Session: 02-10-01: Sustainable Design

Paper Number: 150619

150619 - A Re- Design for Sustainability Approach for Automotive Components Based on Material Replacement by Secondary Alloys 

Within the current scenario of green transition and decarbonization, the transport sector takes on a preponderant role, since it represents about 20% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Furthermore, in the context of the increasingly restrictive regulations for vehicle production and the growing trend of electrification, it becomes crucial to develop and implement Design for Sustainability (DfS) logics. Various eco-design guidelines have long been applied to analyze from different perspectives the environmental sustainability of production and usage within product development. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is among the most effective analytical methods for environmental loads and resources of a product or a service from raw material extraction through to disposal. Some specific analysis frameworks have been also introduced by several automotive companies, but approaches to practically implement sustainable design, considering the product life cycle, are still needed. The emission control is currently focused on (i) alternative energy, and (ii) energy source efficiency, within which system design, lightweight design, and material design play prominent roles. In fact, the literature assesses more than 80% of an average vehicle life cycle energy consumption is due to the use phase, and most design approaches are actually focused on vehicles’ use phase. This research pivots on raw materials, disposal and recycling, proposing a method of sustainable design for the automotive sector based on the use of secondary alloys. Secondary alloys, which are produced from recycled materials, offer significant potential for reducing the carbon footprint of vehicles. They make it possible to slow down the depletion of scarce natural resources, reduce environmental damage resulting from the extraction of raw materials, and limit pollution caused by processing. For example, Cradle-to-Gate analyses of metal alloys used for structural components assess from 60% (steel) to 95% (aluminum) CO2e reduction per kg of material used; and the aluminum contained in a car can be recycled by over 90%.

The redesign approach based on the secondary material exploits the integration of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) through a systematic workflow to guarantee product functionality while satisfying constraints such as architecture, weight, overall dimensions, manufacturing technology, and structural characteristics. As a use case, the redesign of an automotive magnesium alloy backrest of a supercar has been carried out with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint. While on average vehicles the production phase impacts approximately 7% of the emissions, in the application of high-performance cars this reaches over 25%. The structural redesign of the secondary-aluminum component was performed through topological optimization within the 3DExperience CAD-based platform, integrating modelling and simulation tools.  The redesign was based on the stress lines outlined by the topological analysis, without neglecting the design compromises mentioned above. The 33% higher density of secondary aluminum, compared to magnesium, required a lightweighting review to achieve equal weight, a critical factor in terms of performance and emissions associated with the life cycle of the vehicle. The mechanical performance was assessed in the preliminary phase, and validated after the redesign, reporting similar results.

The validation of the redesign approach is performed by estimating not only the production phase but also through a quantitative LCA for the vehicle, making use of SimaPro software based on the EcoInvent database. The results of the vehicle LCA applied to the redesign of the product estimate an absolute CO2e reduction of 48.56 kg/pc, which corresponds to a 96% percentage reduction. This approach therefore proves to be effective and can be extended to the re-design of many other vehicle body and chassis components and systems. This approach not only aligns with the principles of DfS and ecodesign but also leverages the benefits of existing sustainability and emission control strategies within a circularity scenario. Finally, the use of such approaches also opens up considerations relating to advantages in terms of both economic and environmental sustainability relating to the greater implementation of the circular economy, both for suppliers and for producers, for companies and for end users.

Presenting Author: Enrico Dalpadulo University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Presenting Author Biography: Enrico Dalpadulo is assistant professor at the "Enzo Ferrari" Department of Engineering of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He holds the research doctorate in "Automotive for intelligent mobility" at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna and the master's degree in "Vehicle Engineering" with honors from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He obtained the qualification to carry out the profession of Industrial Engineer. He has been post-doctoral researcher at the research center InterMech MoRe. Since 2018 he has been carrying out research activities in the disciplinary sector ING-IND/15 (Design and Methods of Industrial Engineering) at the IDEA laboratory (Integrated Design and Engineering Applications) of the "Enzo Ferrari" Department of Engineering. His research field is integrated product-process design based on CAx tools (Computer Aided technologies), in particular for additive manufacturing. He is the author of the doctoral thesis “Development and Application of a Computer-based methodology for Design for Additive Manufacturing of Automotive components” and of 21 Scopus indexed scientific publications focused on methods for the design of additively manufactured components. He participated in an industrial project in collaboration with the "Metal Additive" industrial research center of HPE COXA s.r.l. (Modena). He collaborated with the Fiat Research Center and FCA Italy S.p.A. (Stellantis N.V.) for the development and application of metal Additive Manufacturing technologies. He participated in sundry biomedical research projects for design and development of medical aids and tools. He is currently involved in the national project PNRR - MOST "National Center for Sustainable Mobility ", to develop and integrate mechatronic systems for autonomous vehicles. He has carried out teaching activities in the field of CAD design, industrial technical drawing and additive manufacturing, in the context of university and various training centres.

Authors:

Enrico Dalpadulo University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Fabio Pini University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Francesco Leali University of Modena and Reggio Emilia