Evaluation method and application for carbon emissions of machine tools based on LCA

China becomes the largest manufacturing countries and holds the biggest quantity of machine tools. As a typical mechanical products and widely used production equipments, it is necessary to figure out the carbon emissions of machine tools during life cycle. The principle of life cycle assessment (LCA) is introduced to evaluate the carbon emission of machine tool products. The inventory analysis and calculation of carbon emissions during the life cycle stages of raw materials preparation, product manufacture, using and maintenance, transportation are studied and formulated in to equations and data tables. Finally, a case based on a hobbing machine of YB3120A made in China is studied to illustrate and verify the practicality of this method.