Resource efficiency analysis of high pressure die casting process

Abstract

Resource and energy efficiency are important for all manufacturing sectors because they impact directly on the economics of the process. In this paper, the resource and energy effi-ciency of high pressure die casting is analysed and assessed based on real data collected from a number of foundries and supporting companies such as recyclers and ingot producers. The present study is the first to include all lifecycle stages, from the cradle to grave, including recycling loops. The results show that in average only 48 % of the total amount of aluminium poured is transformed into final good products. Of the remainder, 47 % can be recycled (in-house or by external recyclers) and 5 % is an unrecoverable loss. Furthermore, an average embodied energy for manufacturing aluminium ingots of 33.3 GJ/t was calculated. Finally, a total energy of 98 GJ to produce 1tonne of aluminium was estimated.