Cut the scrap: making more use of less metal

Julian Allwood; Omer Music; Evros Loukaides; Markus Bambach

doi:10.1016/j.cirp.2025.04.013

Cut the scrap: making more use of less metal

Julian Allwood
, Omer Music
, Evros Loukaides
, Markus Bambach

University of Cambridge
TED University
ETH Zürich

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Action to cut emissions is likely to reduce production of the bulk metals. However, up to 80 % of steel and 90 % of aluminium made today are wasted in three forms of scrap: manufacturing scrap cut off in the supply chain, specification scrap from over-design and property scrap in which materials are under exploited. Innovations in product design and forming technology can reduce this scrap, but only if delivered in high-throughput processes, to overcome trade-offs with the economies of scale. The priority for innovation is to adapt tooling and controls in existing forming processes, not to attempt to replace them.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	895-919
Number of pages	25
Journal	CIRP Annals
Volume	74
Issue number	2
Early online date	12 Jun 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirp.2025.04.013
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 12 Jun 2025

Funding

The work of JMA and OM on this paper was supported in part by EPSRC (Grant EP/S019111/1, UK FIRES). The work of EGL was supported in part by the Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation (EPSRC Grant EP/V062042/1).

Funders	Funder number
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council	EP/S019111/1 , EP/V062042/1

Keywords

Environment
Material efficiency
Metal forming

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Mechanical Engineering
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cirp.2025.04.013Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Action to cut emissions is likely to reduce production of the bulk metals. However, up to 80 \% of steel and 90 \% of aluminium made today are wasted in three forms of scrap: manufacturing scrap cut off in the supply chain, specification scrap from over-design and property scrap in which materials are under exploited. Innovations in product design and forming technology can reduce this scrap, but only if delivered in high-throughput processes, to overcome trade-offs with the economies of scale. The priority for innovation is to adapt tooling and controls in existing forming processes, not to attempt to replace them.",

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AU - Bambach, Markus

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Cut the scrap: making more use of less metal

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Made Smarter Innovation - People-Led Digitalisation

Cite this

Cut the scrap: making more use of less metal

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Made Smarter Innovation - People-Led Digitalisation

Cite this