Energy measurements and LCA of remanufactured automotive steel sheets

New paradigms based on Circular Economy (CE) principles are needed for boosting the ecological transition and improving the energy and material efficiency. In this paper, a novel remanufacturing process chain for End-of-Life (EoL) automotive panels is first presented. The core of the recycling strategy is the reshaping of curved EoL automotive sheets through flattening by means of a hydraulic press. Flattening experiments together with press power consumption measurements have been performed on thin steel parts. While the experimental procedure demonstrated the technical feasibility of flattening “small-scale” steel parts, a more complete analysis on environmental sustainability was required. For this purpose, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the remanufacturing process chain proposed was set up. The results of the study demonstrated that flattening is a viable solution for reshaping EoL automotive panels, and that, for one kg of reshaped steel, approximately 2.2 kg CO2 and 24 MJ could be saved.