Energy and Resource Efficiency in Aluminium Die Casting (Sustainable Production, Life Cycle Engineering and Management)

"This monograph provides a field-proven approach to analyze industrial production with a cross-company scope as well as regarding all hierarchical system levels of manufacturing enterprises. The book exemplifies this approach in the context of aluminum ; die casting, and presents a set of measures which allow a 30 percent energy reduction along the value chain. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students" -- Orbis Yale University Library Foreword 6 Acknowledgements 8 Contents 10 Symbols and Abbreviations 13 1 Introduction 26 1.1 Motivation 26 1.2 Research Objective and Approach 28 2 Aluminium Die Casting and Its Environmental Aspects 31 2.1 Industrial Value Chains and Aluminium Die Casting 31 2.1.1 Industrial Process, Process- and Value Chains 31 2.1.1.1 Manufacturing Process 31 2.1.1.2 Process Chains 32 2.1.1.3 Industrial Value Chains 33 2.1.1.4 Vertical and Horizontal Hierarchies Within Industrial Value Chains 34 Vertical Hierarchies 34 Horizontal Hierarchies 36 2.1.2 Aluminium Die Casting 39 2.1.2.1 Classification of the Aluminium Die Casting Process 40 2.1.2.2 Global Aluminium Flows and German Aluminium Production Volumes 43 2.1.2.3 Raw and Secondary Material Input Flows 47 Primary Aluminium Production 48 Secondary Aluminium Input Fractions 49 2.1.2.4 Process Chain of an Alloy Supplier 50 2.1.2.5 Transportation Scenarios Between Alloy Supplier and Foundry 52 2.1.2.6 Process Chain of a Die Casting Foundry 54 2.1.2.7 Technical Description of the Aluminium Die Casting Process 57 Process Sequence 57 Die Casting Cell and Equipment 58 2.2 Environmental Aspects of Aluminium Die Casting 60 2.2.1 Energy and Resource Efficiency 60 2.2.2 Methods and Tools for Increasing Energy and Resource Efficiency 63 2.2.2.1 Data Acquisition 63 2.2.2.2 Modelling and Visualisation 65 2.2.2.3 Simulation 68 2.2.2.4 Evaluation 71 2.2.3 Environmental Impacts of Aluminium Die Casting 72 2.2.3.1 Process Perspective 73 Input and Output Flows 73 Material Efficiency 74 Energy Intensity 74 2.2.3.2 Foundry Perspective 76 Energy Intensity 76 Material Efficiency 78 2.2.3.3 Alloy Supplier Perspective 79 Energy and Material Efficiency 79 Waste and Emissions 80 2.2.3.4 Value Chain Perspective 81 Material Efficiency and CO2eq. Emissions 81 Primary Versus Secondary Aluminium Production 83 Recycling, Downgrading and in-Use-Stocks of Aluminium 84 3 Existing Approaches 89 3.1 Background for Selection and Evaluation of Existing Approaches 89 3.1.1 Procedure and Limitations of Analysis 90 3.1.2 Definition of Criteria 92 3.1.2.1 Scope 92 3.1.2.2 Data and Model Quality 93 3.1.2.3 Application 95 3.2 Review on Relevant Research Approaches 97 3.2.1 Generic Approaches 97 3.2.2 Specific Approaches for Metal Casting 102 3.3 Comparative Overview 107 3.4 Derivation of Further Research Demand 111 4 Multi-level Multi-scale Framework for Enhancing Energy and Resource Efficiency in Production 114 4.1 Research Methodology 114 4.2 Requirements and Surrounding Conditions 115 4.3 Framework Development 119 4.3.1 Module 1—System Definition 120 4.3.1.1 System Levels and Actors (M1.1) 120 System Level 3—Manufacturing Process 122 System Level 2—(in-House) Process Chain 123 System Level 1—Cross Company Industrial Value Chain 125 Actors Per System Level 128 4.3.1.2 Varying Time Scales Across Hierarchical System Levels (M1.2) 129 4.3.2 Module 2—Procedural Approach 132 4.3.3 Module 3—Methodological Toolbox 136 4.3.3.1 Assignment of Methods (M3.1) 136 4.3.3.2 Synergetic Application (M3.2) 140 4.3.3.3 Performance Indicator Framework (M3.3) 144 5 Multi-level