How can complex products such as car headlights be transferred to a circular economy? This is a problem being tackled by a consortium led by FORVIA company HELLA, which also includes Covestro, BMW, geba
Kunststoffcompounds and the Fraunhofer Institute for Design of Mechatronic Systems IEM, Heinz
Nixdorf Institute and Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences. Its goal is to optimize the sustainability of a product’s entire life cycle in order to make it more environmentally friendly and conserve resources.
The research project, called NALYSES, starts in October 2022 and is planned to last three years, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Miele is also involved in the project as a relevant partner to evaluate the transferability of the research results in the production of household appliances.
Modern materials such as polycarbonate plastics fulfill some important requirements in the development and design of today’s automotive headlights, including the transparent covers used in this type of lighting system. However, these plastic materials also play an important role when it comes to the reuse of products, remanufacturing or recycling of end-of-life materials. Current developments are also aimed at building a more sustainable raw material base.
Jan, Global Technical Marketing Manager of Covestro Lighting Systems Business and Project Manager of NALYSES
Helmig explains: “The focus of our participation in this pioneering project is the design of materials and recycling strategies. We have extensive expertise in this area. As part of the new project, we want to work with partners to develop a Approximate series solutions for periods”.
Focus on one plastic to simplify recycling
A few years ago, Covestro already presented a visionary automotive headlight concept for future vehicle lighting. This modular approach, based on different types of polycarbonate, reduces assembly steps, space requirements, costs as well as CO2 emissions, as the weight of the prototype can be reduced by 1.5 kg compared to conventional solutions. The key, however, is to focus on one plastic, as this reduces the labor required to separate, sort and store it in the recycling stream without compromising material properties.
Covestro also offers more environmentally friendly polycarbonate grades. These Makrolon®
RE products are climate-neutral from cradle to Covestro’s factory gate, thanks to the use of renewable electricity in its own production process and the introduction of raw materials from mass-balanced biowaste and residues.
In the future, lighting systems will be designed so that they can be recycled at the highest possible added value level. This also includes the reuse of entire components. As part of the NALYSES project, Covestro is supporting these developments, including the evaluation of technologies for material recovery. The company is also responsible for characterizing and optimizing material properties, and is working on using the right materials to extend the life of lights.
Digital twin
As defined by automakers such as BMW, new projects look at the entire value chain from raw materials to design and overall system requirements. The development and analysis of digital twins can ensure that recyclability and carbon footprint can be assessed at any stage of the development process. In this way, less sustainable developments can be avoided even before design and production.
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