EU project creates 'common language' for environmentally aware metal finishers
A database has been created to provide a 'common language' on environmental issues for large companies as well as small and medium sized companies (SMEs) working in the field of metal finishing. The database was developed during the MADAME project, led by Swedish company Nitfabriken WULKAN AB and was supported by the European Commission under the BRITE/EURAM 3 programme from the Fourth Framework Programme. Benefits to be gained from wiser metal finishing include energy and material savings at production, reduced emissions and waste volumes, more efficient and prolonged service lives and increased recycling of scrapped products. The database aims to provide an evaluation of the environmental effects of metal finishing processes. Four different metal finishing processes and ten product groups were studied during the project The catalogue is intended to promote a common view on environmental issues in the European metal finishing industry, focusing on measures to reduce energy and metal consumption in a life cycle perspective, close cooperation between metal finishing SMEs on the one side and purchase and design departments at large companies on the other side, ensuring better end quality of products and less environmental impact. The database will also include environmental indexes to communicate to the customers. The project consortium, which involved five Swedish and three Spanish partners, is currently seeking a manufacturing agreement