Life-cycle simulation in the automotive painting industry

Automobile painting is a very energy and emission (solvents) intensive process step in the production of automobiles with regard to the small amount of paint applied to the car body. The awareness has risen that cleaner production technologies must substitute end-of-pipe control technologies If these technologies strive to be a competitive option in corporate decision-making process, not only their environmental but also their technical and economical performance has to be at the same or higher level compared to conventional technologies. The approach of Life-Cycle Engineering (LCE) by IKP and PE investigates technical, environmental and economical aspects of products and technologies. It is broadened to be a simulation tool to analyse weak points and optimisation potentials as well as to support product and technology development in the painting industry. Life-Cycle Simulation (LCS) changes the "snap-shot" character of Life-Cycle Inventories (LCI) to a flexible tool which enables predictions about product and technology developments.