How to determine the impact of differences between two production processes on a product's carbon footprint

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining an impact (IMP) of a difference between two production processes (PP1, PP2) on a product carbon footprint, PCF, of a product (P1, P2, P3) produced using the production processes (PP1, PP2). The computer-implemented method includes receiving (S100A) first production process data (PPD1) including information about a first production process (PP1) of the product, receiving (S100B) second production process data (PPD2) including information about a second production process (PP2) different from the first production process (PP1), and determining (S100C) a first PCF (PCF1) of the product (P1, P2, P3) associated with the production of the product (P1, P2, P3) using the first production process (PP1) based on the first production process data (PPD1). (S200), determining a second PCF (PCF2) of the products (P1, P2, P3) associated with the production of the products (P1, P2, P3) using the second production process (PP1) based on the second production process data (PPD2) (S300), determining an impact of differences between the first and second production processes (PP1, PP2) by comparing the first and second PCFs (PCF1, PCF2) with each other (S400), and outputting the determined impact (IMP) on the PCF of the products (P1, P2, P3) (S500).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] explanation The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the environmental impact of a product. In particular, the present invention generally relates to monitoring and / or controlling the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of a produced product, and in particular to a computer-implemented method for determining the impact of differences between two production processes on the PCF of a product produced using the production processes, a corresponding system for determining such impact, the use of such impact in monitoring and / or controlling the production of a product, and a non-transitory computer-readable data medium storing a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of such a method. [Background technology]

[0002] The importance of climate protection measures is rapidly increasing in the awareness of the public, regulators and investors. Major companies are announcing ambitious short-term CO2 reduction targets, including for example emissions related to purchased raw materials as called for by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI). Hence, there is an increasing demand for Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) transparency and options to reduce PCF.

[0003] The PCF is an indicator that determines the greenhouse gas emissions that occurred during the production of each product. The PCF is an important tool to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, if products with the lowest PCF are selected for consumption or further processing downstream in the value chain. To this end, it is crucial that the reported PCF of any product is as accurate as possible.

[0004] The environmental impact can be measured by the PCF of a product. The PCF is often calculated by a computer program that receives the necessary inputs and subjects them to an algorithm that calculates the PCF. Thus, in the case of a linear production chain, i.e. raw materials are processed in several processing steps to one product, this calculation is a simple addition of the contributions. However, when one processing step has two or more outputs that are used to produce several products, the calculation of the PCF becomes more difficult. Furthermore, every time a production process is changed or planned, the PCF of the products produced usually changes. For new production sites with several new factories or several factories, it would also be useful to know the PCF of the products as early as possible, for example before any changes in the production process. The more complex the production site, the less clear the impact of any change on downstream products. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It may therefore be necessary to provide a means for early determination of the impact on the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of changes that are or have been made to a production process. This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims, further embodiments being incorporated in the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a first aspect, there is provided a computer implemented method for determining the impact of differences between two production processes on the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of a product produced using the production processes. The method may be implemented by a suitable system, such as the system of the fourth aspect described below, including at least one computing device, processor, etc., and may be applied to a modified, altered or newly planned production process for producing a product, for example in a production plant, production network, etc.

[0007] The method comprises: - receiving first production process data comprising information about a first production process of the product; - receiving second production process data comprising information about a second production process different from the first production process; - determining a first PCF of the product associated with production of the product using the first production process based on the first production process data; - determining a second PCF of the product associated with production of the product using the second production process based on the second production process data; - determining an effect of differences between the first and second production processes by comparing the first and second PCFs to each other; outputting the determined impact on the PCF of the product; Includes.

[0008] In this way, the impact of the differences between the first and second production processes can be determined, particularly early, even before the production process is actually changed to the second production process, and can even be predicted. This impact can also be used at an early stage, for example also as a prediction, to determine the PCF of the product that is predictable as a result of the changed production process. This allows the planned production process to be evaluated, since the achievable PCF of the product can also be determined at an early stage. Thereby, the differences can be caused, for example, by one or more changes that have been made or will be made to the production process and / or its process parameters, such as the raw materials used to produce the product or generally input raw materials or the products of the production process, which can generally be part of a more complex production process, including several individual product processes, raw materials, process steps, intermediates, products, etc. Since the different changed production processes, i.e. the second production process in this specification, can be evaluated with respect to their predicted impact on the PCF of the product, it is also possible to determine the change that has the most favorable impact on the PCF, since the different, particularly planned, changes can be weighted against each other with relatively little effort. That is, the method can also be used to control a production process that is optimized in terms of the PCF of the product. The determined impact of the difference between the first and second production processes can be used to at least monitor and / or control the production of the product and / or the production process, which may be carried out, for example, in one production plant, in multiple production plants performing interconnected process steps, etc. For example, knowledge of the impact on the PCF of the product can also be used to control and / or intervene in the production process to at least partially improve it, adjust and / or modify the PCF of the product, etc. The method can thus also be used as part of or applied to a production control system, which may be configured to control, for example, the supply of materials, individual or all process steps of processing one or more input raw materials into one or more output materials as well as intermediates, material procurement, material transport, etc.

[0009] In other words, the method may be implemented by a computer program comprising computer instructions configured, when executed by a data processor or other suitable computing device, to determine, e.g. calculate, based on first production process data, an impact on the PCF of one or more products produced in a different second production process, which may also only be planned or may already be actually implemented.

