MSI Add-in: Help Sheet

1. Starting the Workflow

• After downloading, locate the MSI add-in under the "Inspection" section of the Utilities tab.

• Click the CO₂e icon to activate the add-in.

• Note: If MSI doesn’t appear, check that the add-in is set to run at startup in the Scripts and Add-ins manager.

2. Analysis Set-Up

• Select the body you want to analyze.

• Choose a manufacturing type: Additive, Subtractive, or Injection Processes.

• MSI will detect the assigned material in your Fusion 360 file and automatically map it to the closest match in the MSI material library. You can manually override this selection via the dropdown.

• Select your manufacturing region and country to enable accurate emissions calculations based on local energy grids.

• Save your changes to record them in the History tab.

• MSI uses these inputs to calculate cradle-to-gate carbon emissions for your part.

3. Process Comparison

• After your initial analysis, open the Compare Manufacturing Process tab.

• Compare manufacturing impacts across:

  • Additive processes (for metal and polymer)

  • Subtractive methods (CNC milling, turning, sheet metal)

  • Injection molding

Emission Breakdown:

1. Manufacturing Emissions
   CO₂e generated from energy used in the manufacturing process, influenced by the selected process and regional carbon intensity.

2. Material Emissions
   Embodied carbon from raw material extraction through to usable stock.

3. Transportation Emissions
   CO₂e from moving raw materials from origin to processing and manufacturing locations, based on part mass and material volume.

4. Calculation Settings

• MSI is not a black box,  the Calculations tab offers transparency on how values are derived.

• Inputs include: body mass, volume, bounding box, user selections, and methodology parameters.

• These values are sent to Gravity Climate’s API, which returns carbon impact based on verified emission factors.

5. Override Tab

• Use this tab to fine-tune your assumptions and reflect real-world manufacturing more accurately.

Stock Overrides:

• Override the automatically assumed stock based on bounding box with:

  • Custom dimensions, or

  • Body selection (e.g. a near-net shape you plan to print and machine)

Recycling Offset:

• Apply a recycling offset based on your manufacturing waste. This reduces the material impact by accounting for recycled scrap.

6. Custom Materials

• Extend MSI’s material library with your own entries:

  • Add name, CO₂e intensity (per kg), density, and most similar known material.

• Your custom material will appear in the Closest Known Material dropdown after selecting “Custom.”

7. History & Export

• MSI logs changes and emissions estimates over time in the History tab, helping you track your impact as your design evolves.

Export Options:

• Export Body Impact: Download a CSV showing the saved emissions history of the selected body.

• Export Assembly Impact: Export a full CSV summary of all bodies/components in your file, including the latest values for each and their associated carbon emissions.

Install:

• The installer that ran when you downloaded this app/plug-in from the Autodesk App Store will start installing the app/plug-in. OR, simply double-click the downloaded installer to install the app/plugin.
• You'll find the add-in in the 'Utilities' tab of the design workspace.
  
• If MSI isn't appearing, please ensure that the addin is set to run on startup within the 'Script Addin' section.
  

Uninstall:

• To uninstall this plug-in, exit the Autodesk product if you are currently running it, simply re-run the installer, and select the "Uninstall" button. OR, click Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features (Windows 10/11) and uninstall as you would any other application from your system.