Product design from an environmental and critical raw materials perspective

ABSTRACT

Public policy has become increasingly stringent in response to environmental challenges, both global and local. In this scenario, materials play a crucial role in the innovation of environmentally responsible products. Design for environment can be identified as the effort to adjust the present design methods to correct known, measurable, environmental degradation. It should be applied in all the phases of the design process, such as the concept, embodiment and detailed analysis. Mostly, it needs to take into account an emerging drawback linked to those raw materials that are considered critical by European Union because of their high supply risk and economic importance. Alloys that minimise the environmental impact of a product may suffer of a supply risk because of the presence, inside them, of high mechanical properties inducing alloy critical elements. A multi-objective design approach is thus proposed that takes into account both the environmental impact reduction and the criticality issues linked to raw materials. The method is illustrated with an example.

KEYWORDS:

• Design for environment
• mechanical design
• materials selection
• critical raw material
• metallic material

Acknowledgments

This work is part of the results of the European project called ‘Design of Components in a Critical Raw Materials Perspective’ (DERMAP, EIT-RM KAVA project # 17205). Authors want to thank EIT RawMaterials for the financial support and all the Project Partners (SWEREA SWEECAST AB, Mondragon University, AGH University, EURECAT, Enginsoft, Fonderie Zanardi) for their contribution to the project development. Special thanks are due also to GRANTA design® for useful remarks and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the EIT RawMaterials [17205].

Notes on contributors

Paolo Ferro

Dr. Paolo Ferro is associate Professor of Metallurgy and Materials Selection at the University of Padua (Italy). After the degree in Materials Engineering (Summa Cum Laude) he received the Ph.D. degree from University of Padua in Metallurgical Engineering. He was scientific director of the research program 'Numerical and Experimental Determination of Residual Stresses in Welded Joints and their Influence on Fatigue Strength'. He won the prize for young researchers ‘Aldo Daccò’ 2002. He is a member of Centre for Mechanics of Biological Materials. His research is mainly focused on the analytical and numerical modelling of metallurgical processes. He is author of more than 160 papers and Editor of the book titled Residual Stress Analysis On Welded Joints by Means of Numerical Simulation and Experiments (IntechOpen publishing). In addition to his position as topic editor for the journal ‘Metals’ and his editorial role in different other journals, he frequently serves as reviewer for many international journals and national as well as international funding agencies. He is coordinator of the European project named DERMAP (Design of components in a critical Raw MAterial Perspective).

Franco Bonollo

Dr. Franco Bonollo is full Professor of Metallurgy at the Department of Management and Engineering of Padova University. His scientific activity is focussed on light alloys and composites, foundry processes and their simulation, innovative welding techniques. He is author of about 200 scientific and technical papers. He won for two times (2000 and 2004) the “Dacco' Prize”, which is yearly assigned for the best Italian paper on foundry topics. He is President of the Bachelor Course in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Padova University. He has been Scientific Coordinator of the EC Leonardo Pilot Projects COPROFOUND (on Numerical simulation of Foundry Processes) and METRO (set up of metallurgy courses with e-learning methodologies). He has been leader of the WP “Quality Mapping” inside the EU Project IDEAL (2002-2005, on the optimisation of cast Aluminium automotive components. He has been Scientific Manager of the EC IP NADIA (New automotive components Designed for and manufactured by Intelligent processing of light Alloys, 2006-2010).He has been Coordinator of the EU Project StaCast (7th FP, 2012-2014, on new Standards for Aluminium alloys) and is Scientific Manager of the EU Project MUSIC (7th PQ, 2012-2016, on process control of High Pressure Die Casting). He is Responsible, for Padova University, of the participation to the European initiative KIC (Knowledge Innovation Community) on Raw Materials. He is also responsible of various research projects, carried out in cooperation with Italian and European industrial Companies.

Sylvia A. Cruz

Sylvia A. Cruz PhD in materials science engineering by the University of Seville (2010). Master in technology and science of new materials (2008). Over 7 years of experience working on research projects in metal matrix composites and metallic materials. 8 scientific publications (6 included in JCR) and 18 contributions in national and international congress. Teaching experience at University of Seville (2008-2010). Currently, she is senior researcher in the line of light alloy into the Metallic and Ceramic Unit of Fundaciò Eurecat.