Aiutomotive coating processes contribute significantly to the environmental burden of vehicle manufacturing, with significant emissions released to air; water, and land, and consumption of substantial amounts of .energy and raw materials In North America, the automotive industry is ^currently cluantifying the environmental impacts incurred during an auto-Mobile's manufacturing processes. Detailed and up-to-date life cycle inventory (LCI) data does not exist at this time for the majority of the vehicle painting processes associated with the North American-based automotive industry The complexity of the contemporary automobile and the numerous processes required for its manufacture and assembly, however, poses a significant set of challenges for completing a manufacturing LCI and for the practical application of manufacturing LCI information This article presents the findings from a major LCI research project conducted in order to populate a newly emerging North American LCI database,. Typical data from selected processes within a representative vehicle painting facility are discussed, as well as the challenges faced and lessons learned from completing the study.
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