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Tools and Services

Extraction and use of raw materials

The first step consists in providing the requisite materials and energy. This is usually done by extraction and conversion of natural resources. For example, prior to steel production proper, iron ore has to be extracted and the production of plastics requires crude oil.

Material flows and resulting waste flows are fundamental parts of all production processes. The better the management of these material flows works, the cheaper as well as environmentally sound material intensive process steps are running of.

Results from the Austrian research program "Factory of Tomorrow"

Bioplastics The concept deals with the development and implementation of technologies in the sector of renewable biodegradable materials.

Information platforms about materials

SETAC Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Renewables (available only in German) (available only in German)

Choosing materials, material characteristics

Design inSite Short indtroduction into characteristics and technical data of different materials.
Oil Point Method The Oil Point Method is a useful way for environmental evaluation in the early stages of product design.
Eco-Indicator The Eco-indicator is primarily a tool for the designer. It allows the designer to make his own LCA with the help of 100 pre-defined LCAs for commonly used materials and processes. The designer can use the Eco-indicator in two ways: To get the questions right (what are the primary causes of the environmental burden of a product) and to get the answers right (which design alternative has the lowest environmental burden) The methodology is an extension of the SETAC LCA LCA methodology, it uses a normalisation and an evaluation stage. Product Ecology Consultants (PR) provides a list with already existing Eco-indicators.
IdeMat Online Database The database contains a selection of all the data in the IdeMat database. Only information about materials is available, not of processes or components.

Software tools

AUDIT AUDIT is a (modular-structure) program for environmental management and controlling to analyze and simulate complex systems. As a comprehensive program for material flow balances, AUDIT can be applied to all processes and material flows within the company.