MEE30001 Materials & Manufacturing 2

Sustainability Assignment

Muhammad Afwan Irfan

4309227
 In this report, we discuss the environmental effects of our Kitchen Knifes designs. With
the help of SolidWorks Sustainability software, we could see the environmental impact of the
product in its production stage as well as its entire life cycle. The report will also discuss on how
to improve on resource utilization and environmental conservation.

Design 1
The first design for the Kitchen Knife consists
of two parts, the blade made of Plain Carbon steel
and the handle with Oak wood. The dimensions of
the knife are 190mm in length for the blade and
320mm in length with the handle, the handle and
blade are 15mm and 3mm thick respectively. The
width of the knife is about 39mm. The weight is
171g. The reason for selecting the stated material
for the blade is because of its low resistance to
corrosion, and low to medium edge retention. This
steel is easy to sharpen, and its available at a low cost. As for the FIGURE 1 - DESIGN 1
handle, oak wood was used because it is extremely durable and
resistant to warping. It also has a distinctive look due to its grains and a clear finish can help
highlight them. Wood handles provide a good comforting grip. According to SolidWorks cost
evaluation, it will cost $11.75 in parts to assemble one piece. Obviously, the price will go down
in bulk production.
The method of production for the blade is by being forged, it is a complicated multi-step
process usually done manually by skilled labor. This might increase the manufacturing cost but
the result is a reliable product. In this process, a chunk of solid steel alloy is heated to a high
temperature and beaten to shape while hot. For desired hardness of the blade it is heated
above critical temperature, quenched and then tempered. Forged blades are thicker hence they
stay sharp for a long time and are heavier making them balanced, low maintenance and a long-
life span.

LCA of Design 1
The selected manufacturing and use region are the same which is South America. By doing this
it lowered its transportation costs, the total land travel the product does is from one end of the
continent to the other which is about 1600km. The destination for the product at its end of life
goes to multiple places, 33% goes to recycling, 13% incinerated and the remaining 54% goes to
a landfill.
 Figure 2 Environmental Impact of Design 1

Looking at Figure 2 we can see what part of the products life plays a major role in the impact of
environment. The three major players in the carbon footprint are Material, manufacturing and
end of life. End of life probably contributes high as 54% goes to landfills as the material for the
handle cannot be recycled since its wood. Most of the energy consumed is for the material
which is 6.4MJ and manufacturing takes 2.1MJ. Looking at the chart for Air Acidification and
Water Eutrophication we can see that manufacturing takes a big slice on the chart. Since only
33% of the product is recyclable the rest takes a big part of Water Eutrophication. Incineration
creates smoke which affects the environment badly. Since this type of knife lasts for decades,
less would be manufactured and thrown away hence saving the environment to an extent.
However, more can be done and its discussed later in the report.
Design 2
The second design is a single part; the
entire design is made of stainless steel and then
powder coated for greater resistance to wear and
tear. The dimensions of this design are 160mm
length for the blade and 100mm for the handle, the
thickness for the blade is 2.5mm and handle is
8mm. This design weighs 216.88g. The price for the
material and manufacturing is $8.34. Stainless steel
FIGURE 3 - DESIGN 2 is used as the sole material because it is tougher but not harder
than carbon blades. They do not rust, stain or chip easily hence
protection coating is not essential. On the other hand, adding a coating enhances the design life
while maintaining low costs. Due to this they do not contaminate your food with metallic taste.
Stainless steel is one of the most recyclable metal as its used almost everywhere, therefore it
helps the environments sustainability to some extent as well. They also happen to look good
and require little to no maintenance for the shiny look.
This knife is manufactured using the stamping method, blades are cut to shape directly
from rolled steel and heat treated for strength followed by polishing and sharpening. This
lowers the cost of manufacturing and is free of manual labor, as machines do all the stamping.
The biggest complain about this method is that the knives produced arent heavy hence not
balanced, to counter this you can make the handle of the same material. That will increase its
weight to give you a balanced experience while using it. It is a good method if one wants to
manufacture in bulk. However, knives produced by stamping do not last long as their forged
counterparts.