[0010] For example, the method may optionally further include determining the difference between the first and second production processes if the difference is not already evident from the first and / or second production process data alone or if they still do not show a difference. If only one difference exists between the first and second production processes, this single difference may be determined to be the cause of the difference in the PCF of the product. However, if there are multiple differences between the first and second production processes, the method may optionally further include determining the relative contribution of each difference to the changing PCF. This may be done, for example, by successively, for example along the production process, modifying the first production process with a first difference, calculating a PCF, then calculating further differences and PCFs, etc. Other possibilities are also conceivable, such as calculating a PCF for an intermediate, determining the impact of the change upstream in the process, and determining the relative contribution of the intermediate in the product to determine the impact of the change on the product.

[0011] It should be noted that the difference between the first and second production processes should preferably not change or at least not significantly change the product. In other words, the product may be substantially unchanged and / or the product may be substantially the same product and / or the product may have substantially the same or similar characteristics or qualities. That is, if a certain first product is produced by the first production process, then the second production process still produces at least approximately the same or identical product, but at least one production process parameter is changed compared to the first production process.

[0012] It is further noted that the method steps of determining, e.g. calculating, the first and / or second PCF, the first and / or second environmental impact and / or the impact of the difference on the PCF of the product may be performed, e.g. by a suitable data processor or other computing device, which may be operatively connected to an input interface enabling the first and / or second production process data to be received. Outputting the determined impact on the PCF of the product may be performed, e.g. by a suitable output interface, e.g. a data interface, a communication interface, etc. It is noted that the method steps of receiving the first and second production process data may be performed in any order or simultaneously.

[0013] As used herein, the determined "impact" of the difference between the first and second production processes on the PCF of the product may be understood as any kind of difference in the PCF of the product, specifically calculated or actually achieved, as a result of any possible change in the production process, i.e. the second production process, compared to the first production process. This change may affect various production process parameters, such as changes in raw materials, their ratios or processing, energy used in the production process, replacement of production equipment, change of suppliers, change of logistics, e.g. different delivery routes or supply channels, etc., to name just a few, and it is considered that other or different production process parameters may also be changed depending on the production process, e.g. its complexity. The impact may be expressed in several ways, e.g. as an absolute or relative change in the PCF of the product, a qualitative or quantitative assessment of the change in PCF.

[0014] Similarly, a "difference" between the first and second production processes may include any deviation, change, etc. of at least one production process parameter or may relate to a new design of the second production process compared to the first production process. As mentioned above, the difference may relate to one or more of a number of production process parameters depending on the complexity of the production processes.

[0015] For example, the "production process data", i.e. the first and / or second production process data, may be received via an interface, e.g. a data interface, a communication interface, etc. For example, the production process data may include one or more process data comprising information about process steps from the required raw materials, also referred to as input raw materials of the at least one process step considered, to the product and / or output raw materials of the at least one process step considered. In at least some embodiments, the production process data may further comprise a PCF of each raw material and energy data comprising information about the energy consumption of the at least one process step considered and / or each process step considered. Furthermore, the process data may be received from a production plant. The process data may be received via an interface from a local or remote database or any other suitable data source. Preferably, the production process data may be received via an interface to an ERP system. In this way, the production process data may be received from the ERP system. The ERP system may obtain information from the production plant. In this case, the process data is received from the production plant via the ERP system. In this way, the process data is updated in real time when any changes occur in or around the production plant. Depending on the ERP system, "instantly" typically means within a day, preferably within 6 hours, especially within 1 hour. A typical example of such a change is when a production plant runs out of a reagent received from another plant and must use an external supplier instead. Such an external supplier usually has a different PCF than the internal intermediates, thus changing the PCF of the product produced in the production plant. Another advantage of ERP systems is that the data is standardized and verified, i.e., reliable, and typically does not require further validation.

[0016] In the context of this disclosure, "ERP system" shall have its general meaning. A typical ERP system uses a common database maintained by a database management system to provide a continuously updated, integrated view of core business processes. An ERP system typically tracks business resources such as cash, raw materials, production capacity, and business commitments: orders, purchase orders, status of payments. The applications that make up the system typically share data between the various departments responsible for manufacturing, purchasing, sales, and accounting that provide the data.

[0017] As used herein, "outputting" the determined impacts may be understood as writing the impacts and / or PCFs to a non-transitory data storage medium, displaying them in a user interface, or both. It is also possible to provide the output via an interface to a customer, e.g., a customer supply chain system, an ERP system, etc. It is also possible to provide the output via an interface to the producer's own ERP system, from where the information may be distributed to wherever this information is needed.

[0018] If the determined impact of the differences on the PCF of the product is output to the user interface, the user interface preferably uses graph techniques. In this way, it is possible to analyze the contributions along the production process in order to monitor / control the production process, thereby minimizing the PCF of the product. It is also possible to monitor and / or control the changes in the PCF when the production process is changed. In addition, the output can be used to simulate the impact of changes, for example by manually changing certain values, to see the impact on the PCF of the product. For example, for each product, the impact of substituting certain raw materials with raw materials having a lower PCF can be analyzed.

[0019] Furthermore, the term "carbon footprint (PCF)" in this specification may be understood as the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted or removed throughout the entire process from the extraction of natural resources until the product leaves the manufacturing plant. The environmental impact of a product may be measured as a PCF. In the context of this disclosure, the PCF does not include greenhouse gas emissions later in the product's life. For example, for a car, in the context of this disclosure, the PCF is the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in producing the car, but does not include the emissions resulting from the use of the car after it leaves the manufacturing plant. The amount of PCF is typically expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent, so that the impact on the global climate is the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to the greenhouse gases actually emitted.

[0020] Greenhouse emissions and / or gases may include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, which may be carbon dioxide equivalent in accordance with the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (referenced to standards such as ISO 14067 on carbon footprint of products or Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Standards WRI & WBCSD, 2011).

