Study: CO2 footprint of component production
Consortium project: Design of product category rules for fluid power components
In the foreseeable future, the European Commission will require the creation of a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) for specific products. Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs) will be drawn up for each product category, defining the framework conditions. In most cases, these PEFCRs are derived from existing Product Category Rules (PCR) in accordance with ISO 14025. Such a PCR can also be created at the current time by market participants and other persons.
In order to anticipate market companions in the creation of a corresponding PCR and to be able to influence the contents, it is advisable to initiate this yourself. The ifas proposal is therefore to develop such a PCR for fluid power components within the framework of a consortium project over a period of 6 months and thus to play a key role in defining the requirements for the industry.
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At the end of this project, there will be an opportunity for a two-day meeting. In addition to the presentation of the results, the core of this conference should also be an exchange on the procedure during the balancing of greenhouse gas emissions. For this purpose, short presentations on specific topics are conceivable from the ranks of the participants, followed by a discussion and guest lectures. Here, companies can benefit from the exchange of experience and, if necessary, optimize their own processes.
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Motivation of the study: CO2 footprint of component production
Against the background of climate change, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is of crucial importance. Various standards exist for quantifying these emissions, but in many cases they provide only imprecise guidance for action. In order to ensure a comparable determination of the data within the fluid power industry, balancing was carried out within the scope of the project and a lot of experience was gathered.
| Benfit | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Quantification of the carbon footprint of hydraulic components | Training of participants |
| Derivation of recommendations for action for the industry | Data collection in the participating companies |
| Strengthening sustainable production methods | Evaluation and analysis of results |
Task and objective
The current man-made climate change due to greenhouse gases is becoming one of the greatest risk factors for mankind. Regulations such as the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 or the European Green Deal require measures to reduce greenhouse gases in all sectors. While the operation of fluid power machines has already been considered in terms of emissions, the focus has not yet been on emissions during the production of the individual pneumatic and hydraulic components. Due to the fact that the products of the industry are similar in terms of materials and manufacturing, there is the potential to analyze the production processes by means of a uniform accounting method. By evaluating them, levers and optimization potentials for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can be identified. As part of the study, existing knowledge in the field of CO₂ balancing at ifas was transferred to the industry in workshops, and a selection of hydraulic and pneumatic components were balanced by the industry partners.
Procedure and project scope
The aim of the project was to develop a guideline for greenhouse gas balancing in the product manufacturing of hydraulic and pneumatic components.
To this end, the balancing methodology was first presented to the industrial partners in training sessions and they were sensitized to the topic. The companies then applied this methodology to selected products, accompanied and supported by the expertise of ifas. Finally, the results will be analyzed and compared anonymously. Furthermore, the collected experiences will be discussed and results will be exchanged, so that the potentials of a more comprehensive data collection will be presented.
Acknowledgement
The project was accompanied and supported by an industry-dominated working group of the Research Fund of the Fluid Power Association in the VDMA.