Methodological Framework for Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Innovative Coatings in Hot Stamping

The automotive industry is making greater use of high-strength steel in vehicle chassis to enhance strength and reduce weight, with hot stamping becoming a more common approach compared to traditional cold stamping. Although hot stamping provides mechanical advantages, it requires more energy, leading to increased costs and environmental impacts relative to cold stamping. Steel coatings that enhance mechanical performance also contribute to the environmental impact during the production stage. To address these challenges a comprehensive life cycle perspective is needed. This allows sustainability gains in one stage of the life cycle do not lead to negative impacts elsewhere—an occurrence known as problem shifting. Current assessments often fall short by not incorporating long-term market trends and energy scenarios, limiting their relevance for future-focused decision-making along the product life cycle. To bridge this gap, this study introduces a methodological framework that employs a model-based life cycle engineering approach to evaluate the environmental impacts of advanced coatings in hot stamping, with a particular focus on Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) as an innovative solution. By integrating future market models and projected electricity mix scenarios, this framework evaluates emissions for a representative vehicle component produced in Europe as a case study. The findings indicate that while techniques such as PVD can reduce emissions per component in the short term, overall emissions are likely to increase over time, driven by anticipated market expansion and demand growth. This highlights the framework’s utility as a practical tool and decision support system for researchers and industry professionals aiming to implement sustainable manufacturing practices that support long-term environmental goals.