CERTIFICATIONS
Here are two ways that Copper Alloys Ltd can help you make the world a better place for future generations:
1. Recycle More
The average component loses 60% of its weight by the time it is finish machined. As Copper Alloys makes the metal and machines the component, it can close the loop and recycle the swarf and scrap generated in the machining process.
Careful control and segregation over the machining scrap and swarf enables Copper Alloys to directly recycle. Without this diligence, additional energy-intensive stages such as refining (remelting and separating the constituent elements of the mixed metals) have to be employed. Often the importance of segregation is underestimated by machinists who often see the waste as a necessary by-product.
2. Design equipment to last longer
Here’s an example for you: consider submarines in the UK. Modern boats are expected to last for 50 years. Certain components in contact with seawater are replaced every five years purely because the metal they are made from is unable to withstand the corrosive environment. Some quick arithmetic will tell you that these parts are replaced up to 10-times over the lifetime of a boat. Alas, there are many thousands of such parts on each boat.
In February 2019 after over two decades of development the Ministry of Defence released an alloy call Def Stan 02-886, which is the Defence Standard for a material that is specifically designed to replace the existing metals but last the lifetime of the boat. Not only that, this material has the added benefit that it is five-times tougher than the existing metal. He’s an example to illustrate what this means to the UK Government, the Royal Navy, Industry and the British Taxpayer:
| Alloy | Part | No. parts/boat | Lifespan (yrs) | Life of boat (yrs) | No parts/boat/life | Selling price ea | Thru-life part cost to Navy | Industry Profit each | Profit/boat/life | Manufacturing stages over 50 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Def Stan 02-833 | Valve | 10 | 5 | 50 | 100 | £24,000 | £2,400,000 | £3,500 | £350,000 | 56 |
| Def Stan 02-886 | Valve | 10 | 50 | 50 | 10 | £69,000 | £690,000 | £40,000 | £400,000 | 6 |
Notes:
1. Navy will pay more per item but much less over the lifetime of a boat
2. Costs to the Navy of maintaining, inspecting, and replacing NAB not included
3. Cost of CNC-1 is comparable to Def Stan 02-833, the difference in selling price is designed to maintain total thru-life profit
4. Profit that would typically take 50 years to realise in captured up-front
The benefits of utilising better metals are manifold in that the many unseen costs of maintenance, down-time and administration but most of all they reduce the environmental burden which often isn’t reflected in the monetary cost of the metal. Considering the energy-intensive nature of what it takes to produce some of these components, it’s difficult to understand the environmental cost.
Take Action! Reduce your carbon footprint now
From exploration, mining, smelting, refining, alloying, to casting, forging, cutting,
testing, machining and transportation, practically every stage requires significant energy and resource.
This should be an increasingly significant consideration in the design for any equipment, especially publicly funded applications
where the Government agencies involved have an obligation to take the moral high ground over corporate profits.
Make a difference, leave the world a better place, speak to one of our metallurgists to see whether there is a better metal for you.
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