The Mould Industry in the Circular Economy Era
29-04-2020
Article by Sara Campos, Joana Gouveia, Luís Oliveira, Sílvia Esteves, INEGI engineers in the area of product and system development.
Climate change is currently a pressing and necessary issue. The world is at a decisive moment to prevent the harmful effects, hitherto largely created by humans, from increasing and worsening. The European Union (EU) has been making efforts in this direction, which has resulted in the adoption of an Action Plan for the Circular Economy.
In this regard, the EU states that its objective is to develop a carbon neutral, resource efficient and competitive economy. In the respective action plan, the circular economy is described as an economy "in which the value of products, materials and resources remains in the economy as long as possible and the production of waste is reduced to a minimum". In this sense, the EU has developed a circular economy control framework composed of a set of relevant key indicators that focus on its main elements.
In the Portuguese context, the Action Plan for the Circular Economy (PAEC) was developed analogously to the EU action plan, acting at national, sectoral and regional levels. Within these groups, the existing support for the development of innovative technological solutions stands out, which help the transition of industrial sectors in the context of a linear economy to a circular economy, integrating all economic, social and environmental flows.
Through PAEC measures and actions, the Portuguese government intends to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to 2015 levels, an increase in GDP by 11%, as well as a reduction in the use of raw materials by 32% by 2030 and 53% by 2050. In order to achieve these goals, it is necessary to hold the manufacturer accountable, as they have a fundamental role in the design of a product, since the decisions made during this phase influence the impact derived from its use, such as the efficiency of material and energy consumption, the useful life / durability, possibility of repair / replacement, and options for dismantling and treatment at the end of life.
Mould production in Portugal has been accelerating innovation in the sector since the 1940s, in a process of continuous growth and development. In order to achieve circularity, the mould industry can act on several fronts, namely through applied technical solutions, environmental impact of the activities developed, normalization of processes, active participation in Portuguese legislation, as well as its integration within the sector.
The mobilizing project TOOLING4G intends to make an important contribution to the qualification of companies in the Engineering & Tooling sector, contributing to the creation of internal knowledge that makes it possible to leverage the transition to the circular economy. Through the use of innovative technologies, such as, for example, additive manufacturing, the solutions developed within the scope of the project enable the repair of damaged moulds and, consequently, the extension of its useful life. Thus reducing the consumption of raw materials and energy necessary for the production of a new mould, contributing to a better use of resources, and less negative externalities.
DED (Direct Energy Deposition) technology, used in the scope of the project, consists of the deposition of a metallic powder or wire, whose fusion between layers is ensured by the energy provided by a laser beam. The formation of a bonding zone is promoted by the simultaneous fusion of layers and subsequent controlled solidification and cooling. This technology is being developed by INEGI, which operationalized the first DED laboratory station in the country, making it possible to manufacture metallic additives for large complex parts (up to 2000mm by 1000mm), with addition of post-processing for finishing (subtractively) and dimensional control, with a high degree of precision and quality.
Since it is a recent technology, it is important to unveil all the material and energy flows involved in this process through studies of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), currently underway. In this context, the objective is to assess sustainability, considering economic, environmental and social / organizational aspects, evaluating the entire life cycle from the design phase, through production and use until the end of its life. In this way, it will be possible to quantify the impacts associated with this technology, thus contributing to the acceleration of CE in the sector. During the use phase, and following Industry 4.0, the DED equipment will be assisted by a Human Machine Interface (HMI) that will allow the monitoring and optimization of the manufacturing processes.
In this way, TOOLING4G aims to develop sustainable “zero defects” and zero waste production chains, thus contributing to the circular economy action plan, and in the long term, to a circular and sustainable industry.
The mobilizing project TOOLING4G - Advanced Tools for Smart Manufacturing is financed under the Compete 2020, Portugal 2020 and European Regional Development Fund programs.
Originally published in the April 2020 edition of the ‘O Molde’ magazine.
Climate change is currently a pressing and necessary issue. The world is at a decisive moment to prevent the harmful effects, hitherto largely created by humans, from increasing and worsening. The European Union (EU) has been making efforts in this direction, which has resulted in the adoption of an Action Plan for the Circular Economy.
In this regard, the EU states that its objective is to develop a carbon neutral, resource efficient and competitive economy. In the respective action plan, the circular economy is described as an economy "in which the value of products, materials and resources remains in the economy as long as possible and the production of waste is reduced to a minimum". In this sense, the EU has developed a circular economy control framework composed of a set of relevant key indicators that focus on its main elements.
In the Portuguese context, the Action Plan for the Circular Economy (PAEC) was developed analogously to the EU action plan, acting at national, sectoral and regional levels. Within these groups, the existing support for the development of innovative technological solutions stands out, which help the transition of industrial sectors in the context of a linear economy to a circular economy, integrating all economic, social and environmental flows.
Through PAEC measures and actions, the Portuguese government intends to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to 2015 levels, an increase in GDP by 11%, as well as a reduction in the use of raw materials by 32% by 2030 and 53% by 2050. In order to achieve these goals, it is necessary to hold the manufacturer accountable, as they have a fundamental role in the design of a product, since the decisions made during this phase influence the impact derived from its use, such as the efficiency of material and energy consumption, the useful life / durability, possibility of repair / replacement, and options for dismantling and treatment at the end of life.
Mould production in Portugal has been accelerating innovation in the sector since the 1940s, in a process of continuous growth and development. In order to achieve circularity, the mould industry can act on several fronts, namely through applied technical solutions, environmental impact of the activities developed, normalization of processes, active participation in Portuguese legislation, as well as its integration within the sector.
The mobilizing project TOOLING4G intends to make an important contribution to the qualification of companies in the Engineering & Tooling sector, contributing to the creation of internal knowledge that makes it possible to leverage the transition to the circular economy. Through the use of innovative technologies, such as, for example, additive manufacturing, the solutions developed within the scope of the project enable the repair of damaged moulds and, consequently, the extension of its useful life. Thus reducing the consumption of raw materials and energy necessary for the production of a new mould, contributing to a better use of resources, and less negative externalities.
DED (Direct Energy Deposition) technology, used in the scope of the project, consists of the deposition of a metallic powder or wire, whose fusion between layers is ensured by the energy provided by a laser beam. The formation of a bonding zone is promoted by the simultaneous fusion of layers and subsequent controlled solidification and cooling. This technology is being developed by INEGI, which operationalized the first DED laboratory station in the country, making it possible to manufacture metallic additives for large complex parts (up to 2000mm by 1000mm), with addition of post-processing for finishing (subtractively) and dimensional control, with a high degree of precision and quality.
Since it is a recent technology, it is important to unveil all the material and energy flows involved in this process through studies of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), currently underway. In this context, the objective is to assess sustainability, considering economic, environmental and social / organizational aspects, evaluating the entire life cycle from the design phase, through production and use until the end of its life. In this way, it will be possible to quantify the impacts associated with this technology, thus contributing to the acceleration of CE in the sector. During the use phase, and following Industry 4.0, the DED equipment will be assisted by a Human Machine Interface (HMI) that will allow the monitoring and optimization of the manufacturing processes.
In this way, TOOLING4G aims to develop sustainable “zero defects” and zero waste production chains, thus contributing to the circular economy action plan, and in the long term, to a circular and sustainable industry.
The mobilizing project TOOLING4G - Advanced Tools for Smart Manufacturing is financed under the Compete 2020, Portugal 2020 and European Regional Development Fund programs.
Originally published in the April 2020 edition of the ‘O Molde’ magazine.
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