Material selection supported by digital simulation can reduce_CO2 emissions by up to 40 percent in the production of components and devices. Schunk, a company specializing in gripping and clamping technology, and simulation specialist Cadfem demonstrated this in a pilot project involving the manufacture of an industrial gripper. The project was based on the Ansys Granta Selector simulation software, which contains detailed information on several thousand different materials and thus enables a much wider selection of suitable materials.

Daniel Barta, a development engineer at Schunk, explains the specific approach as well as the benefits and potential cost savings. In general, he notes, material selection is becoming increasingly complex today, while at the same time, demands on materials, manufacturing, and—above all—sustainability are rising. “We therefore removed the components with the highest emissions from the gripper and considered how we could reduce_CO2 emissions by using alternative materials and manufacturing processes,” explains Daniel Barta. This led to the identification of two promising approaches: the use of secondary materials with a high recycled content, as well as the use of additive manufacturing processes powered by renewable energy, can result in_{CO2 savings} of up to 40 percent in the gripper.

Materials: The Key to Innovation and Cost-Effectiveness

"Material data is the foundation for every technical decision," Barta emphasizes. Today, he says, it is "the key to innovation, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability." The Ansys Granta Selector material selection tool, along with the additional EcoAudit calculation module for assessing the environmental footprint, was crucial for evaluating and comparing the various material and manufacturing options.

At Schunk, the company sought ways to improve material selection, particularly in the context of digital transformation. For a long time, as is still common in many industrial and manufacturing facilities, this process relied primarily on past individual experience and established manual processes. Using the Ansys Granta Selector material database, the company has now been able to identify, among other things, various aluminum and steel alloys whose application, processability, load-bearing capacity, and environmental footprint could be extensively tested in the software—before they were implemented in actual production.

Sustainable materials offer a significant competitive advantage

"This allows all materials to be specifically evaluated against sustainability criteria, and the corresponding values to be reported," said Barta. Since Schunk's customers, for their part, must meet and demonstrate compliance with sustainability requirements, this objective information represents a significant competitive advantage.

In addition to the use of secondary materials, the production process using additive manufacturing methods powered by renewable energy was also examined in terms of its_{CO2 reduction potential}. This manufacturing approach was also analyzed in advance using an environmental simulation and optimized for the respective requirements and materials used.

Expansion to Other Business Units

In the next step,Schunk plans to use such digital tools to establish a centralized materials data management system so that it can analyze and optimize costs, process efficiency, and sustainability for other areas of the company as well. The material data management software Ansys Granta MI (MI for Material Intelligence), distributed by Cadfem for this purpose, not only supports material selection but also facilitates interfaces between engineering and other departments that interact with materials, such as procurement, quality assurance, and compliance. Such a centralized system, serving as a digital information source, reduces manual steps and creates even greater efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness throughout the entire product development process.