Streamlined LCA model and complete assessment of a hydraulic drive system

Abstract: This master thesis was commissioned by Bosch Rexroth AB and carried out over the course of 20 weeks between January and May 2017. The company produces hydraulic drive systems for different industrial applications, mostly for rotating heavy loads under constant, low speed and high torque. The products have a long life span and thus, optimizing the design of their products can have a considerable impact in terms of energy efficiency and environmental performance. In order to gain a better understanding of what role individual parts of the system have in terms of sustainability and to further investigate the entire life-cycles and environmental footprints of their products, Bosch Rexroth looked to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. There were two different major aims to this thesis project. The first aim was to provide Bosch Rexroth with in-depth knowledge around how their product systems perform from an environmental point of view, and more specifically one particular hydraulic drive. The second aim was to develop a tool tailor-made for Bosch Rexroth, capable of delivering simplified LCAs in a quick and easy fashion. The purpose of the tool was to assist Bosch Rexroth in decisionmaking during product development. In addition, the simplified tool should come with an interface easy to understand and use. The study was done according to a life cycle assessment approach and followed applicable international standards ISO 14040 and 14044. The LCA was simulated in the SimaPro 8 software, which was also used for all calculations including impact assessment according to the ReCiPe methodology. The results of the LCA were considered stable and representative for a specific case study of a hydraulic drive in operation at a paper mill in Sweden. The results from the simplified LCA model were considered satisfactory and within desired tolerance. One of the key conclusions of the thesis was a take-back system for some of the parts of the hydraulic drive could benefit the environment to a large extent, which should encourage Bosch Rexroth to examine such possibilities further.