Product carbon footprint calculation

4cost-aces/sustain contains a database with more than 950 materials and their respective carbon footprints. This means that no extensive preliminary research is necessary. The material database is fully editable and can be supplemented with your own values. The supplied data records are regularly updated by 4cost.

The well-proven parametric calculation model of 4cost-aces/sustain automatically determines the carbon emissions of the selected manufacturing processes in conjunction with the product specifications and the materials used in each case, depending on the various technologies and additional processes.

An individual sustainability level can be defined for each production site, ranging from ‘not sustainable at all’ to ‘fully sustainable’. Each element (component, assembly, system) can then be assigned to a manufacturing site with its sustainability level. This level influences the calculated carbon footprint and the associated costs. It enables quick scenario analyses to identify optimal locations for production.

An individual energy level can be set for each production site, ranging from ‘very low energy consumption’ (e.g. pure assembly) to ‘extreme energy consumption’ (e.g. foundry or hardening shop). Each element (component, assembly, system) can then be assigned a manufacturing site with its energy level. This level influences the calculated carbon footprint and the associated costs. It enables quick scenario analyses to identify optimal locations for production.

4cost-aces/sustain offers two options for planning sustainable transport routes: The AI-assisted route planning automatically determines the optimal means of transport (lorry, train, ship, plane) and routes between the selected destinations. The manual route planning allows users to select their desired means of transport and routes. In both cases, the software calculates the amount of CO2 emitted during transport and the associated costs.

For the exact calculation of distances, it is possible to specify production sites at address level. Once defined, the locations are stored in the database with their coordinates and are then available for all projects and users.

Once defined, routes are stored in the database with their respective coordinates and are then available for all projects and users. These routes also serve as templates from which alternatives can quickly be derived (e.g. changing means of transport or adding a stopover with the same start and end addresses. The effects on carbon emissions and the impact on costs are immediately apparent.

Five different transport classes (e.g. container or hazardous goods) are predefined in 4cost-aces/sustain, which can be set individually for each element (component, assembly, system). Customised transport classes can easily be added to the database. This is followed by a multi-dimensional, parametric calculation that automatically takes into account the dimensions, masses and quantities of the goods to be transported. Carbon emissions and associated transport costs are instantly displayed according to the selected transport class. This allows for rapid what-if analyses and risk assessments to provide a solid basis for decision making.

To provide logisticians with quick analyses and insights into possible optimisations, 4cost-aces/sustain automatically calculates the masses and distances to be transported for each individual element (component, assembly, system). The calculation takes into account batch sizes, excess quantities, mechanical and electronic components and defined routes.

4cost-aces/sustain comes with six predefined packaging classes (e.g. single packaging or impact-resistant packaging), which can be set individually for each element (component, assembly, system). Customised packaging classes can easily be added to the database. Due to the significant impact of oversize and very complex product geometry on packaging costs and carbon footprint, it is possible to further adjust the assigned packaging classes using the ‘Oversize’ and ‘Complex Geometry’ options.

This is followed by a multi-dimensional, parametric calculation that automatically takes into account the dimensions, masses and quantities of the goods to be packaged. Carbon emissions and associated packaging costs are instantly displayed according to the packaging class set. This allows for rapid what-if analyses and risk assessments to ensure informed decision making. If the analysis is carried out during the development phase, optimisations can be made to the product design at an early stage in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the packaging.

Each element (component, assembly, system) can be assigned a location for packaging and transport, including a sustainability level. This level affects the carbon footprint of the packaging and the selected transport type from the location to the destination. This makes it possible to compare the environmental and cost impacts of different locations in a clear and structured way.

4cost-aces/sustain comes with seven predefined disposal classes (e.g. ‘slightly contaminated’ or ‘recyclable’) which can be set individually for each element (component, assembly, system). Customised disposal classes can easily be added to the database. Since dismantlability and non-destructive disposal have a significant impact on disposal costs and the carbon footprint, it is possible to further adjust the assigned disposal classes using the ‘Dismantlable’ and ‘Non-destructive’ options.

This is followed by a multi-dimensional parametric calculation that automatically takes into account the dimensions, masses and quantities of the goods to be disposed. The carbon emissions and the associated disposal costs are immediately displayed according to the disposal class set. This enables a holistic view of the product life cycle. If the analysis is carried out during the development phase, optimisations can be made to the product design at an early stage to reduce the carbon footprint of the disposal.

All entries and changes to the sustainability parameters are calculated immediately by 4cost-aces/sustain and the results are presented clearly in a report. The carbon footprint and costs can be displayed both for the entire project and for each individual structural element. Thanks to the real-time report feature, all variants and scenarios can be quickly and easily compared to identify the respective optimum.

When calculating carbon emissions for production, packaging, transport and disposal, offsetting certificate shares can be set for each element (component, assembly, system). The price for carbon equivalents is managed in a central database and regularly updated by 4cost.

To minimise errors and optimise the selected configurations, 4cost-aces/sustain performs logic checks on all user-defined settings. This ensures that the selected settings are validated and confirmed.

All entries and resulting values can be exported from 4cost-aces/sustain to Excel sheets and thus made accessible to other applications.