[et_pb_section fb_built=\u00a0\u00bb1″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.17.4″ border_radii=\u00a0\u00bboff||50px||\u00a0\u00bb locked=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb gutter_width=\u00a0\u00bb1″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.17.4″ background_size=\u00a0\u00bbinitial\u00a0\u00bb background_position=\u00a0\u00bbtop_left\u00a0\u00bb background_repeat=\u00a0\u00bbrepeat\u00a0\u00bb custom_margin=\u00a0\u00bb0px|auto||auto||\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb||0px|||\u00a0\u00bb locked=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_column type=\u00a0\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.17.4″ custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb|||\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding__hover=\u00a0\u00bb|||\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_video src=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.amtdiecasting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/ZeroCarbon_Blog.mp4″ image_src=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.amtdiecasting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/ZeroCarbon_eng.jpg\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb|||0px||\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.16″ background_size=\u00a0\u00bbinitial\u00a0\u00bb background_position=\u00a0\u00bbtop_left\u00a0\u00bb background_repeat=\u00a0\u00bbrepeat\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_column type=\u00a0\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.16″ custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb|||\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding__hover=\u00a0\u00bb|||\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ background_size=\u00a0\u00bbinitial\u00a0\u00bb background_position=\u00a0\u00bbtop_left\u00a0\u00bb background_repeat=\u00a0\u00bbrepeat\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n
Contributing to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gases<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The pressure from society and legislation to become more environmentally friendly \u2013 and specifically to reduce the carbon footprint \u2013 is growing, and the die casting industry is no exception. Much of the carbon footprint of most castings comes from the metal that is cast \u2013 especially if it contains or is made entirely from primary aluminum, which is known for its high carbon footprint. In a die casting plant, the melting stage often accounts for more than half of the company’s (and ultimately the product’s) carbon footprint (Scope 1 & 2[1]<\/a>) \u2013 and thus the largest portion entirely under the control of the die casting facility. It is therefore extremely important to maximize process efficiency and internal recycling, as well as furnace efficiency. <\/p>\n According to the International Aluminum Institute (IAI), the global average footprint of primary aluminum is estimated at 16.8 t CO2<\/sub>e \/ t Al (IAI Level 3[2]<\/a>\/ Scope 1-3 GHG Protocol Corporate Standard[1]<\/a>) – the exact value can range from less than 4 t CO2<\/sub>e \/ t Al for \u201clow carbon\u201d primary aluminum made for example from hydropower with the latest smelting technologies to more than 20 t CO2<\/sub>e \/t Al if it is produced from coal fired electricity. The carbon footprint of secondary foundry ingots (if made from near 100% post-consumer waste) is between 0.6 and 1.2 t CO2e \/ t Al). <\/p>\n In the casting plant, melting aluminum in a furnace is the most carbon-intensive process. The type of furnace is often determined (or at least strongly influenced) by the size of the casting plant and the number of alloys being cast. <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Several studies have been conducted on this topic, including a comparison of deck furnaces and reverberatory furnaces \u2013 the most common types of furnaces in large foundries[3]<\/a> In our case, that of a rather small die casting foundry that casts several different alloys, the most practical choice is crucible furnaces on each diecasting machine for both melting and holding. Regardless of the type of furnace, however, switching to electric furnaces and using renewable energy as the power source are the most effective ways to minimize the carbon footprint, with many positive side effects such as cleaner metal, reduced melt loss, less noise and heat in the plant, much lower emissions. The limiting factor is usually the power available in the facility \u2013 and of course the source of electrical power and costs versus gas. <\/p>\n Types of furnaces and energy sources<\/span><\/span><\/strong> Comparison of furnace types with different energy sources with respect to their melt loss, energy efficiency and carbon footprint<\/span><\/span><\/strong> [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=\u00a0\u00bb15378″ fullwidth=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.17.6″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb width=\u00a0\u00bb76%\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb10px||30px||false|false\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_image src=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.amtdiecasting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CarbonReduction_texte.png\u00a0\u00bb title_text=\u00a0\u00bbCarbonReduction_texte\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb