJT 2 (On the Job Training 2) ($5\%$): Skills training involving robotics operations and a programming workshop (face-to-face) or domain-specific training from a subject leader.

• Town Hall Quiz:

  • Timing: Administered in Week 5.

  • Format: $10$ Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ).

  • Regulations: Closed book, single attempt, $15$-minute duration.

  • Material: All questions are derived directly from this town hall session.

• Attendance Policy:

  • Attendance is recorded via QR codes and MS Teams tracking.

  • Absence with a valid reason: The student is allowed to take the quiz for full marks.

  • Absence without official leave (AWOL): The student is allowed to take the quiz, but their marks will be capped/cut by $50\%$. For example, a full mark of $10\%$ would be reduced to $5\%$.

Overview of the Manufacturing Sector in Singapore

• Economic Contribution: Manufacturing is a vital economic pillar, contributing approximately $20\%$ of Singapore's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

• Growth Targets: To maintain its share of the economy, the manufacturing sector must grow by $50\%$ over the next five to ten years.

• Frontier Investment: The goal is to attract investments that create new opportunities in technology and job roles, shifting away from "sunset industries."

• Misperceptions in Manufacturing:

  • "Dirty Workplace": Modern advanced manufacturing centers (like TPAMC) are clean, high-tech environments rather than manual-labor-intensive factories.

  • Relevance: Manufacturing is not just for engineering; it requires specialists from IT (for infrastructure and AI) and Business (for procurement, logistics, and sales).

• The T-Shaped Profile: Career sustainability over a 40–50 year span requires a T-shaped skill set:

  • Vertical Bar: Specialization in one domain (e.g., logistics, robotics, engineering).

  • Horizontal Bar: Cross-sectional digital skills (e.g., data analytics, programming, workplace digital literacy).

• Convergence and Integration: Advanced manufacturing relies on the convergence of three pillars:

  • IT (Information Technology): Data and networking infrastructure.

  • OT (Operation Technology): The physical machinery and automation systems.

  • Enterprise: Business functions such as inventory control and procurement.

Advanced Manufacturing Principles and Technology

• Historical vs. Modern Model:

  • Traditional: High volume, low mix (millions of identical products).

  • Modern (Industry 4.0): High mix, low volume (HMLV). This involves personalized products (e.g., different designs for left and right shoes) produced on the same line.

• Autonomous Operation: Machines are no longer strictly programmed in sequences. They use injected intelligence to recognize materials and adjust operations autonomously.

• Human-Robot Interaction: Robots perform repetitive, non-complex tasks (picking, placing, screwing). Human roles shift toward monitoring at the "Nerve Center," using dashboards and tablets, configuring code, and managing AI-powered surveillance.

• TP Advanced Manufacturing Center (TPAMC):

  • Established in 2021.

  • Provides a live "end-to-end" smart factory model.

  • Equipped with a Nerve Center, production shop floor, and intra-logistics automation system.

  • Features include cyber-physical systems, Industrial IoT, and Augmented Reality (AR).

• Case Study: Production Versatility:

  • The same production line at TPAMC can manufacture six different products.

  • Example 1: Top Slide: Involves a robot picking a specific color, laser engraving (e.g., a personalized name), and sending it to a smart warehouse.

  • Example 2: Limit Switch: A cellular engineering component produced on the same equipment.

Carbon Footprint and Equivalent Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2e$)

• Definition: A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an activity, product, or person.

• Greenhouse Gases (GHG): There are seven primary gases, including Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$), Methane ($CH_4$), and Nitrous Oxide ($N_2O$).

• The Concept of $CO_2e$ (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent): To simplify measurement, all gases are converted into an equivalent amount of $CO_2$ based on their Global Warming Potential (GWP).

• Global Warming Potential (GWP) Examples:

  • Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$): Reference unit ($1$).

  • Methane ($CH_4$): Approximately $25$ times more potent than $CO_2$.

  • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): Used in refrigerants; approximately $12,400$ times more potent than $CO_2$.

  • Sulfur Hexafluoride ($SF_6$): Used in electrical transformers/circuit breakers; approximately $23,500$ times more potent than $CO_2$.

• Emission Statistics:

  • Average Singaporean: Emits $8\,tons\,CO_2e/year$ (high due to imported energy and food transport).

  • Global Average: Emits $4.5\,tons\,CO_2e/year$.

• Singapore's Primary Emission Source: Electricity and heating contribute the most, as Singapore relies on imported natural gas and petrol.

Carbon Calculation and Emission Factors

• General Formula:     $\text{Emission} = \text{Activity Data} \times \text{Emission Factor}$

• Singapore Emission Factors Registry (SEFR): The government database used to retrieve specific emission factors for local activities.

• Transport Mode Comparison (Emission Factors in kg $CO_2e$):

  • Train (MRT): $0.01$

  • Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Car: $0.17$

  • Hybrid Car: $0.13$

• Calculation Scenario: A person travels $10\,km$ by car with an emission factor of $0.17\,kg/km$:     $\text{Total Emission} = 10\,km \times 0.17\,kg\,CO_2e/km = 1.7\,kg\,CO_2e$

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

• Definition: A methodology to evaluate the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life, from raw material extraction to disposal.

• Five Phases of LCA:

  1. Extraction of Raw Materials: Collecting materials (e.g., planting cotton, extracting minerals).

  2. Manufacturing: Factory processing (weaving, spinning, using electricity/chemicals).

  3. Transportation/Distribution: Moving goods from factory to warehouse to retail.

  4. Usage: The consumer using the product (e.g., washing a T-shirt, which accounts for $60\%$ of its water impact).

  5. Disposal/Waste Management: Landfill or recycling.

• LCA Boundaries:

  • Cradle-to-Grave: From raw materials to final disposal.

  • Cradle-to-Cradle: Includes a recycling loop where disposal feeds back into raw materials.

  • Cradle-to-Gate: From raw materials to the point the product leaves the factory.

  • Gate-to-Gate: Focuses on only one specific phase (e.g., just manufacturing).

• Impact Categories (TRACI and ReCiPe models):

  • Resource depletion (fossil fuels, minerals).

  • Ecosystem health (acid rain, climate change, water eutrophication).

  • Human health (toxicity, carcinogens, smog).

• Commercial LCA Software: SimaPro, GaBi (Thinkstep), OpenLCA (GreenDelta).

• Web-based/Streamlined Tools: Sustainable Minds (free version), SolidWorks (engineering integrated).

Sustainable Decision Making and Industry Goals

• Hotspot Identification: LCA helps find the "culprit" of emissions. In 3D printing, for example, electricity consumption is the primary hotspot.

• Avoiding Burden Shifting: Ensuring that fixing one environmental problem (e.g., avoiding landfills by burning waste) doesn't create a worse problem (e.g., increased smog).

• Material Selection Comparison:

  • Plastic Bottles: Low production energy, lightweight transport, but very low recyclability.

  • Aluminum Bottles: High production energy, heavier transport, but very high recyclability.

• Singapore Net Zero Goal: These sustainability efforts support Singapore's target of achieving Net Zero emissions by $2050$.

Questions & Discussion

• Q: Where do most carbon emissions come from in Singapore?

• A: Primarily electricity and heating. Though many believe it is transport, Singapore’s high reliance on efficient public transport (MRT/Buses) and high COE costs for cars keep transport emissions relatively lower compared to industrial and domestic energy needs.

• Q: What happens if I have trouble with the QR code for attendance?

• A: The staff are also downloading attendance data from the MS Teams meeting roster to ensure no student is unfairly penalized for technical errors.