[0021] The methods described herein are applicable to a wide range of products produced from raw materials. The term "product" in this specification generally refers to any item that can be sold to others at any point in the value chain. This may include, for example, final products and / or finished products for end consumers, such as automobiles, paints, toys or pharmaceuticals, and it may also include items, especially finished products, that are typically sold to other companies for further processing, such as steel parts for machines, plastic pellets for extrusion, or compounds such as acrylic acid to produce superabsorbents for disposable diapers, and it may also include items earlier in the value chain, such as crude oil fractions, such as naphtha, agricultural products such as soybeans, or purified sand for glass production.

[0022] The term "raw material" as used in this disclosure refers to any item purchased from a supplier and brought to a production plant. Raw materials can be at any step along the value chain, such as the products mentioned above. This means that the products of one production plant can become the raw material of another production plant. Raw materials can also include very basic goods such as air, water, natural gas or salt.

[0023] An "intermediate" refers to an article, such as a substance, that is neither a raw material nor a product, but is made from a raw material or is previously made into an intermediate, which is then further processed into another intermediate, and ultimately into a product. An intermediate may be associated with the corresponding process step in which it is produced, used, transported, etc.

[0024] A "production plant" as used in this disclosure is any facility capable of producing any type of goods that are sold to an end customer or further processed in a different production plant. Production plants can be in a single or multiple locations. If production plants are in multiple locations, they must be under common management, which is common if the locations belong to the same company or related companies. Examples of plants include power plants, steel mills, oil production plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, construction material manufacturing plants, machine manufacturing plants, automobile manufacturing plants, textile manufacturing plants, furniture manufacturing plants, food production plants, home appliance manufacturing plants such as mobile phones, paper manufacturing and / or processing plants such as printing presses, etc.

[0025] The term "process step" as used herein may be understood as a sequence of actions on raw materials that cannot be reasonably separated in time or space. Typically, all actions of one process step are performed in one building using specific dedicated equipment. A "production process" as used herein may be understood as a generally standardized workflow in which a saleable product or generally a product is produced or manufactured by mechanical, electrical, chemical and / or manual processing of raw materials, intermediates, etc., using specific production or manufacturing processes, production equipment and operating resources.

[0026] The method according to the invention is particularly useful for manufacturing plants performing interconnected process steps. In the context of the present invention, the term "interconnected" means that at least one process step uses two intermediates of different other process steps, or uses one intermediate of different other process steps that each produce an intermediate, or produces two intermediates that are used in two different other process steps. Thus, preferably, the manufacturing plant performs interconnected process steps. Even more preferably, the production plant is a chemical production plant performing interconnected process steps. In many cases, the interconnected process steps are performed in different plants, possibly at different locations operated by different group companies.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the method can be implemented within the production planning phase and before the actual implementation of the second production process. For example, the determined impact of the differences between the first and second production processes can be used initially only to estimate or predict the impact of the change or new design of the production process on the PCF of the product, in particular of a substantially identical product, even before the change or new design of the production process is actually changed or implemented, e.g., used as a replacement for a previously used or planned production process. In this way, the production process can ascertain the impact of the change in the production process without immediately affecting the actual or ongoing production process and / or the PCF of the product. The change can relate to the structure of the material and / or the process.

[0028] In an embodiment, the second production process may include an extension of the production process and / or a modification of at least one production step or any other production process parameter compared to the first production process. See above for possible production process parameters that can be modified. The extension may relate to an extension with another raw material etc. This allows the extension and / or modification of the production process to be determined or predicted at an early stage in terms of its impact on the PCF of the product.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the impact of the differences between the first and second production processes on the PCF of the product may be output via a user interface. The user interface may include a graphical user interface configured to represent the impact of the differences and / or changes between the first and second production processes in relation to the or both production processes, at least one process step thereof, the PCF of the product and / or the monitoring and / or control of the production processes in general. For example, the user interface may output, e.g. display, the absolute or relative change in the PCF of the product that has occurred. Thus, the impact of the differences between the two production processes on the PCF of the product can be visualized and / or evaluated.

[0030] In one embodiment, the second production process data may be received via a user interface configured to enable a user to start from the first production process and / or the first production process data and make modifications and / or extensions thereto to obtain the second production process data. For example, the user interface may comprise a graphical user interface (GUI), via which a user, e.g. an operator of the production process, can select at least the modifications and / or extensions to be made. It is also possible to modify an existing or planned production process, e.g. the first production process and / or the first production process data, to a second production process and / or production process data, which differs from the first production process in at least one production process parameter. This allows a comprehensive monitoring and / or a comprehensive control of the production process.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the user interface may be configured to offer the user a selection of production process and / or product modifications as blueprints or criteria from which modifications to the first production process may be selected in order to obtain the second production process data. For example, the selection may include production process data for a specific factory already existing elsewhere. These may be combined in a modular manner, so that not all details need to be set up from scratch. However, the user interface may allow for adjusting the details of the production process, since even an identical factory built in a new location may differ in some respects. This facilitates the planning and / or implementation of the production.

