Objective System Level Sustainability Evaluation of Competing Materials for Demanding Automotive Applications

The authors will present findings from their cradle-to-cradle Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) study which captures an objective and comprehensive system level evaluation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of four different material types used in the same automotive application: Unsaturated Polyester Resin (UPR) SMC, steel, aluminum and glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP-GF). This study includes the simulation driven design of four mid-sized pickup boxes which were designed according to automotive requirements and relevant design guidelines for each material. OEM experts were consulted to validate the relevant specifications and boundary conditions. The technical paper includes details on the geometric design, simulation, production processes, life cycle and environmental impact assessment all in compliance with ISO standards (14040/14044) for the Cradle-to-Cradle PCF. This paper provides guidance and insights to help engineers develop effective strategies for material selection and sustainable product design. The study demonstrated lifetime GHG emission benefits of UPR SMC on system level, urging the implementation of system level analyses in the material selection for automotive applications and warning that the environmental considerations without a holistic view on system level might be misleading.