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Manufacturing

Carbon footprint of metal products from material to part.

The footprint of a metal part depends on the type and origin of the metal, the process that forms it, surface treatments, the scrap it generates and transport. Xain calculates it from the drawing and data sheet using physical factors, and it is one of the sectors included in the LRQA verification.

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Updated on

Key figures

  • 3.21%

    average deviation from data measured at the factory, calculating from manufacturing technical documentation.

  • 2–3h

    of calculation per product in the Xain engine.

  • 2–3days

    working days until you have the verified product certificate.

Machined partA technical drawing of a part that traces itself line by line. Beside it, the three calculation nodes, material, process (including its energy) and transport, light up one by one until the certificate.LHFRONT VIEW

How the result is built

  1. Material
  2. Process
  3. Transport
  4. Certificate with a registration number
Schematic illustration. It does not show real data.

By process

Which processes does the calculation cover?

The starting metal sets the base. Then each operation adds up separately and scrap is counted carefully.

  1. Starting material

    Type of metal, alloy and, if known, its origin.

  2. Forming and machining

    Machine energy, material loss and swarf.

  3. Joining and treatments

    Welding, galvanising, painting or other finishes.

  4. Transport

    From the material supplier to your plant and from the part to the customer.

Anyone making metal parts receives footprint requests from automotive, machinery, construction or capital-goods customers, who need them for their own Scope 3. The footprint of a part is not solved with a sector average: it changes with the metal, the process and the origin.

What weighs the most in the footprint of a metal part?

First, the starting metal: producing it uses a lot of energy and varies with the type, the alloy and whether it is primary or recycled. Then come forming or machining (machine energy and lost material), treatments and transport. A heavily machined part can carry more material loss than another of similar weight.

What data is used?

The drawing or data sheet and, when you have them, your plant consumption and the origin data for the metal from your supplier. Xain adapts the calculation to the available data: without manufacturing detail it uses average physical factors in line with ISO 14067; with process data (recycled content, energy origin, etc.) it incorporates them and the result is more precise. Where information is missing the most conservative factor is applied and noted. It is the usual method: physical factors versus spend.

And if you work with aluminium?

Aluminium has its own page because the origin of the metal, primary or recycled, dominates the result: aluminium footprint. For other metals, this page and the per-part calculation are the starting point.

What do you receive?

A certificate per style or part number, with the value per unit, the calculation boundary (cradle to gate), the ISO 14067 standard and a registration number, with traceability down to the factor of each node. Metal products are one of the sectors included in the LRQA verification.

What data do you gather to start?

  • Drawing or data sheet with material, alloy and part weight.
  • Manufacturing process: machining, forming, welding, treatments.
  • Material loss per operation and the destination of scrap.
  • Origin of the metal, if your supplier provides it, and inbound transport mode.

Common mistakes

  • Using the final weight of the part. The material coming in weighs more than what goes out.
  • Ignoring surface treatments. Galvanising or painting also add up.
  • Mixing metals under one figure. Each metal has its own factors.

Are your customers asking for the footprint per part? Tell us your case.

Frequently asked questions

What companies usually ask before getting started.

What documentation is needed for a metal part?

The drawing or data sheet with material and weight, the manufacturing processes and, if you have them, your plant consumption and the origin of the metal. The drawing is enough to get started.

What about scrap?

Process scrap is usually remelted, but it has to be counted properly: the material loss of each operation and its destination are recorded.

Is steel calculated the same way as aluminium?

The method is the same (a process tree with physical factors), but each metal has its own factors, and aluminium has its own page because primary or recycled origin weighs so heavily.

What if I do not have manufacturing detail?

Xain adapts the calculation to the available data: without detail it uses average physical factors in line with ISO 14067; if you provide process data, it incorporates them and the result is more precise.

  • Manufacturing

    How to calculate the footprint of industrial parts and products: material, process (including its energy) and transport, from documents you already have.

  • Aluminium

    How to calculate the carbon footprint of extruded or machined aluminium parts: primary or recycled metal, process energy, scrap and transport.

  • Product footprint

    Certify your product’s carbon footprint with an ISO 14067 method verified by LRQA, from your technical documentation, with registration and traceability.

  • Physical vs spend factors

    Differences between spend-based and physical emission factors: how they are calculated, what errors they cause and when each fits for products and Scope 3.

Tell us what you want to measure

One product, a catalogue or your purchases. We reply with the next steps.

Contact Xain