[0032] In an embodiment, the method may further include checking the first production process data and / or the second production process data for consistency, in particular for a closed production chain. For example, the consistency check may include checking whether raw materials ordered for a location are actually used in at least one production step. It may also be checked whether there are no "open ends", i.e. no intermediates are used in any subsequent process steps, or whether a process step uses intermediates that are not produced elsewhere in the production process or network. The quantities of raw materials and intermediates as well as products may also be used for the validation. In this way, some validation is performed on the input data, e.g. production process data, to ensure that no erroneous values ​​are obtained due to minor errors, etc.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise adjusting the first production process data and / or the second production process data based on the check for consistency. For example, if an inconsistency is detected in the production process and / or the production process data, (counter) measures to correct the inconsistency may be determined. For example, if the inconsistency is due to an "open end", i.e. no intermediate is used in any subsequent process step, or a process step uses an intermediate that is not produced elsewhere in the production process or network, or due to amounts or ratios of input materials, e.g. raw materials, products and / or intermediates, appropriate (counter) measures may be determined, e.g. by an optimization algorithm, e.g. closing an open end, adjusting amounts or ratios of materials, etc. In this way, the planning and / or implementation of the production process may be further supported.

[0034] In an embodiment, the method may further comprise additionally comparing the second PCF with at least one reference PCF used as a PCF target value and adjusting the first production process data and / or the second production process data based on the comparison with the at least one reference PCF. In other words, the method, e.g. a computer program, may be configured to estimate which production process is closest to reality, e.g. by comparing at least the second PCF with a reference PCF, e.g. a market standard, etc. If the computer program has these as inputs, it may output, e.g. display, the deviation. For example, the reference PCF may be, e.g., a standardized PCF for the product or a product family contained therein, a PCF customary in the market, e.g. the same PCF of a competing product, a PCF specified in some other way, etc. This may allow even more accurate monitoring and / or control of the PCF of the product or further assist in planning and / or implementing the production process.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise determining a ratio between the respective differences between the first and second production processes and the extent of the production facility adjustment associated with the differences between the first and second production processes. In other words, the effort or scope and the benefit of modifying and / or expanding the production process may be determined and / or estimated, in particular in terms of the achievable PCF for the product. This may also include comparing the cost of modifying and / or expanding the production process with the PCF of the product that can be achieved thereby. This means that the modification and / or expansion of the production process may be selected or prioritized also taking into account the effort and / or scope involved.

[0036] In one embodiment, the first PCF and / or the PCF may be determined by receiving PCFs of raw materials used to produce the product, receiving energy data including information about the energy consumption of each production process step, and calculating the first PCF and / or the second PCF of one of the products taking into account the first and / or second production process data, the PCFs of the raw materials and the energy data.

[0037] For example, calculating the PCF of a product or intermediate involves adding up the PCF of each raw material used in a particular process step contained in the production process data. If a process step requires an intermediate from a different process step, the sum of the carbon footprints of the raw materials of this previous process step is determined and used as input to the subsequent process step. This may need to be repeated if the previous process step uses an intermediate from an even earlier process step again. If a process step produces multiple intermediates, for example two or three intermediates, the PCF of the raw materials needs to be shared between these intermediates. The proportion of each intermediate should reflect the raw material use of each intermediate. In some cases, two intermediates are produced in equal amounts, so the PCF of the raw materials can be allocated equally between them. In other cases, one intermediate is produced significantly more than the other, for example intermediate 1 at 90% and intermediate 2 at 10%. The proportion of PCFs should be proportionate. Thus, preferably in the method of the invention, determining the PCF involves calculating the PCF of an intermediate produced in a preceding process step and using the carbon footprint of the intermediate as input to the calculation of the PCF of the subsequent process step. In particular, in interconnected production processes, the calculation of the PCF can be facilitated by subdividing it into similar calculation parts, one for each process step.

[0038] The production process data may include information about which by-products are obtained and in what quantities. Some process steps, such as the assembly of steel parts, may not result in by-products. In this case, the production process data does not include information about by-products. However, many process steps result in by-products. In the context of this disclosure, the term "by-product" refers to any product that is inevitably obtained in a process step but cannot be used in a different process step. Sometimes by-products can be recycled, i.e. subjected to another process step or multiple process steps to obtain raw materials or intermediates that can be used as reagents in a process step. However, in some cases, there is no economically feasible use for the by-product. In this case, the by-product must be disposed of. For example, it can be burned in an incinerator. If incineration is part of the manufacturing plant, the recovered heat and / or electrical energy must be taken into account.

[0039] The production process data may include information on the yield of any one or more intermediates obtained at each process step. In the context of the present invention, the term "yield" refers to the ratio of the product from a particular process step to the theoretical maximum. If the yield is 100%, for example when the components are mixed into a formulation, the production process data may not include information on the yield. However, if there are losses in the process steps, the yield may be less than 100%. In chemical reactions, the yield is typically less than 100% due to side reactions and losses during purification. In other processes, the yield may be less than 100%, for example when a steel part is cut or drilled, the cuttings may be lost if they cannot be reused.

[0040] Production process data may include information on direct greenhouse gas emissions by process steps. Such direct greenhouse gas emissions often originate from chemical reactions of raw materials that contain greenhouse gases or generate greenhouse gases during the execution of a process step, for example by heating. A typical example is cement production, where carbon dioxide is generated by heating the raw materials, in particular limestone. Information on direct greenhouse gas emissions usually includes information on which greenhouse gases are emitted and in what amounts. The amounts can be given relative to the amounts of raw materials or relative to the amounts of products or intermediates of each process step. The latter can be derived from the former by multiplying with the yields of the process steps.

[0041] In the simplest case, one or more raw materials can be processed in one process step to a product. As an example, certain cables and plugs are raw materials, which are assembled to form a cable tree as a product sold to car manufacturers. In most cases, however, the production process is more complex. Several raw materials can be processed into various intermediates, which are processed into various products, but one raw material can be used to produce several intermediates, and one intermediate can be used to produce several products. In such a situation, the final PCF of a product becomes dependent on the amount of other products produced in the manufacturing plant. Thus, the production process data typically includes information on which reagents are required in what quantities at each process step for all products that share at least one reagent or intermediate. For many manufacturing plants, the production process data includes information on which reagents are required in what quantities at each process step for at least two products that share at least one reagent or intermediate. For a complex production plant, the production process data includes information on which reagents are required in what quantities at each process step for at least five or at least ten products that share at least one reagent or intermediate.

