Sustainability and economic assessment of an innovative automated filament winding process

The present paper aims at studying the environmental and economic impacts of an innovative Filament Winding (FW) process used to realize a tubular shape structural component in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). To this purpose, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies were applied using a "from cradle to grave" approach. Specifically, a towbar used for aircraft pushback was considered as case study. All phases of the life cycle of the analyzed component were included (from the raw materials extraction to the disposal phase). The comparison between the CFRP towbar investigated and a traditional one in aluminum alloy was performed. The LCC analysis was conducted by considering all costs associated with the automated filament winding process, from the initial investment costs. For all the considered impact categories, the CFRP towbar showed the lowest environmental impacts, mainly due to both the reduced weight and service life fuel consumption. The cost and carbon footprint of the innovative component were associated with raw materials use.