Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A data framework for environmental assessment of metal arc welding processes and welded structures during the design phase

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Welding is a widely used technology that allows the joining of thick metal plates for the development of large structures (e.g. piping, tanks, vessels). Many industries are intensively using welding for manufacturing and assembly activities. Sustainability assessment of welded structures is currently performed with misleading information in terms of data heterogeneity (nature) and quality (source). The data required to carry out a robust environmental analysis are spread among different documents and become available only when the project is finalized. This paper aims to define a data framework for a life cycle inventory of metal arc welding processes to preventively assess the environmental performances of different processes for comparison and decision-making analysis. The framework is presented as innovative solutions for life cycle inventory that provide (i) a common data structure (model), (ii) necessary data (input/output), and (iii) physical allocation/placement of data (project design documents). This study was performed in accordance with the international standard organization ISO 14040/14044 by using an attributional life cycle assessment (aLCA). Two structures (an oil and gas riser and a ship hull) were investigated considering the same functional unit: the manufacturing, use, and disposal of a welded structure able to guarantee the engineering requirements (according to a specific standard) in terms of strain, stress, and corrosion allowance over the expected lifetime of 20 years. In both cases, the share of welding process in respect to an overall product/structure life cycle impact assessment is strictly dependant on the project design choice and can be negligible for high-corrosion-resistance materials (e.g., Inconel alloy). On the other hand, the use of traditional metals (e.g., carbon steel) allows a large decrease of the environmental load, and the influence of the welding process becomes significant in a life cycle perspective.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Welding Society. Fumes and gases in the welding environment, 2013

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ardente F, Beccali G, Cellura M, Lo Brano V (2005) Life cycle assessment of a solar thermal collector. Renew Energy 30(7):1031–1054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2004.09.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Baitz M (2016) Attributional life cycle assessment. In: Curran M (ed) Goal and scope definition in life cycle assessment. LCA compendium – the complete world of life cycle assessment. Springer, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0855-3_3

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Bevilacqua M, Ciarapica FE, Forcellese A, Simoncini M (2019) Comparison among the environmental impact of solid state and fusion welding processes in joining an aluminium alloy. Proc Inst Mech Eng B J Eng Manuf:095440541984557. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954405419845572

  5. Bowyer J, Bratkovich S, Fernholz K, Frank M, Groot H, Howe J, Pepke E (2015) Understanding steel recovery and recycling rates and limitations to recycling. In: Dovetail Partners report

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chang Y-J, Sproesser G, Neugebauer S, Wolf K, Scheumann R, Pittner A, Rethmeier M, Finkbeiner M (2015) Environmental and social life cycle assessment of welding technologies. Procedia CIRP 26:293–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2014.07.084

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cleveland CJ, Morris CG (2001) Handbook of energy. Volume 1: diagrams, charts, and tables 1st edition. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  8. Curran MA (2017) Overview of goal and scope definition in life cycle assessment. In: Curran MA (ed) Goal and scope definition in life cycle assessment. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, pp 1–62

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  9. Douglas CA, Harrison GP, Chick JP (2008) Life cycle assessment of the Seagen marine current turbine. Proc Inst Mech Eng, Part M: J Eng Maritime Environ

  10. EC (2016) European Commission. Environmental Footprint Guidance Document - Guidance for the Development of Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs), Version 6.0, November 2016. Available online: http://ec.europa. eu/environment/eussd/smgp/pdf/Guidance_products.pdf. IMO - The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships Adoption: 15 May 2009; Entry into force: 24 months after ratification by 15 States, representing 40 per cent of world merchant shipping by gross tonnage, combined maximum annual ship recycling volume not less than 3 per cent of their combined tonnage

  11. EcoInvent (2018) (Retrieved from http://www.ecoinvent.org/database/database.html, last access September 2018)

  12. ESAB (2019) Deposition efficiency of different welding technologies. (Retrieved from https://www.esabna.com/euweb/fm_handbook/577fm8_2.htm, last access July 2019)

  13. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) (1994) U.S. development of particulate and hazardous - emission factors for electric arc welding (AP-42, Section 12.19) Revised Final Report, May 20, 1994 (AP-42, Section 12.19)

  14. EU regulation (2013) No 1257/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on ship recycling and amending Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 and Directive 2009/16/EC

  15. Favi C, Campi F, Mandolini M, Germani M (2019a) Using engineering documentation to create a data framework for life cycle inventory of welded structures. Procedia CIRP 80:358–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2019.01.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Favi C, Campi F, Germani M (2019b) Comparative life cycle assessment of metal arc welding technologies by using engineering design documentation. Int J LCA In press. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-019-01621-x

  17. Favi C, Campi F, Germani M, Manieri S (2018) Using design information to create a data framework and tool for life cycle analysis of complex maritime vessels. J Clean Prod 192:887–905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Favi C, Germani M, Mandolini M (2016) Design for manufacturing and assembly vs. design to cost: toward a multi-objective approach for decision-making strategies during conceptual design of complex products. Procedia CIRP 50:275–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2016.04.190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Frischknecht R, Wyss F, Knöpfel SB, Lützkendorf T, Balouktsi M (2015) Cumulative energy demand in LCA: the energy harvested approach. Int J LCA 20:957–969. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-015-0897-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Goedkoop M, Heijungs R, Huijbregts M, De Schryver A, Struijs J, van Zelm R (2009) ReCiPe 2008: a life cycle impact assessment method which comprises harmonised category indicators at the midpoint and the endpoint level. Report I: Characterisation - First edition - VROM–Ruimte en Milieu, Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieubeheer. (Retrieved from http://www.lcia-recipe.net, last access September 2018)