[0042] The production process data is typically acquired, received, etc., via an interface, e.g., a data interface, a communication interface. The production process data may be acquired, for example, from a manufacturing plant. The production process data may also be acquired via an interface to a local or remote database. Preferably, the production process data is acquired via an interface to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. In this way, the production process data may be acquired from the ERP system. The ERP system may acquire information from the manufacturing plant. In this case, the production process data is acquired from the manufacturing plant via the ERP system. In this way, the production process data is updated immediately when any change occurs in or around the manufacturing plant. Depending on the ERP system, "immediately" typically means within one day, preferably within six hours, in particular within one hour. A typical example of such a change is when a production plant runs out of a reagent received from another plant and must use an external supplier instead. Such an external supplier usually has a different PCF than the internal intermediates, thus changing the PCF of the product produced in the production plant. Another advantage of an ERP system is that the data is standardized and verified, i.e. is reliable, and typically does not require further validation.

[0043] According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise implementing the second production process and / or the second production process data in production of the product, preferably if an implementation criterion is met, such as a better, in particular a lower PCF, is achieved or a desirable cost / benefit ratio is given, etc. For example, the implementation may be done via production management, an ERP system, etc.

[0044] A second aspect relates to the use of the impact of differences between two production processes on the PCF of a product, one product and / or substantially the same product, the impact being determined by the method of the first aspect in monitoring and / or controlling the production of the product. For example, the specific impact may be used in planning and / or implementing the production process, which may be used to control the PCF of the product. For other potential applications, see below.

[0045] In a third aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable data medium storing a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method according to the first aspect. The computer readable data medium comprises for example a hard drive on a server, a USB storage device, a CD, a DVD or a Blu-ray disc. The computer program may contain all the functionality and data required to carry out the method according to the first aspect or may provide an interface to allow parts of the method to be processed on a remote system, such as for example a cloud system.

[0046] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a system for determining the impact of differences between two production processes on the PCF of a product produced using the production processes, the system being configured to perform the method of the first aspect.

[0047] The system includes an input interface configured to receive first production process data including information about a first production process of the product and second production process data including information about a second production process different from the first production process. The system further includes a processor configured to determine a first PCF of the product associated with production of the product using the first production process based on the first production process data, determine a second PCF of the product associated with production of the product using the second production process based on the second production process data, and determine an impact of the difference between the first and second production processes by comparing the first and second PCFs to each other. The system further includes an output interface configured to output the determined impact on the PCF of the product.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the output interface may include a user interface configured at least to display the determined impact on the PCF of the product for further processing. The user interface is preferably configured to display the determined impact and / or PCF of the product and the respective contributions, preferably including the raw material contribution, the energy contribution and the direct emission contribution of each process step. Preferably, the user interface uses graph techniques. The user interface may provide an overview of each process step, the raw material and energy required, the connections with other process steps. The user interface may also provide the PCF of each process step, in particular displaying the PCFs from raw materials, from energy consumption and from direct greenhouse gas emissions separately and in aggregated form.

[0049] It should be noted that embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to different subject matters. In particular, some embodiments are described with reference to method claims, while other embodiments are described with reference to device or apparatus or system claims. However, a person skilled in the art will understand from the above and following description that, unless otherwise noted, any combination of features belonging to a certain type of subject matter, as well as any combination of features related to different subject matters, is disclosed in the present application. Moreover, all features can be combined to provide synergistic effects that go beyond the simple sum of the features.

[0050] These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0051] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0052] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates in a schematic block diagram a system for determining the impact on a product carbon footprint (PCF) of differences between two production processes in accordance with the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates in a schematic block diagram a system and principles for determining the impact on a product carbon footprint (PCF) of differences between two production processes according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates, in a schematic block or process diagram, an example of a production process or production chain planned or used to produce a product. [Figure 4] An example of a production process or production chain planned or used to produce the product of FIG. 3 is shown in a schematic block or process diagram, together with the differences in the production process compared to FIG. [Diagram 5] An example of a production process or production chain for producing a product is shown in a schematic block or process diagram along with the differences within the production process. [Figure 6]1 illustrates a flow chart of a computer-implemented method for a system for determining the impact on a product carbon footprint (PCF) of differences between two production processes in accordance with the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0053] The drawings are merely schematic representations and serve only to illustrate the invention. Identical or equivalent elements are given the same reference numbers throughout.

[0054] 1 shows in a schematic block diagram a system 1 configured to determine the impact IMP (see, e.g., FIG. 2) of a difference between two production processes PP1, PP2 (see, e.g., FIG. 2-5) on a product carbon footprint (PCF) of products P1, P2, P3 (see, e.g., FIG. 2-5) produced using the production processes PP1, PP2, which may also be referred to as a production chain. The system 1 is any suitable computing device and includes an input interface 10, a data processor 20 and an output interface 30. The processor 20 is operatively connected to each of the input interface 10 and the output interface 30.

[0055] The input interface 10 is, for example, a data interface, a communication interface, etc., and is configured to receive first production process data PPD1 (see, for example, FIG. 2) comprising information about a first production process PP1 of a product, and second production process data PPD2 (see, for example, FIGS. 2-5) comprising information about a second production process PP2 different from the first production process PP1. For this purpose, the input interface 10 is operatively connected to one or more suitable data sources, such as, for example, an enterprise resource planning system (ERP), a supplier database, a production controller capable of collecting and / or providing process data PPD, such as the first and second production process data PPD1, PPD2, etc. For example, the process data PPD may comprise one or more of process data comprising information about process steps from required raw materials to the product, PCF of each raw material, and energy data comprising information about energy consumption at each process step. The first and second points in time may be two different points in time in the production process, different links in a production chain, etc.

