Since people first learned how to extract iron from the ground and convert it into steel, humankind has bent, rolled, and shaped metal into useful objects that improve our everyday lives. Centuries later, we still rely on fabricated metal products to assist us in our daily tasks.
However, over the past few decades, there’s been increased focus on reducing our dependence on finite materials such as metal to help mitigate the impact of mining on the environment. Additionally, many traditional mining practices have come under a microscope as consumers become more concerned with the industry’s carbon footprint.
It has been reported that the iron and steel industry accounts for 8 percent of global energy demand, fueling calls for fabricators to find ways to reduce energy consumption in all areas of its practices, including how it sources its materials.
Innovations such as CNC technology have revolutionized how we fabricate steel, but what sort of advancements have we made in sourcing it? Let’s look at how sustainable material sourcing is reshaping the metalworking industry.
Fabricating Using Recycled Materials
Every time you put a metal recyclable in your office blue bin, you’re helping to create a more sustainable metal fabrication industry. That’s no exaggeration either; using recycled metals in fabrication projects is quickly gaining ground among manufacturers to reduce the need to source virgin materials from the ground.
Using recycled metals also addresses the issue of material scarcity, which can cause the price of virgin materials to rise. For example, aluminum, one of the most commonly used metals in fabrication, can be repurposed indefinitely without losing its properties. Fabricating with recycled materials also helps manufacturers optimize their energy spend, as producing new steel from recycled iron and steel uses 60 percent less energy compared to using virgin materials.
This approach supports what’s known as a circular economy, in which materials are reused and recycled to create a closed-loop system. Companies use this model in their sustainable material sourcing strategy by prioritizing metals that can easily be recycled or repurposed, including precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper, over sourcing materials from the ground.
Upgrading Technology To Reduce Waste
Precision machine projects demand intricate cuts, especially when tolerances are tight. Humans working on these pieces sometimes make mistakes, leaving wasted material on the production shop floor.
However, innovations such as CNC machine tables automate the process using robots to make the cuts. Since the cutting instructions are relayed to the CNC machine by code, there is almost no chance of error for the entire production run. Fewer wasted metals mean less material sourcing, which is good for the environment. It also helps fabrication service providers reduce machining expenses, optimizing their customers’ manufacturing budgets.
Read More: Precision Machining’s Role In Automotive Parts Fabrication
Reducing The Fabricator’s Carbon Emissions
Extracting raw material from the earth is energy-intensive, as is processing and transporting it to the fabrication facility. All of this adds up to high levels of carbon emissions at a time when consumers are increasingly concerned with the environment. Companies can reduce their carbon emissions by sourcing material locally or using recycled materials instead.
Many companies are implementing life cycle assessments (LCAs) to help identify areas where they can further reduce carbon emissions. These reports measure the environmental impact of every step in their fabrication supply chain, from materials sourcing straight through the final delivery of the finished product. The information can then be used to make process changes that result in better environmentally-friendly practices.
Getting Others Involved In Sustainable Material Sourcing
Optimizing your material sourcing techniques to create a more sustainable industry and reduce carbon issues can make a difference. However, truly impactful change can be accomplished with a coordinated industry-wide effort to develop meaningful guidelines and tangible goals that will help protect our environment.
Get started with knowledge sharing by referencing online resources and information that will help you and your colleagues adopt sustainable practices. The United States National Institute of Standards and Technology and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) are great starting points for companies interested in optimizing their processes to reduce their environmental impact, including information on replacing traditional materials sourcing with more sustainable solutions.
This research will also help you inform your suppliers, partners, and fabrication colleagues to help them adopt environmentally friendly practices. Working together, we’ll preserve our planet and industry for future generations.
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