LCA of Design 2
South America was chosen for both the manufacture region and use region as that lowers the
transportation cost and carbon footprint. According to SolidWorks Sustainability report 73% of
the product is recyclable, 22% is incinerated and the remaining 5% goes to landfills. The
electricity consumption in the manufacturing process is 0.187 kWh/lbs and 1500 BTU/lbs for
natural gas consumption.
 Figure 4 Environmental Impact of Design 2
According to figure 4 we can see that in all the pie charts the material itself has taken up a big
slice, roughly 80%. The effect of manufacturing is high as machines are used to build the
product. Transportation is on the third number as south America is roughly 1600kms from one
end to the other. It is 1.5kg CO2e for the carbon footprint, 18 MJ for the total energy
consumed, 4.4E-3 kg SO2e for air acidification and 4.5E-4 kg PO4e for water eutrophication. The
product was manufactured to be used for 6 years.
Discussions
For design 1 we used carbon steel for the blade and oak for the handle. For design 2 we
used stainless steel for both the blade and the handle. Carbon steel compared to stainless steel
is harder hence it can take more abuse before it loses its purpose. It isnt as recyclable as
stainless steel, but the longer life cycle compensates for it. Stainless steel is cheaper than
carbon steel. The sharpness of a stainless-steel blade is no match for a carbon steel blade. This
allows for better precision cutting and the main reason why professional chefs prefer carbon
steel over stainless steel blades.

Figure 5 Component Environmental Impact for Design 1

Figure 6 Component Environmental Impact for Design 2

Comparing figures 5 and 6 we can see that Design 1 has lower effect on the
environment but with a little margin. However, design 2 takes the lead in the water and air
areas of environmental impact. Air and water are more crucial for living beings. Design 2 energy
is higher as it uses a machine manufacturing process so if instead we use the forging (manual
labor) method we could cut down the energy area of impact on the environment. Design 2 uses
stainless steel which also highly recyclable as it is used almost everywhere in metal works.
 Carbon Footprint Total Energy Air Acidification Water
Consumed Eutrophication
Design 1 0.838 kg CO2e 9 MJ 5.0E-3kg SO2e 4.3E-4 kg PO4e
Design 2 1.5 kg CO2e 18 MJ 4.4E-3 kg SO2e 4.5E-4 kg PO4e
Table 1 Comparison of Environmental Impact between the two Designs
Looking at table 1 we can clearly see that design 1 is environmentally friendlier than
design 2. It is due to the material and manufacturing method difference. Also design 2 has a
lower life cycle than design 1 so people who use design 2 might need to get a replacement soon
meaning that more knives would be manufactured over time increasing the carbon footprint.
The key to reduce environment impact is to make a reliable, long lasting and environmental
friendly knife that a consumer enjoys using. We can use the best of both design to make one
which is good for consumers and environmental friendly. Forging method proved to be less
harmful for the environment, it might be an expensive way but it does make the best knives
that last long. We know that stainless steel is a good material as it is recyclable and makes a
good blade. As for the handle, we can use oak wood. Even though that could result in
deforestation, more trees can be planted. By doing this you can have a good ad campaign for
your knives and instigating the thought in the consumers mind that the company cares about
the environment hence increasing product sales.
Conclusion
When it comes to knives, it all comes down to what you prefer. No blade is perfect.
However keeping environmental impact in mind, we can say that Design 1 and Design 2
dont set two distinct standards of manufacturing, instead they complement one another if
the designs were to be combined. Each has its downsides in terms of economic and
environmental footprints. Yet, if opted for Design 1 the environmental footprint can be
reduced through various sustainable techniques developed in the modern age. The
preference lies slightly towards Design 1 as the manufacturing aspects are less intensive.
References
Kitchen knife 2010, Wikipedia: The free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 15 April
2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_knife
The Pros and Cons of different types of wood, RealSimple, 15 April 2017,
https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/different-types-wood/walnut

The Pros and Cons of Stainless vs. High Carbon Steel Knife Blades, Knife Works, 15 April 2017,
https://www.knifeworks.com/stainless-vs-high-carbon-steel-blades
Forged vs. Stamped Cutlery 2016, Gator Chef Al, 15 April 2017, http://chefalsblog.com/913/