Section 01 Process and Material Selection For Recyclability
Section 01 Process and Material Selection For Recyclability
Section 01 Process and Material Selection For Recyclability
1) A
re die cast materials recyclable?
See page 1-4, Die Casting’s Unique Environmental Position, Figure 1-1, and page 1-5,
1 1
Introduction
Designers today are faced with material selection considerations that an earlier generation of
engineers did not consider.
In addition to optimizing the cost and performance equation of a new or redesigned product,
engineering must now more carefully analyze its long-term environmental impact.
An increasing population has available to it a decreasing number of waste disposal sites, with
nearly 70% of landfill capacity predicted to be exhausted by the end of the decade. There has
been a vast growth in the use of raw materials not readily recyclable. These forces have led to
heightened government concern with the environmentally safe disposal of durable goods waste.
Die casting alloys offer the designer concerned with post-consumer recyclability one of the
most advantageous material options. Die castings and the die casting process provide the product
engineer who is designing for the environment:
• Components that can maintain their integrity through disassembly, repair,
remanufacturing and reassembly.
• Product recyclability, at the end of useful life, with the potential for return
to high performance applications.
• Knowledge that a proven recycling infrastructure is in place to reclaim recycled die cast parts.
Here is an overview of current North American environmental concerns, the manufacturing
process and material alternatives that offer creative solutions for today’s product designer.
Figure 1-1 Circle of recycling to create a die casting. Recycled cans are
collected (a), cans are remelted with other aluminum scrap (b) to create
ingots (c), ingots are used to create a die casting (center).
Images Courtesy of © Norsk Hydro, © Alcoa, © NADCA.
The need for manufacturers to focus on ecological consequences has been stated not only by busi-
ness management scholars from institutions like Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management
and the University of Michigan, but by business leaders as well. Companies like AT&T, NCR,
Whirlpool Corp., DEC, and Northern Telecom have publicly addressed the issue.
The obvious conflict between business and environmental interests is being altered by a trend
toward business “greening” encouraged by a new awareness among consumers. American con-
sumer surveys have shown that 80% of Americans said they would pay more for environmentally
safer products. Based on actions that follow from such findings, designing for the environment
appears here to stay. The recyclability of a car model or other durable goods may soon become a
competitive feature in a consumer’s purchasing decision.
Increasing numbers of people are asking more sophisticated questions about products and the envi-
ronment, such as concerns over the life cycle of the products they use and the potential for recycling.
Companies which address environmental concerns in the design of their products will be at a
long-term competitive advantage. Among other guidelines, an orientation involves (1) the minimum use
of virgin materials and non-renewable forms of energy, and (2) minimizing the environmental cost of
products and services over their entire life cycles, from their creation to disposal or completion.
There are four steps in adopting a strategy for environmental excellence in manufacturing to be
competitive in the 21st century:
A product engineer designing products for environmental compatibility encounters many material
suppliers who claim that their materials and processes offer recyclability. Other considerations
being equal, what the designer of today’s products must distinguish between are theoretical or
future possibilities of reprocessing a material, on the one hand, and in-place recycling, on the other.
The facts are that metals can claim the support of an existing world-wide infrastructure that
economically collects, reprocesses and channels these reprocessed materials back into the manu-
facturing process — to allow reuse at costs significantly less than purchasing virgin materials.
Supporting the automotive industry, a network of automotive dismantlers daily make their
living selling salvaged metal auto parts and then placing the remainder of the vehicle in the
hands of “shredders.” The shredding process, which has proven its economic viability, results
in the recycling of almost 75% of the weight of a typical car — nearly all of this as ferrous and
nonferrous metal. Over 85% of the aluminum in a car is currently reclaimed and recycled.
The non-metallic portion of a product is generally regarded by recyclers as “fluff,” consisting
mostly of plastic. Nearly one-quarter of all solid waste is estimated to be plastics, and less than
3% of this plastic is being recycled.