[0056] The processor 20 is configured to determine a first PCF1 of the products P1, P2, P3 (see, for example, FIGS. 2-5) associated with the production of the products P1, P2, P3 using a first production process PP1 based on the first production process data PPD1 (see, for example, FIG. 2), for example by executing computer instructions of the respective computer program. The processor 20 is further configured to determine a second PCF2 of the products associated with the production of the products using a second production process PP1 based on the second production process data PPD2. Furthermore, the processor 20 is configured to determine an impact IMP (see, for example, FIG. 2) of the difference between the first and second production processes PP1, PP2 by comparing the first and second PCF1, PCF2 with each other.

[0057] The output interface 30 is any suitable data interface, communication interface, etc., configured to output the determined impacts IMP on the PCF of the product for further processing. For example, the output interface 30 may include or be operatively connected to a user interface UI (see, for example, FIG. 2) that displays, for example, the determined impacts IMP on the PCF of the product. However, the output interface 30 may also be operatively connected to a production control system (not shown), an ERP (not shown), etc., for example to plan, implement and / or control the production process, such that the system 1 may monitor and, in particular, computationally control the production based on the determined impacts IMP on the PCF of the product. The control of the production process may include the control of one or more parameters of the production process, such as, for example, raw materials, energy consumption, etc., so that the PCFs of the products P1, P2, P3 are also controlled accordingly.

[0058] It should be noted that the processor 20 and / or the output interface 30 may be operatively connected to a production control system, an ERP, etc., and configured to output one or more control signals configured to control the production control system, the ERP, a supply chain, etc.

[0059] Optionally, the processor 20 is configured to determine, within the production planning phase, an impact IMP of differences between the first production process PP1 and the second production process PP2 prior to actual implementation of the second production process PP2.

[0060] Further optionally, the processor 20 is configured to determine the first PCF1 and / or the second PCF by receiving PCFs of raw materials used to produce the product, receiving energy data including information about the energy consumption of each production process step, and calculating the first PCF and / or the second PCF of one of the products taking into account the first and / or second production process data, the PCFs of the raw materials and the energy data.

[0061] For example, calculating the PCF of a product or intermediate involves adding up the PCF of each raw material used in a particular process step contained in the production process data. If a process step requires an intermediate from a different process step, the sum of the carbon footprints of the raw materials of this previous process step is determined and used as input to the subsequent process step. This may need to be repeated if the previous process step uses an intermediate from an even earlier process step again. If a process step produces multiple intermediates, for example two or three intermediates, the PCF of the raw materials needs to be shared between these intermediates. The proportion of each intermediate should reflect the raw material use of each intermediate. In some cases, two intermediates are produced in equal amounts, so the PCF of the raw materials can be allocated equally between them. In other cases, one intermediate is produced significantly more than the other, for example intermediate 1 at 90% and intermediate 2 at 10%. The proportion of PCFs should be proportionate. Thus, preferably in the method of the invention, determining the PCF involves calculating the PCF of an intermediate produced in a preceding process step and using the carbon footprint of that intermediate as input to the calculation of the PCF of the subsequent process step. In particular, in interconnected production processes, the calculation of the PCF can be facilitated by subdividing it into similar calculation parts, one for each process step.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows in a schematic block diagram the above-mentioned system 1 and the principle of determining the influence IMP of the difference between two production processes PP1, PP2 on the PCF, PCF of a product P1 produced using the first and / or second production processes PP1, PP2 via an input interface 10, a processor 20 and an output interface 30.

[0063] It should be noted that the first production process PP1 may be a planned or actually existing production process or a kind of template, blueprint, reference, etc., but forms the starting point or basis for the comparison of the two production processes PP1, PP2. The first production process PP1 is shown in solid line in Figure 2.

[0064] Further, it should be noted that the second production process PP2 may be a planned production process or a newly designed production process. The second production process PP2 is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2 to represent an exemplary change that may be made to such a production process.

[0065] For example, the production process PP1 of the product P1 starts with a raw material R1 using a production process PS1 via intermediates I1, I2 and further raw material R2. In this example, the production process PP proceeds in the direction of the arrows connecting the individual process elements, and finally the product P1 is produced. As shown in Fig. 2 and labelled UI, a user interface UI which may be included in or form the output interface 30 may be configured to output, for example display, a first PCF, labelled PCF1, and a second PCF2, labelled PCF2, as well as the effects IMP of the differences between the first production process PP1 and the second production process PP2. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2 by the arrow 30, the output interface 30 may also be connected to further processing means such as a production control system, an ERP system, etc., in order to actively control the production process and / or to control the PCFs of the product P1.

[0066] In contrast, the production process PP2 of the product P1 differs from the first production process P1 described above because one or more process parameters, indicated by dashed lines, may be changed compared to the first production process PP1 described above. By way of example only, the raw material may be changed to R2, the intermediate may be changed to I2, and the process step may be changed to PS2, and the process parameters are not limited. Although not shown in FIG. 2 (but shown, for example, in FIG. 4), the second production process PP2 may also differ from the first production process PP1 by an extension of the production process. For example, the user interface UI may output, for example, display, an absolute or relative change in the PCF of the product P1, which may be an example of an indicator of the impact of the difference between the first and second production processes PP1, PP2.

