Project to tackle carbon cost of metal car parts

Peter Douglas from Metal Assemblies and Ronnie Akumu, KTP partner at Aston Business School, will work together on the scheme

A metal fabricator has teamed up with a university to develop a method to calculate the carbon costs of metal car parts.

The collaboration between Aston Business School and Metal Assemblies in West Bromwich tackles what it describes as "one of the industry's biggest sustainability challenges".

Environmental regulations require detailed data on the carbon cost of vehicle components, with tariffs imposed on energy-intensive imported goods.

It is hoped the partnership will result in greener methods of making vehicle parts, enable cost information to be passed to customers and help automotive supply chains across Europe limit taxes.

Metal Assemblies produces machined metal components and welded assemblies for manufacturers such as Toyota, BMW and Nissan.

The firm said it wanted to be the first in the sector to offer the detailed carbon cost information.

CEO Iain Collis explained a robust approach to measuring the data did not currently exist.

"We'll be transforming this end of the supply chain in ways that provide value to our customers, while differentiating ourselves from our competitors," he said.

During the three-year project, academics will look at the fabricator's energy consumption and suggest alternative sustainable products and processes.

Dr Breno Nunes from Aston Business School said academics would point the manufacturer toward "a clear direction to take for a more sustainable future".

The collaboration, a knowledge transfer partnership, is funded by the UK's Innovation agency, Innovate UK.