Problems with plastic product recyclability were pointed out by a national task force in 1994
who requested that plastics marketers refrain from use of the universal symbol for recycling in
advertisements, since it was regarded as misleading in relation to plastics.
The greater proportion of non-metallics in a product, the less its value to the recycling indus-
try, and, increasingly, there are fewer and fewer places for disposal of this material.
While most plastics are capable of being recycled, the infrastructure for such recycling is
far from being in place. While many early recycling efforts among consumers have met with
cooperation, end results to date have not been promising.
Natural Resource 4 lbs. of bauxite saved for every pound of aluminum recycled.
Savings
Miscellaneous Enough aluminum is thrown away to rebuild our commercial air fleet four times every year
Information
Nearly all metals — and die castings in particular — have always been readily recyclable. Die castings
are not hazardous waste and pose no problems in handling or reprocessing, as do some non-metallics.
Die castings offer the product designer recyclable components with engineering advantages
not available in other metalforming processes. The major cost and performance benefits of parts
consolidation possible with plastic components can be carried forward in die casting designs with
additional advantages.
Net-shape die castings can be produced with thinner walls than comparable plastic parts, and can
provide greater strength and product durability over a longer life cycle — with added serviceability.
Cost-effective die cast components can survive higher temperatures and user abuse, compared
to plastic counterparts.
Threaded inserts and EMI/RFI shielding, additionally required for many plastic electronic
housings, can be eliminated with a die cast housing, resulting in lower unit costs. Metal inserts
in plastic housings serve to further complicate plastic recycling.
Parts redesigned as a single die cast unit from a combination of metal and plastic components,
or from components produced in a variety of metals, can not only result in significantly lower
costs and improved performance, but also yield advantages for recyclability. Many examples exist
over a wide range of die cast product applications.
Aluminum die casting alloy recycling has been in place almost from the beginning of custom die
casting production. Today newspaper advertisements for aluminum scrap, such as the one shown
here, are not uncommon.
Specifications for aluminum alloys have been developed that provide for a full range of com-
positions that can utilize recycled metal. A wide variety of aluminum scrap can be reprocessed to
produce all of the most widely specified die casting alloys.
Over 95% of the aluminum die castings produced in North America are made of post-consumer
recycled aluminum. Since the production of recycled aluminum alloy requires approximately 5% as
much energy as primary aluminum production, there is a dramatic conservation of non-renewable
energy resources.
Die castings, as opposed to forgings or extrusions, for example, can make far greater use of
recycled material.
SPECIFICATION
1
Steel Mill, SPECIFICATION
ALLOY
Steel Mill, ALLOY
Others
Others INGOT
INGOT
SECONDARY SMELTER
SMELTER Dross
Dross
SECONDARY and
DIE
AND DIE CASTER
AND Fines
Fines CASTER
PRIMARY
PRIMARY PRODUCER
PRODUCER
Al, Al,
Cu,Cu,
Mg,
ZnMg, Zn
Reclaim Internal Finished
Finished
Reclaim Internal Die
Reclaim
Reclaim
Other Castings
Castings
Other
d
Nonferrous
Non-ferrous
Reclaim
Plastic
Ferrous
Ferrous Plastic
and
and other
other
and
and “Fluff”
"Fluff"
Nonferrous
Non-ferrous END-PRODUCT
END-PRODUCT
Reclaim
Reclaim MANUFACTURER
MANUFACTURER
Component
Component
Remanufacture
Remanufacture
RECLAIM
RECLAIM and Servicing
and
SEPARATION
SEPARATION Servicing
Final
Final
FOR
FOR
Assembled
Assembled
RECYCLING
RECYCLING Products
Products
End of
End of END
Product Life
Product END
USER
Life USER
Figure 1-2 The Die Casting Recycling Circle – The die casting alloy recycling stream, illustrated above, is based on
an existing worldwide metal reclamation infrastructure that has been operative for more than 40 years. This basic
recycling pattern, with variations based on the amount of reclaimed alloy going to secondary and primary produc-
ers, applies to the majority of die castings being currently specified.