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Project Summary:

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is very rarely used in the cast metals sector. This project will assess the need for using Life Cycle Assessments in the industry today and 3-5 years in the future, and the nature and magnitude of the work required to enable foundries to use Life Cycle Assessments.

Project Partners:
Castings Technology International
Virtual College Limited
William Lee Limited

Need:

The popularity of Life Cycle Assessments is increasing, and customers in general are ever more using them to aid purchase decisions. Competitors to the cast metals industry have already published Life Cycle Assessment studies on competing materials which are damaging to foundries. Without the ability to respond quickly and provide data on the sustainability of their products, foundries are at risk from losing market share to rival processes and materials which can.

Solution:

The solution to the problem is twofold. Firstly, sustainability data on a range of casting processes is required. Secondly, an ICT tool will be required to perform the Life Cycle Assessment using the available data. The project will estimate the work involved to obtain the required data, and will assess currently available and future ICT options capable of delivering the required solution.

Benefits:

Not only will foundries be able to provide information on the sustainability of their products, a suitable ICT tool will bring them closer to customers, allowing them to work closely together to provide full Life Cycle Assessments from cradle to grave. The provision of such a tool will also provide a baseline from which further sustainability improvements can be made, reducing the overall environmental impact, and ultimately, the cost to the foundry.