INDUSTRY NEWS
CircularMetal programme
The UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research Programme aims to create a sustainable circular economy for lots of different industries , including metals .
“ Metals and metal products create 10- 20 % of all the world ’ s harmful impacts , such as greenhouse gas emissions and pollution and energy consumption . We cannot do without goods made from metals , so we must learn how to make their use circular i . e . extend their lifetimes and increase their repair , re-use and recycling ,” it told ISMR .
The Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Metals aims to accelerate the transition from the current largely take-make-waste linear economy to full metal circulation by conducting high-quality research and innovation through a systems approach . Its ambition is to make the UK the first country to realise full metal circulation ( at least for high-volume metals – steel and aluminium ) by 2050 . This will form an integral part of the UK government ’ s efforts to achieve Net Zero by 2050 .
To deliver the CircularMetal research programme , The Warwick Manufacturing Group ( WMG ) at the University of Warwick in the UK will conduct inter-disciplinary research on steel production , recycling technologies , remanufacturing of steel components and artificial intelligence in scrap separation . The metals industry in the UK employs 230,000 people , and directly contributes £ 10.7bn to the UK GDP . An interdisciplinary academic team will research how to make a sustainable circular economy for high-volume metals , with WMG at the University of Warwick focused on steel .
The UKRI has established five Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centres in the UK , coordinated by the Circular Economy
Hub ( CE-Hub ), which together form the NICER Programme , a £ 30-million investment on research aimed at developing a circular economy in the UK . One of these CECs is CircularMetal , the Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Metals , led by Brunel University London , with partners from WMG , University of Warwick , University College London and Loughborough University .
The ultimate aim of the group is to make the UK fully circulate all its steel and aluminium , thereby minimising or eliminating the extraction of raw materials and the production of waste .
WMG , at the University of Warwick , will specifically research steel , including opportunities for re-use and the technologies for scrap sorting to increase recyclability , working with partners in the project on business model supply chains and the economy and policy surrounding them .
The Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Metals is a four-year project , which started in January 2021 with £ 4.2m funding from UKRI . Discussions within the team on strategies to reuse / recycle / reduce / remanufacture / recovery and the technological barriers are ongoing with input being provided to government groups .
Professor Claire Davis , from WMG , University of Warwick , commented :
“ At WMG , University of Warwick , we hope to research how technology can help us to re-use and recycle steels , for example , understanding the end-of-life condition of steel components to determine whether and how they can be used , and using artificial intelligence to increase scrap recyclability . If metals can be fully recycled and re-used , the need to extract raw materials to make them in the first place could be eliminated , and
The building housing the Warwick arm of the CircularMetal project at WMG , University of Warwick ( image credit : WMG , University of Warwick .)
the current workforce in the metals industry could be reskilled to work in recycling and repurposing metals .”
Professor Brian Cantor , Deputy Director , The UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Metals BCAST , from Brunel University , added :
“ Metallic materials are the backbone of manufacturing and the fuel for economic growth . They underpin the competitive position of almost every industrial sector and , including metal manufacture and downstream product processing , collectively contribute 15-20 % of all greenhouse gas emissions , pollution and energy consumption . Transformation of the metals industries from the current largely linear economy to a circular economy will , therefore , play a critical role in delivering the government ’ s industrial strategy for clean growth , doubling of resource productivity and reaching net zero carbon emissions in 2050 .
“ CircularMetal is focused on helping the UK become the first country to realise full metal circulation , concentrating on the two main bulk metals aluminium and steel , and the three main industrial sectors of transport , construction and packaging ,” he concluded . n
EuroBLECH 2022 in focus
Don ’ t miss this year ’ s EuroBLECH exhibition in Hanover , Germany , from 25-28 October 2022 . It is the largest trade exhibition for the sheet metal working industry and attracts top industry professionals from all over the world . It targets sheet metal working specialists at all management levels in small and medium-sized companies as well as large enterprises .
EuroBLECH 2022 will be occupying halls 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 26 and 27 at the world ’ s largest exhibition grounds in Hanover , Germany . The new hall 26 will host exhibitors of joining technology , as well as surface and tool technology which were previously in hall 13 .
“ As a vertical trade show , EuroBLECH covers the entire sheet metal working technology chain and offers the industry sector a unique marketplace for knowledge transfer , individual manufacturing solutions and worldwide business contacts ,” said the show organiser , Mack Brooks Exhibitions .
“ In this era of digital change , the sheet metal working industry has acquired pole position . Key topics , such as e-mobility and sustainable production , are important drivers for new materials and products as well as the digitalisation of manufacturing processes including planning , control and logistics ,” it added . n
ISMR March 2022 | sheetmetalplus . com | 15