Systems and methods to enhance machine designs and production rate schedules for minimized energy cost

A method, comprising:

• receiving, via a processor, one or more inputs comprising a motion profile of a machine in an industrial application, a mechanical design of the machine, time-of-day energy costs, tiered energy costs, a desired number of parts to be produced by the machine, a production time window, or some combination thereof;
• generating, via the processor, a plurality of axis solutions for one or more actuators, drives, load transmission components, or some combination thereof, using a model of the machine based on at least a subset of the one or more inputs;
• generating, via the processor, an enhanced production rate schedule that comprises a schedule of production rates that produce a lowest energy cost for the production time window while enabling the desired number of parts to be produced by the machine;
• selecting, via the processor, an axis solution of the plurality of axis solutions using an objective function based at least on energy cost versus time, wherein the energy cost is estimated by simulating the machine running the enhanced production rate schedule, wherein the selected axis solution includes a point indicative of a lowest amount of energy consumed for a desired production rate range;
• displaying, via the processor, an energy cost versus time curve associated with the enhanced production rate schedule employed by the selected axis solution;
• and
• applying, via the processor, the selected axis solution to control the machine according to the enhanced production rate schedule.

A system, comprising:

• a machine in an industrial plant;
• and
• a first control/monitoring device communicatively coupled to the machine and comprising a first processor, wherein the first processor is configured to:
• receive one or more inputs comprising an energy consumption per part versus production rate curve, time-of-day energy costs, cumulative energy threshold costs, a desired number of parts to be produced by the machine, a production time window, or some combination thereof;
• generate a plurality of axis solutions for the machine using a model of the machine based on at least a subset of the one or more inputs;
• generate an enhanced production rate schedule for the machine using an objective function based at least on a subset of the one or more inputs, wherein the enhanced production rate schedule comprises a schedule of production rates that produce the lowest energy cost for the production time window while enabling the desired number of parts to be produced by the machine according to the objective function;
• display an energy cost versus time curve for each of the plurality of axis solutions;
• select an axis solution of the plurality of axis solutions that is associated with the enhanced production rate schedule, wherein the selected axis solution includes a point indicative of the lowest energy cost for a desired production rate range;
• and
• apply the selected axis solution to control the machine according to the enhanced production rate schedule.