Shortly before the end of the project, the most important results from the individual work packages and use cases were presented at a hybrid workshop. The event took place on the premises of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology and was also broadcast via live stream. A total of over 30 participants were registered.
In European process industries, a huge amount of energy and resources are utilized to produce large quantities of material yearly. In metal production processes, the recycling of metallic scrap from end-of-life products is environmentally and economically beneficial. The use of recycled materials as feedstock reduces resource consumption and significantly cuts energy consumption and CO2 emissions in metal ore reduction.
However, metal-producing facilities now face increasing variability in secondary raw materials and energy sources. In REVaMP different plant retrofitting solutions have been developed: Scrap analysis sensors for improved in-line analysis of metal scrap, optimal feedstock selection for material and energy efficiency, scrap preheating systems to enhance melting energy efficiency, and model-based software tools for optimal process monitoring and control.
As part of the project, the IOB is responsible for the ecological evaluation of the retrofitting solutions. For this purpose, extensive material flow analyses and life cycle assessments were created in order to evaluate the various use cases and their processes. In his presentation, Felix Kaiser presented the methodological approaches, explained the individual process models and showed in the overview of results which savings potential can be achieved through the measures developed in the project.
The workshop was followed by a short discussion round and lunch break. Afterwards, there was the opportunity to take part in a tour of the institute, including a visit to the laser laboratory, to see some of the sensors used in the project up close. We would like to thank the organizers and the participants for the workshop.