[0067] Both production processes PP1 and PP2 produce a product, one product and / or substantially the same product, in other words, both production processes PP1 and PP2 produce products having substantially the same and / or similar properties.

[0068] Optionally, the second production process data PPD2 may be received via a user interface UI, optionally configured to enable a user to start from the first production process PP1 and / or the first production process data and make modifications and / or extensions thereto to obtain the second production process data PP2. These data may then be provided to the processor 20 to perform the determination of the first PCF1 and the second PCF2 etc. For example, the user interface UI may comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) by which a user, for example an operator of the production process, may select at least the modifications and / or extensions to be made to the production process, i.e. the first production process PP1. The user interface UI may also modify an existing or planned production process, for example the first production process and / or the first production process data, to a second production process and / or production process data which differs from the first production process in at least one production process parameter.

[0069] Further optionally, the user interface UI may be configured to offer the user a selection of production process and / or product modifications as blueprints or criteria from which modifications to the first production process may be selected in order to obtain the second production process data. For example, the selection may include production process data for a specific factory already existing elsewhere. These may be combined in a modular manner, so that not all details need to be set up from scratch. However, the user interface may allow adjusting the details of the production process, since even the same factory built in a new location may differ in some respects.

[0070] Further optionally, the processor 20 is configured to check the first production process data PP1 and / or the second production process data PP2 (see, for example, FIG. 2) for consistency, in particular for a closed production chain. For example, the consistency check may include checking whether raw materials ordered for a location are actually used in at least one production step. It may also be checked whether there are no "open ends", i.e. whether intermediates are not used in any subsequent process steps, or whether a process step uses intermediates that are not produced elsewhere in the production process or network. The quantities of raw materials and intermediates and products may also be used for the verification.

[0071] Optionally, the processor 20 and / or the output interface 30 are configured to adjust the first production process data PPD1 and / or the second production process data PPD2 based on the check for consistency. For example, if an inconsistency is detected in the production process and / or the production process data, (counter) measures to correct the inconsistency can be determined. For example, if the inconsistency is due to an "open end", i.e. no intermediate is used in any subsequent process step, or a process step uses an intermediate that is not produced elsewhere in the production process or network, or due to amounts or proportions of input materials, e.g. raw materials, products and / or intermediates, then appropriate (counter) measures can be determined, e.g. by an optimization algorithm, e.g., to close an open end, adjust amounts or proportions of materials, etc.

[0072] Further optionally, the processor 20 is configured to additionally compare the second PCF2 with at least one reference PCF used as a PCF target value, and adjust the first production process data and / or the second production process data based on the comparison with the at least one reference PCF. In other words, the method, e.g., the computer program, can be configured to estimate which production process is closest to reality by comparing at least the second PCF with a reference PCF, e.g., a market standard value, etc. If the computer program has these as inputs, it can output, e.g., display, the deviation. For example, the reference PCF can be, for example, a PCF standardized for the product or a product family contained therein, or a PCF commonly used in the market, e.g., a PCF of a competing product as well, a PCF specified in another way, etc.

[0073] Figure 3 shows an example of the above mentioned production process PP1 or production chain in a schematic block diagram or process diagram. In this simple production process, one raw material R1 is processed into one intermediate I1 and combined with a product P1 by one process step PS1. This production process PP1 can be a production process that is only planned, for example a virtual production process or a production process that is already implemented in reality and used to produce the product P1. It can be modified in various ways, such as by modifying the raw material R1, the process step PS1 or the intermediate I1, as will be described later.

[0074] As already mentioned above with reference to FIG. 2, production process PP1 forms at least the basis for comparison with production process PP2, but may also be a template for the latter, so that modifications, extensions etc. to the production process can be made.

[0075] Figure 4 shows in a schematic block diagram or process diagram an example of a production process PP2 or production chain which differs from the production process PP1 shown in Figure 3. As already mentioned above with reference to Figure 2, the production process PP2 for product P1 differs from the first production process P1 described above, since one or more process parameters, indicated by dashed lines, may be changed compared to the first production process PP1 described above. By way of example only, the raw material may be changed to R2, the intermediate to I2, the process step to PS2, the process parameters being non-limiting.

[0076] It should be noted that product P1 is intentionally shown in solid lines because preferably the second production process PP2 is different from the first production process PP1 but is intended to produce the same product P1.

[0077] Figure 5 shows in a schematic block or process diagram another example of a production process PP or production chain in which there are some modifications, shown in dashed lines, that are or have been made to a production process PP1, shown in solid lines. Figure 5 thus shows the extension of an exemplary first production process PP1 to an exemplary second production process PP2.

[0078] In this example, the solid box indicates an existing production process PP1. Raw material R1 is processed in process step PS1 into two intermediates I1, I2, which are further processed into products 1 and 2. It is now planned to expand the production network by producing part of raw material R1 in-house. The dashed box indicates this expansion. The newly required raw material R2 is processed in process step PS4 into intermediate I3, which is the same as raw material R1. Process step 4 produces another intermediate, namely I4, which is further processed into product 3.

[0079] Optionally, the processor 20 is further configured to determine a ratio between the individual differences between the first and second production processes and the extent of the production equipment adjustment associated with the differences between the first and second production processes. In other words, the effort or scope and benefits of modifying and / or expanding the production process can be determined and / or estimated, in particular in terms of the achievable PCF for the product. This may also include comparing the cost of modifying and / or expanding the production process with the PCF of the product that can be achieved thereby. This means that the modification and / or expansion of the production process can be selected or prioritized also taking into account the effort and / or scope involved.