  21. Heile RF, Hill DC (1975) Particulate fume generation in arc welding processes. Weld J

  22. Huijbregts MAJ, Steinmann ZJN, Elshout PMF, Stam G, Verones F, Vieira M, Zijp M, Hollander A, van Zelm R (2017) ReCiPe2016: a harmonised life cycle impact assessment method at midpoint and endpoint level. Int J LCA 22:138–147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1246-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: The physical science basis. In: Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M et al (eds) Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University press, Cambridge, UK, and New York

    Google Scholar 

  24. International Aluminium Institute (2009) Global aluminium recycling: a cornerstone of sustainable development

  25. International Organization for Standardization (2012a) ISO 9223:2012 Corrosion of metals and alloys - corrosivity of atmospheres - classification. In: Determination and estimation

    Google Scholar 

  26. International Organization for Standardization (2012b) ISO 9224:2012 Corrosion of metals and alloys - corrosivity of atmospheres - guiding values for the corrosivity categories

  27. ISO (2006a) 14040:2006 - Environmental management - LCA - Principles and Framework

  28. ISO (2006b) 14044:2006 -Environmental management - LCA - Requirements and Guidelines

  29. Jenney CL, O’Brien A (2001) Welding handbook, Vol. 1: welding science and technology. American Welding Society, Miami, Florida

    Google Scholar 

  30. Jungbluth N, Frischknecht R (2010) Implementation of life cycle impact assessment methods—chapter 2: cumulative energy demand, Ecoinvent report no. 3, Swiss Centre for LCI, Dübendorf, CH. (Retrieved from http://www.ecoinvent.org, last access September 2018)

  31. Kah P, Suoranta R, Martikainen J (2013) Advanced gas metal arc welding processes. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 67(1–4):655–674. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-012-4513-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Kim L, Park CE, Jeong YJ, Son JS (2001) Development of an intelligent system for selection of the process variables in gas metal arc welding processes. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 18(2):98–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001700170080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Means P, Guggemos A (2015) Framework for life cycle assessment (LCA) based environmental decision making during the conceptual design phase for commercial buildings. Procedia Engineering 118:802–812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Mikelis N (2013) Ship recycling markets and the impact of the Hong Kong convention. In: Proceedings of international conference on ship recycling

    Google Scholar 

  35. Peng H, Li T, Dong M, Shi J, Zhang H (2016) Life cycle assessment of a large-scale centrifugal compressor: a case study in China. J Clean Prod 139:810–820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. PRé Sustainability (2016) What’s new in SimaPro8? (Retrieved from https://www.pre-sustainability.com/publication-whats-new-in-simapro-8, last access September 2018)

  37. Reap J, Roman F, Duncan S, Bras B (2008) A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment - part 1: goal and scope and inventory analysis. Int J Life Cycle Assess 13:290–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-008-0008-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Ruy WS, Kim HK, Cho YJ, Ko DE (2017) Implementation of welding material quantity evaluation system combined with ship design CAD system. Int J Nav Archit Ocean Eng 9(2):219–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnaoe.2016.10.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Saad MH, Nazzal MA, Darras BM (2019) A general framework for sustainability assessment of manufacturing processes. Ecol Indic 97:211–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.09.062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Shrivastava A, Krones M, Pfefferkorn F (2015) Comparison of energy consumption and environmental impact of friction stir welding and gas metal arc welding for aluminum. CIRP J Manuf Sci Technol 9:159–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2014.10.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Sproesser G, Chang Y-J, Pittner A, Finkbeiner M, Rethmeier M (2015) Life cycle assessment of welding technologies for thick metal plate welds. J Clean Prod 108:46–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Sproesser G, Chang Y-J, Pittner A, Finkbeiner M, Rethmeier M (2017) Energy efficiency and environmental impacts of high power gas metal arc welding. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 91(9–12):3503–3513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-017-9996-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Zhang L, Huang H, Hu D, Li B, Zhang C (2016) Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions analysis of manufacturing of the hydraulic press slider within forging machine in China. J Clean Prod 113:565–576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.11.053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Zukauskaite A, Mickeviciene R, Karnauskaite D, Turkina L (2013) Environmental and humane health issue of welding in the shipyard. Proceedings of 17th international conference. Transport Means

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Università degli studi di Parma, Parco area delle scienze 181/A, 43121, Parma, Italy

    Claudio Favi

  2. Università Politecnica delle Marche, via brecce bianche n. 12, 60121, Ancona, Italy

    Federico Campi, Michele Germani & Marco Mandolini

Authors
  1. Claudio Favi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Federico Campi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michele Germani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marco Mandolini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claudio Favi.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 24 kb)

Appendix

Appendix

Table 10 Input parameters and equations
Full size table
Table 11 Output parameters and equations
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Favi, C., Campi, F., Germani, M. et al. A data framework for environmental assessment of metal arc welding processes and welded structures during the design phase. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 105, 967–993 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-019-04278-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-019-04278-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation