mgr inż. Marcin BĄCZYK – Politechnika Poznańska, Wydział Inżynierii Lądowej i Transportu, ul. Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznań, Polska;
Volkswagen Poznań Sp. z o.o., ul. Warszawska 349, 61-060 Poznań, Polska, e-mail: marcin.baczyk@doctorate.put.poznan.pl
Received 30.01.2026. Accepted 7.07.2026
pp. 9-16
Abstract
Purpose: This study develops a conceptual framework linking the principles of quality management (QM) to the energy-intensive process of aluminium casting, showing how systematic quality work can drive continuous improvement of energy performance.
Design/methodology/approach: The study is a narrative literature review (in the sense of Paré et al., 2015) synthesising research from sustainable manufacturing, quality management and casting engineering. The Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) is the guiding theoretical lens, and the contribution is explicitly a conceptual framework, not a validated model.
Findings/conclusions: The review yields a four-layer conceptual framework (cultural foundation, QM methods, Industry 4.0 enablers and an integrated measurement system) that maps named QM methods and concepts onto the specific energy hotspots of the casting process. Scrap and yield improvement emerge as the highest-leverage levers because of the embodied thermal energy lost in every rejected casting.
Research limitations: The framework is conceptual and has not yet been empirically validated; quantification rests on figures reported in the literature. Future work should test it through longitudinal case studies in aluminium foundries.
Practical implications: The framework gives managers a structured diagnostic tool for building an integrated quality-and-energy management system and a business case that connects investment in quality to measurable energy and cost reduction.
Originality/value: The value lies in explicitly connecting individual QM methods and concepts to the physical energy-loss mechanisms of high-temperature aluminium casting, moving beyond generic advice toward a structured, actionable framework.
Keywords
energy efficiency, Total Quality Management, aluminium casting, sustainable manufacturing, Industry 4.0