[0080] 6 shows in a flow chart a computer-implemented method for determining an impact IMP of a difference between two production processes PP1, PP2 on the PCF (PCF) of products P1, P2, P3) produced using the production processes PP1, PP2. The method may be performed by the system 1 as described above and / or applied to the exemplary production processes shown in FIGS. 3, 4 or 5 to determine at least one impact IMP.

[0081] In step S100A, first production process data PPD1 including information about a first production process PP1 of products P1, P2, P3 is received. For example, the first production process data PPD1 may be received by the processor 20 via the input interface 10, as described above.

[0082] In step S100B, second production process data PPD2 including information about a second production process PP2 different from the first production process PP1 is received. For example, the second production process data PPD2 may be received by the processor 20 via the input interface 10, as described above.

[0083] In step S200, a first PCF1 of the products P1, P2, P3 associated with the production of the products P1, P2, P3 using the first production process PP1 is determined based on the first production process data (PPD1). This determination may be performed by the processor 20 as described above.

[0084] In step S300, a second PCF2 of the products P1, P2, and P3 associated with the production of the products P1, P2, and P3 using the second production process PP1 is determined based on the second production process data PPD2. This determination may be performed by the processor 20 as described above.

[0085] In step S400, the influence IMP of the difference between the first and second production processes PP1, PP2 is determined by comparing the first PCF1 and the second PCF2 with each other. This determination may be performed by the processor 20, as described above.

[0086] In step S500, the determined impact IMP on the product's PCF is output via output interface 30, for example as described above.

[0087] Furthermore, the method, as described above with respect to system 1, can be modified in several ways.

[0088] While the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be construed as illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the dependent claims, in practicing the invention as claimed.

Claims

1. A computer method for determining the impact (IMP) of the difference between two production processes (PP1, PP2) on the product carbon footprint (PCF) of products (P1, P2, P3) produced using the said production processes (PP1, PP2), Receiving first production process data (PPD1) containing information about the first production process (PP1) of the product (S100A), Receiving second production process data (PPD2) which includes information about a second production process (PP2) that is different from the first production process (PP1) (S100B), Based on the first production process data (PPD1), the first PCF (PCF1) of the products (P1, P2, P3) associated with the production of the products (P1, P2, P3) using the first production process (PP1) is determined (S200), Based on the second production process data (PPD2), the second PCF (PCF2) of the products (P1, P2, P3) associated with the production of the products (P1, P2, P3) using the second production process (PP1) is determined (S300), The first and second PCFs (PCF1, PCF2) are compared with each other to determine the effect of the difference between the first and second production processes (PP1, PP2) (S400), Outputting the determined influence (IMP) of the product on the PCF (S500), Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, which is performed within the production planning phase, before the actual implementation of the second production process.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second production process (PP2) includes an extension and / or modification of at least one production step compared to the first production process (PP1).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the impact (IMP) of the difference between the first and second production processes (PP1, PP2) on the product's PCF is output via a user interface (UI).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second production process data (PPD2) is received via a user interface (UI) configured to enable a user to acquire the second production process data (PPD2) by starting from the first production process (PP1) and making modifications and / or extensions thereto.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the user interface (UI) is configured to provide the user with a selection of production process and / or product changes as a blueprint or criterion from which changes and / or extensions to the first production process (PP1) can be selected in order to obtain the second production process data (PPD2).

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising verifying the consistency of the first production process data and / or the second production process data, particularly with respect to a closed production chain.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising adjusting the first production process data and / or the second production process data based on the confirmation of the aforementioned consistency.

9. The second PCF (PCF2) is further compared with at least one reference PCF used as a PCF target value, Based on the comparison with at least one reference PCF, the first production process data (PPD1) and / or the second production process data are adjusted. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the ratio between the difference between the first and second production processes (PP1, PP2) and the range of production equipment adjustments associated with the difference between the first and second production processes.

11. The first PCF and / or the second PCF are To receive the carbon footprint of the raw materials used to produce the aforementioned products (P1, P2, P3), Receiving energy data containing information about energy consumption at each production process step, Calculate one first PCF and / or second PCF of the product, taking into account first and / or second production process data (PPD1, PPD2), the carbon footprint of the raw materials, and the energy data. The method according to claim 1, as determined by [the specified method].

12. The use of the impact (IMP) of the difference between two production processes (PP1, PP2) on the product carbon footprint (PCF) of products (P1, P2, P3), wherein the impact (IMP) is determined by the method of claim 1 in monitoring and / or controlling the production of the products (P1, P2, P3).

13. A non-temporary computer-readable data medium for storing a computer program which includes instructions for performing the steps of the method according to claim 1.

14. A system (1) for determining the impact of the difference between two production processes (PP1, PP2) on the product carbon footprint (PCF) of products (P1, P2, P3) produced using the said production processes (PP1, PP2), An input interface (10) configured to receive (S100A) first production process data (PPD1) containing information about a first production process (PP1) of a product, and second production process data (PPD2) containing information about a second production process (PP2) different from the first production process (PP1), A processor (20), Based on the first production process data (PPD1), determine the first PCF (PCF1) of the products (P1, P2, P3) associated with the production of the products (P1, P2, P3) using the first production process (PP1). Based on the second production process data (PPD2), the second PCF (PCF2) of the product associated with the production of the product using the second production process (PP1) is determined. The effect of the difference between the first and second production processes (PP1, PP2) is determined by comparing the first and second PCFs (PCF1, PCF2) with each other (S400). A processor (20) configured to perform the following: An output interface (30) configured to output the determined influence (MP) of the product on the PCF, and A system (1) including the above.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the output interface (30) includes at least a user interface (UI) configured to display the determined impact (MP) of the product on the PCF for further processing.

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