An appraisal of the cradle-to-gate energy demand and carbon footprint of high-speed steel cutting tools

The awareness of the environmental impact of the manufacturing sector has increased over the last few decades. This paper presents the results of an LCA-based approach used to evaluate the production of a threading tool (i.e., an M10 × 1.25 spiral point tap) made of high-speed steel. The cumulative energy demand and CO2-equivalent emissions have been quantified throughout the entire tool manufacturing process. Both the pre-manufacturing steps and the upstream/downstream flows of the used material have been accounted for, considering cradle-to-gate (plus end-of-life) system boundaries. The results show that the share of primary energy employed to produce the tool is mainly imputable to the manufacturing processes. Therefore, this analysis could contribute to fostering the development of structured assessment frameworks that would allow cutting tool manufacturers to identify the weak points of their production routes to be optimized.