Multi-scale Framework for Enhancing Energy and Resource Efficiency in Aluminium Die Casting 147 5.1 Course of Discussion 147 5.2 Specific Framework for Aluminium Die Casting 149 5.2.1 Actors and System Levels 149 5.2.2 Assignment of Selected Methods and Tools to System Elements 151 5.2.3 Specific Procedure for Aluminium Die Casting Production 159 5.3 Objects of Investigation 160 5.3.1 Actors 161 5.3.2 Products 162 5.4 Definition of System Boundaries 164 5.5 Structural Analysis of Energy and Resource Flows 165 5.5.1 System Elements 165 5.5.2 Considered Energy and Material Flows 170 5.5.3 Synthesis of a Generic Structural Model 174 5.5.3.1 Alloy Supplier 177 5.5.3.2 Foundry 179 5.6 Hot Spot Analysis of Energy Demands 183 5.6.1 Foundry 1 (Products 1 and 2) 184 5.6.2 Foundry 2 (Products 3, 4 and 5) 185 5.6.3 Foundry 3 (Product Families 6–12) 186 5.6.4 Conclusion of Hot Spot Analysis 186 5.7 Data Acquisition 187 5.7.1 Alloy Supplier 187 5.7.1.1 Preparation and Melting of Secondary Metal Inputs 188 5.7.1.2 Alloying 189 5.7.2 Foundry 191 5.7.2.1 Smelter 191 5.7.2.2 Die Casting Cell 192 5.7.2.3 Heat Treatment 198 5.7.2.4 Finishing Section 198 5.7.3 Upstream Process Chains 203 5.8 Modelling, Simulation and Visualisation 205 5.8.1 Input and Output Modelling of System Elements 206 5.8.1.1 Sample Input and Output Balances 208 5.8.1.2 Aggregation of Energy Carrier and Resource Flows Per Process ChainSection 209 5.8.1.3 Average Energy and Resource Flows Per Process Chain (Section) and Definition of Focus Flows 212 5.8.1.4 Identification of Reference Process Chains and Parameterization of Generic Model 213 5.8.2 Simulation of the Generic Quantitative Model 217 5.8.3 Visualisation of Energy and Resource Flows 219 5.8.3.1 Value Chain Level 220 5.8.3.2 (In-House) Process Chain Level 221 5.9 Analysis and Evaluation of the Generic Model 223 5.9.1 Actor Specific Energy Demand Evaluation 224 5.9.2 Environmental Assessment 225 5.9.3 Sensitivity Analyses 226 5.9.3.1 Electricity 226 5.9.3.2 Natural Gas 227 5.9.3.3 Aluminium (Cycle Material) 229 5.9.3.4 Alloying Elements 230 5.10 Improvement Scenarios 231 5.10.1 Description of Improvement Measures 233 5.10.1.1 Scenario A: Reduced Cycle Material Due to Optimised Gating Systems 233 5.10.1.2 Scenario B: Delivery of Liquid Aluminium to Foundry 234 5.10.1.3 Scenario C: Salt-Free Smelting of Purified Secondary Aluminium in Shaft Melting Furnaces at Alloy Supplier 235 5.10.1.4 Scenario D: Deactivation of Filters at Melting Furnaces 237 5.10.1.5 Scenario E: Electricity Savings at the Finishing Section Due to Organizational Changes 237 5.10.1.6 Scenario F: Reduced Compressed Air Demand Due to Fixed Leakages 238 5.10.1.7 Scenario G: Reduced Compressed Air Demand and Less Die Tempering Due to Optimized Spray Heads for Form Release Agents 238 5.10.1.8 Scenario H: Improved Process Parameters for the T7 Heat Treatment 239 5.10.1.9 Scenario I: Renewable Electricity Supplies from Hydropower Plants 239 5.10.1.10 Scenario J: Combination of Scenarios A–H 240 5.10.1.11 Scenario K: Combination of Scenarios A–I 240 5.10.2 Comparative Evaluation of Improvement Measures 240 6 Summary and Outlook 244 6.1 Summary 244 6.2 Concept Evaluation 245 6.3 Outlook 248 References 250 Front Matter....Pages i-xxvi Introduction....Pages 1-5 Aluminium Die Casting and Its Environmental Aspects....Pages 7-64 Existing Approaches....Pages 65-89 Multi-level Multi-scale Framework for Enhancing Energy and Resource Efficiency in Production....Pages 91-123 Multi-level Multi-scale Framework for Enhancing Energy and Resource Efficiency in Aluminium Die Casting....Pages 125-221 Summary and Outlook....Pages 223-228 Back Matter....Pages 229-242