width=\u00a0\u00bb52%\u00a0\u00bb custom_margin=\u00a0\u00bb10px||20px||false|false\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ background_size=\u00a0\u00bbinitial\u00a0\u00bb background_position=\u00a0\u00bbtop_left\u00a0\u00bb background_repeat=\u00a0\u00bbrepeat\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]Energy source and carbon footprint<\/span><\/span><\/strong> [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.amtdiecasting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Four_2-1.jpg\u00a0\u00bb title_text=\u00a0\u00bbFour_2″ force_fullwidth=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.4″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb30px||30px||false|false\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ background_size=\u00a0\u00bbinitial\u00a0\u00bb background_position=\u00a0\u00bbtop_left\u00a0\u00bb background_repeat=\u00a0\u00bbrepeat\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n AMT’s carbon footprint<\/span><\/span><\/strong> Conclusion<\/span><\/span><\/strong> Since the melting steps typically account for more than 50% of a die casting company’s carbon footprint, switching to electric crucible furnaces (melting and holding) has almost completely eliminated the company\u2019s footprint and reduced the product\u2019s carbon footprint by over 99% (Scopes 1 and 2), which reduces the full carbon footprint (Scopes 1 \u2013 3) of our castings by half when made from secondary aluminum.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n AMT Engineering and Tooling teams <\/strong>in collaboration with Mr. Martin Hartlieb, <\/strong>Viami International Inc. | \u00a92021 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n _______<\/p>\n REFERENCES:<\/strong> _______<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.amtdiecasting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A_horizontal_navy_text_color_logo_png.png\u00a0\u00bb title_text=\u00a0\u00bbA+_horizontal_navy_text_color_logo_png\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb width=\u00a0\u00bb20%\u00a0\u00bb module_alignment=\u00a0\u00bbleft\u00a0\u00bb custom_margin=\u00a0\u00bb20px||10px||false|false\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb||||false|false\u00a0\u00bb locked=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n The A+ process, featuring AMT\u2019s exclusive innovations, makes our offering even more relevant by delivering outstanding quality, energy-efficient parts.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=\u00a0\u00bb@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjI1NjkiLCJlbmFibGVfaHRtbCI6Im9mZiJ9fQ==@\u00a0\u00bb button_text=\u00a0\u00bbD\u00e9couvrez notre proc\u00e9d\u00e9 A+.\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ _dynamic_attributes=\u00a0\u00bbbutton_url\u00a0\u00bb _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb button_text_size=\u00a0\u00bb14px\u00a0\u00bb button_text_color=\u00a0\u00bb#1B2637″ button_bg_color=\u00a0\u00bbRGBA(255,255,255,0)\u00a0\u00bb button_border_width=\u00a0\u00bb1px\u00a0\u00bb button_border_color=\u00a0\u00bb#1B2637″ button_border_radius=\u00a0\u00bb10px\u00a0\u00bb button_font=\u00a0\u00bb–et_global_body_font|600|||||||\u00a0\u00bb custom_margin=\u00a0\u00bb12px||40px|0px|false|false\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb12px|20px|12px|20px|true|true\u00a0\u00bb locked=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb button_text_color__hover_enabled=\u00a0\u00bbon|desktop\u00a0\u00bb button_text_color__hover=\u00a0\u00bb#FFFFFF\u00a0\u00bb button_bg_color__hover=\u00a0\u00bb#1B2637″ button_bg_enable_color__hover=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb button_bg_color__hover_enabled=\u00a0\u00bbon|hover\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Contributing to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gases The pressure from society and legislation to become more environmentally friendly \u2013 and specifically to reduce the carbon footprint \u2013 is growing, and the die casting industry is no exception. Much of the carbon footprint of most castings comes from the metal that is cast \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":23748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technologie-et-innovation-chez-amt"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
For aluminum melting, the most common types of furnaces used in diecasting plants are gas-fired tower furnaces (also known as battery\/shaft melters), reverberatory furnaces (dry and wet hearth, gas or electric), and crucible furnaces (gas or electric resistance or induction). Gas-fired tower and reverberatory furnaces can be large and central to feed multiple holding furnaces via a trough or bull ladle, or individual on each machine (for both melting and holding). Gas-fired furnaces generally have higher melt loss and often also lower melt quality than electric furnaces, as the metal is often exposed to flames and combustion products. While gas-fired furnaces often seem to be the \u201cdefault\u201d choice for many die casters, electric melting clearly has its advantages, not only when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint (depending on the source of electrical power[4]<\/a>), but also in terms of melt quality, clean air and improved working environment[5]<\/a>. The following table shows typical values for melt loss, energy efficiency (these can vary depending on many factors, so relatively wide ranges and an estimated average are shown) and carbon footprint with given (published) emission factors. <\/p>\n
