We are making mobility energy efficient, low on emissions and therefore climate and resource friendly.
Stefan Bräuherr – Head of Corporate Responsibility at Knorr-Bremse AG
Ecodesign. Proven success improving the CO2 footprint of products with life cycle analyses.
Alongside performance, sustainability is now a key factor for successful products. Knorr-Bremse uses life cycle analyses to determine the CO2 footprint of its products and systems from production to disposal – a solid indicator of improved environmental compatibility.
Cooperation across divisions
What CO2 footprint do products leave behind? This question receives particular attention at Knorr-Bremse as one of the company's strategic cornerstones. In order to anchor the sustainability and environmental compatibility of products even more firmly in the development process, Knorr-Bremse initiated the cross-divisional working group "Ecodesign" in 2017. It is comprised of specialists from the two corporate divisions Rail Vehicle Systems and Commercial Vehicle Systems working hand in hand with the Corporate Responsibility team. "We are constantly striving to make mobility energy efficient, low on emissions and therefore climate and resource friendly," explains Stefan Bräuherr, who belongs to the steering group Ecodesign as Head of Corporate Responsibility at Knorr-Bremse. Successes can be very well documented by carrying out life cycle analyses.
Life cycle analyses on a standardized, transparent basis
This CO2 calculation takes into account not only the material and energy consumption of the products and systems during operation, but also any use of materials and energy arising in the manufacturing, recycling and disposal processes. The calculation is based on the international standard for life cycle assessment ISO 14040 and the UNIFE Product Category Rules. "With these benchmarks, we have developed our analyses on a clearly standardized and transparent basis," explains Stefan Bräuherr. The analysis results demonstrate how environmental impacts have been successfully reduced through continued product development. For example, the new Light Weight Caliper for weight-sensitive applications has achieved a 24-percent improvement on the CO2 footprint of a conventional standard caliper.
Optimized design, lower resource consumption
The new brake caliper primarily enables these savings through lower material consumption and a 33-percent reduction in weight. This stems from an optimized design that enables lower use of resources through each phase of the life cycle. The improvement pays off two-fold: given a standard metro application and a service life of 40 years, Knorr-Bremse estimates that each Light Weight Caliper brings energy savings of 10 MWh. The operator benefits from cost savings while at the same time achieving a significantly better environmental balance. Knorr-Bremse presented the "exemplary" evaluation of the Light Weight Caliper's CO2 footprint at the leading international trade fair InnoTrans 2018.