However, by optimizing fuel consumption and innovating in new drive concepts, a significant reduction in CO2 emissions has been achieved from around 175 g CO2/km in 2000 to 140 g CO2/km in 2010 and 95 g CO2/km in 2020. This trend must continue in the coming years if the climate protection targets of the next few years are to be achieved.
The topic of sustainability is therefore also very important to the ARNOLD GROUP from Germany. Alongside e-mobility, internationalization, lightweight engineering and digitalization, it is one of the fastener manufacturer's five defined strategic directions.
The company's experts know this: When viewed across an entire value chain, an individual footprint is created for each product. The emissions of the supply chain members are added together. This means that companies downstream in the supply chain take on the emissions of their suppliers via the products and services they purchase and then pass these on to their customers together with their own CO2 emissions.
ACO2-Save offers a wide range of opportunities for CO2 savings
With this in mind, ARNOLD UMFORMTECHNIK has launched the ACO2-Save initiative (the A stands for ARNOLD). Customers are actively supported in reducing CO2 emissions by designing and using fasteners and cold-formed parts sustainably. An accompanying CO2 calculation is carried out during the development process. Using a specially developed CO2 calculator, the so-called product carbon footprint for the part requested from ARNOLD can be determined and then jointly optimized. The goal at the end of the development process is a technically high-quality product that is both cost- and CO2-optimized.
Thanks to ACO2-Save and the associated change in production technology, German savings potential was achieved and the CO2 emissions generated by this screw during production were reduced by around 45 percent.
The design components here are: CO2-optimized engineering using digital forecasting tools, analysis of CO2 optimization through a possible change in production technology or a change in fastening technology and the use of innovative fasteners or fastening systems. One example proves that this ACO2-Save approach works: a special aluminum screw with a volume of 8,733 mm3 and a weight of 23.58 g per piece was previously produced using traditional machining methods. A turned part blank with an initial volume of 25,630 mm3 and 69.2 g per piece was used for production. Thanks to an ACO2 Save analysis, this part could be converted to a formed part from the Conform Next product range. The result: after optimization, the formed blank has a volume of just 9,135 mm3 and 24.82 g per piece. In addition to the considerable cost optimization resulting from the lower material usage during cold forming, this has a significant impact on the product carbon footprint of the special screw.
About ARNOLD UMFORMTECHNIK
The ARNOLD GROUP, internationally renowned for innovative fastening technology, has developed into a leading supplier and development partner for complex fastening systems thanks to its extensive expertise in the production of intelligent fasteners. Under the umbrella of “BlueFastening Systems”, the company positions itself as a comprehensive provider of engineering, fasteners, functional parts, feeding systems and processing technology. This holistic combination of experience and know-how offers efficient, sustainable solutions on an international level. ARNOLD has been part of the Würth Group since 1994.