(click to enlarge)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe most common energy sources for melting and holding furnaces are gas and electricity. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), burning natural gas to produce energy results in fewer CO2 (and other) emissions than burning coal or petroleum products to produce an equal amount of energy. Approximately 117 lbs. of CO2 are produced per million British thermal units (MMBtu) equivalent of natural gas, compared to over 200 lbs. of CO2 \/ MMBtu from coal and over 160 lbs. \/ MMBtu from distillate fuel oil. If a mold caster does not have natural gas and uses propane instead, the result is 139 lbs. \/ MMBtu, which is slightly less than natural gas.[6]<\/a> Other sources show even higher numbers, but the relationship between them is very similar. If a melt and hold furnace is run on electricity, the carbon footprint will depend on the source (or mix) of energy available. In the case of AMT Die Casting in Quebec, Canada, the only available source of electricity is 100% renewable energy, mostly hydro, which corresponds to a virtually zero carbon footprint (some would say it is still very low \u2013 so we used 0.5 g CO2\/kWh, a value published by Hydro Quebec for 2020). Therefore, it is the obvious choice to minimize the carbon footprint of castings. In other provinces\/states, a detailed comparison between different energy sources for electricity and their respective carbon footprints would be required \u2013 as well as possibly negotiating with the power company to source lower carbon footprint energy (potentially at a premium). Table 1 clearly shows that switching to electric power only offers the full benefits of a lower carbon footprint if a renewable energy source is available, but in the case of a crucible furnace, it is clearly the best option by far, as the relatively low energy efficiency makes the gas crucible furnace much worse than gas chimney or reverberatory furnaces. A typical gas reverberatory furnace gives an average of about 0.2, while a gas chimney furnace gives 0.14 tCO2e\/t Al, a gas crucible will give an average of 0.52 (in the case of propane, almost 0.6 and oil, even 0.72) tCO2e\/t Al castings. An electric crucible furnace with renewable energy source allows a reduction of more than 99% to only 0.0003t CO2e\/t Al castings. <\/p>\n
When calculating the carbon footprint of a company or product, CO2 emissions are categorized into scopes 1 through 3. Scope 1 consists of direct emissions, such as gas combustion, and scope 2 consists of indirect emissions that come from the production of electricity used by a company. Scope 3 consists of all indirect emissions from the entire value chain, including emissions from incoming materials and transportation. This Scope 3 will be similar at die casters and therefore will not be considered in the analysis of AMT\u2019s carbon footprint reduction initiative. For each specific product and project, the metal with the lowest carbon footprint will be determined and used. For die casters, the melting stage represents the majority of their Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint. Therefore, the energy source and furnace type used for melting will determine a large part of the company\u2019s and product\u2019s carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of a typical die caster is approximately 0.5 tCO2e\/t Al in scope 1 & 2. Prior to switching to renewable energy, AMT used propane-fueled crucible furnaces and had a carbon footprint of approximately 0.6 tCO2e\/t Al in Scope 1 and 2, which is above average, even though renewable energy (electricity) was used for all other energy needs. After switching to electric furnaces powered by Hydro Quebec\u2019s renewable energy, the carbon footprint of AMT\u2019s smelting in Scopes 1 and 2 dropped to 0.0003 tCO2e\/t Al (using Hydro Quebec\u2019s official emission factors). The carbon footprint of each casting, after taking into account all three scopes but excluding metal, consumables and logistics, is now approximately 0.00156 tCO2e\/t Al, which is less than 0.5% of an average North American die casting. <\/p>\n
Previously, AMT Die Casting used primarily oil and propane-fired crucible furnaces, which generated a significant carbon footprint \u2013 typically in the range of 0.5 \u2013 0.7 t CO2e\/t Al. After some development work, electric crucible furnaces with integrated immersion heating elements were introduced. By using renewable energy sources (mainly hydroelectricity) for electricity, it was possible to almost completely eliminate this carbon footprint (more than 99% reduction). <\/p>\n\n
[1]<\/a> The Greenhouse Gas Protocol. A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. <\/a><\/span>
[2]<\/a> Aluminium Carbon Footprint Technical Support Document<\/a><\/span>
[3]<\/a> J.R. Brevick, A.F. Mount-Campbell, C.A. Mount-Campbell, A.J. Horn: A Model for Alloy and Energy Use in High Volume Die Casting, Die Casting Congress & Exposition proceedings, 2012<\/em>.<\/span>
[4]<\/a> D.W. White: Electric Melting: The New \u201cGreen Technology\u201d Furnace. 2011 Die Casting Congress & Tabletop proceedings, 2011.<\/em>
[5]<\/a> F.B. Smith, R.P. Dathe, M.R. Smith: Bringing Back Electric Melting, 2011 Die Casting Congress & Tabletop proceedings, 2011.<\/em>
[6]<\/a> Natural gas explained. <\/a><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n