Benchmarking aluminium die casting operations

Increasing demand in world automotive markets for aluminium die cast components is creating significant opportunities and challenges for the Australian industry, which is positioning itself as a global player. To meet these challenges, the industry is continuously seeking to improve its overall resource efficiency that can result in the reduction of cost and impact on green house gas (GHG) emissions. In order to understand and evaluate the current position, this study benchmarks the use of aluminium and high-use operating resources of a large representative aluminium high-pressure die casting (HPDC) facility. By modelling the complex web of product, recycling and waste flows, resource efficiencies, costs and GHG impacts of the considered resources are computed. The central focus of this study is the in-house recycling flows of aluminium, normally considered good practice, though it can have negative implications on resource efficiency, costs and GHG impact. In fact, as revealed by this study, the recycling losses contribute as much as around 49% of the total aluminium melted adding about 44% to the cost of manufacture and 50% of the GHG added in production. Using the insights obtained, the technological and other systemic factors that contribute to the losses are identified and areas of improvements are suggested.