PressClub Latin America, Caribbean · Article.
BMW Group creates closed-loop material cycle for tungsten production tools to protect valuable resources
Thu Jun 24 00:32:00 CEST 2021 Press Release
+++ Recycling tools at plants in Germany and Austria saves seven tonnes of tungsten per year +++ Lowers energy consumption by 70% and CO2 emissions by more than 60% compared to primary tungsten +++ Wendt: “We will significantly increase the percentage of recycled raw materials by 2030 and use raw materials multiple times in a circular economy” +++
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Juan Bernardo Vazquez Mellado
BMW Group
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Munich. The BMW Group is making raw materials
considered to be so-called conflict minerals a special focus of its
sustainability strategy. This includes ores where mining or trading is
often associated with violations of environmental and social
standards. Tungsten is an example of this: Once considered an
irritating by-product of tin mining, since it “ate up” the tin ore, it
took a few hundred years for carbide’s unique properties to be
recognised: heavy like gold, hard as a diamond and dozens of times
more heat-resistant than iron. Today, it can be found in the vibration
alarm of mobile phones and light bulb filaments, as well as drill and
milling bits for industrial machinery used in producing cars.
The BMW Group has now created a closed-loop material cycle for
this unique metal and is collecting old drill and milling bits at its
plants in Germany and Austria for recycling. The secondary tungsten
obtained in this way will then be used to manufacture new milling and
drilling tools. This reduces the amount of tungsten required by seven
tonnes per year. Compared to using primary tungsten, this also reduces
energy consumption by 70% and CO2 emissions by more than 60%.
“Responsible management of natural resources plays a key role in
our sustainability goals. We plan to increase the percentage of
recycled raw materials significantly by 2030 and use raw materials
multiple times in a circular economy. This applies not only to their
use in the vehicle, but also in value creation overall,” said Dr
Andreas Wendt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible
for Purchasing and Supplier Network. He added: “Every gram that
conserves natural resources and doesn’t contribute to violations of
environmental and social standards counts.”
The European Union has already implemented corresponding
measures: At the start of 2021, a new “Conflict Minerals Regulation”
came into effect that tightens the rules for importing the four
conflict minerals: gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten.
Scrap turned into new tools
Carbide tools are
mainly made of tungsten and are used, for example, at the BMW Group
plant in Steyr for the high-precision machining of e-drive housings.
The tools are usually resold as scrap at the end of their useful life.
In June 2021, the BMW Group will gradually begin collecting this tool
scrap from its plants in Germany and Austria for recycling by the
Austrian mining company Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten AG. Tool scrap
contains an average of more than 80% tungsten. This is then treated
using a special method to produce secondary tungsten in powdered form;
the electricity required for this comes from 100% renewable, local
energy sources.
This dark grey tungsten powder can then be used to produce new
tools. The BMW Group already demonstrated this material cycle with a
small quantity of tool scrap as part of a pilot project in which tool
manufacturer Gühring KG in Berlin produced new drill and milling bits
from the recycled tungsten. These drill and milling bits are already
being used at BMW Group plants. Following successful implementation of
the pilot project, this material cycle is now being expanded to
include carbide tool scrap at all plants in Germany and Austria. These
plants generate almost nine tonnes of scrap from carbide tools every
year: On average, this contains more than seven tonnes of recyclable
tungsten. About half of this comes from the BMW Group plant in Steyr, Austria.
Virtually full transparency over “3TG” supply
chain
The BMW Group already identified a number of raw
materials and other materials that were especially critical from a
sustainability perspective in its materials strategy back in 2012. The
BMW Group analyses the impact of these priority raw materials on the
environment and society throughout the supply chain on an ongoing basis.
The conflict
minerals tin, tantalum, tungsten
and gold – also referred to by their initials as
“3TG” – play a special role here. The BMW Group is aiming for full
transparency for the 3TG supply chain and, together with its
suppliers, already achieved virtually 100% traceability of the 3TG
minerals used in components and tools back in 2019.
The BMW Group is also working to steadily increase the
percentage of certified smelting plants in the supply chain. The BMW
Group’s conflict minerals team offers suppliers training, information
and support in this area.
The BMW Group is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative
(RMI) and a driving force for sustainable management of conflict
minerals. To improve its understanding of the processes involved in
mineral processing, BMW Group Purchasing conducts on-site visits to
selected European smelting plants every year. Wolfram Bergbau und
Hütten AG is also a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative.