Life cycle
Without a life cycle approach we would never be able to minimize our negative impact where it really counts.
Take a look at the items in the list to find out more about our life cycle approach.
Life cycle
Extraction of natural resources
Major environmental impacts from mining activities are typically depletion of natural resources, mining waste and energy use. Most of the minerals used in welding consumables are fairly common in the crust of the earth and are not considered as hazardous to the environment. There are however some, like heavy metals used in high alloyed steels that can be hazardous to the environment. In some cases mining waste contains hazardous components especially when metals like lead or cadmium is present in the rock.
Conversion to raw materials or components
Conversion of minerals and metals to raw materials and components for welding consumables and equipment is sometimes very energy intensive. Besides environmental impact from energy use, common impact from this life cycle stage is non product output to air, water and land. Important suppliers to ESAB, besides suppliers of minerals, are steel, electronic and packaging material industries.
Production
Environmental impact from production generally comes from energy use and non-product output to water and land. Production of equipment means emissions to air of volatile organic compounds as long as not only water based paint is used. Production of consumables generates emissions to water and waste which contains metals and fluorides.
Transports
Our Life Cycle Assessments show that transports, in general, have a much smaller impact on the environment than for instance raw materials and product use. Reducing transport distances and choosing the right means of transport is nevertheless important to reduce the total environmental impact.
Product use
Energy efficiency is the most important factor for reducing environmental impact from welding equipment. Welding consumables on the other hand, generates welding slag, fumes and/or stub ends depending on type of consumable. The analysis of welding slag depends on the consumable used, but CaF2 and oxides of Ca, Mg, Al, Mn, Ti, Fe, Si are common components. When welding high alloyed steel, oxides of Cr and/or Ni are also present. We have made studies on leaching of metals and fluorides from slags under different conditions. These studies shows that leaching is slow but does occur. Welding fumes may be hazardous and should be kept away from the welders breathing zone. Fume components contributing to the health hazard are mainly heavy metals and fluorides. This is discussed in more detail in the publication Welding and Cutting - risks and measures.
End of life
Welding consumables becomes part of the construction that is welded. Sooner or later this construction becomes scrap and recycling of metals in this construction is the most important way of reducing environmental impact. Welding equipment is usually used for many years, but how much of the plates wires and electronics that are recycled at the end of life, decides the environmental impact from this last life cycle stage.
