Integrated eco-design decision-making for sustainable product development

This paper presents an integrated eco-design decision-making (IEDM) methodology that is formed using three stages: life cycle assessment, an eco-design process (Eco-Process) model and an enhanced eco-design quality function deployment process. All product sustainability considerations are conducted within a special eco-design house of quality. This brings together the analysis of factors relating to manufacturing processes, product usage and end-of-life strategy. The concentration of environmental considerations in one place insures that product sustainability is central to any design development and that the implications of change are fully identified and justified. The IEDM methodology utilises of a set of Eco-Process parameters and their associated relationships to allow users with complementary knowledge to enter and access information in a timely and controlled manner. They are then able to contribute their expertise to support decisions with the aim of providing more sustainable products. An application of the approach is presented in the context of a case study considering the redesign of a single-use medical forceps. The materials and production methods used are investigated with a view to quantifying their environmental impact. The resulting IEDM methodology can be seen to be widely and easily applicable.     

Semi-quantitative method for task planning in product eco-design

Ensuring the environmental sustainability of products is challenging because it involves all the stages and processes throughout product life cycle. Product eco-design is essential to achieve it. In the proposed methodology, product eco-design is implemented based on five eco-design elements, namely, function, material, geometric structure, connection relationship and manufacturing process. However, because of the fragmentation of existing eco-design tools, the gap between eco-design evaluation and eco-design optimisation requires a new mechanism to seamlessly integrate them for efficient industrial applications. A new checklist tool called Checklist of Product Eco-design Optimisation Potential (CPEOP) is developed to assess product eco-design optimisation potential. Based on the new tool, optimisation effect of product eco-design can be quantitatively assessed. Furthermore, a novel semi-quantitative method for task planning in product eco-design is proposed, which involves evaluating the product with CPEOP, screening candidates for eco-design and determining the candidates’ optimisation directions. The uncertainties arising from CPEOP and enterprise design status quo are further analysed. Subsequently, a case study on a refrigerator is conducted to elucidate the process of the method and reveal its potential. The proposed method is then discussed through a comparison with two mainstream eco-design tools.     

Analysis of the effect of mechanical recycling upon tensile strength of a short glass fibre reinforced polyamide 6,6

The effect of mechanical recycling upon tensile strength of an injection moulded polyamide 6,6 reinforced with 35% by weight of glass fibres has been experimentally investigated. Tensile tests have been conducted on specimens made of virgin material and containing different percentages of mechanically recycled material. Mechanical recycling consisted of regrinding of specimens and further injection moulding the granules into specimens of the same type. The main effect of this type of recycling is fibre breakage with consequent decrement of fibres contribution to composite strength. The results from the experimental tests have been compared with predictions obtained by applying a micro-mechanical model, which allowed taking into account the fibre length distribution and the properties of the phases of the composite. The model appeared to be a useful tool in the eco-design methodology, where the knowledge of property change of recycled material against those of the virgin one is necessary in the assessment of the environmental impacts of different recovery options.     

A holistic decision support tool for remanufacturing: end-of-life (EOL) strategy planning

Remanufacturing is a key enabler for sustainable production due to its effectiveness in closing the loop on material flows, extending product life cycle and reducing production waste and emission. In this paper, a holistic decision support tool to facilitate the product end-of-life (EOL) strategy planning, specifically using remanufacturing as a key strategy is presented. The proposed model incorporates checklist methods to evaluate the viability of conducting remanufacturing for a product and its components. An optimization model for determining the Pareto set of optimal EOL strategies that correspond to maximum economic profit and minimum environmental impact is presented. Since determination of this Pareto set via enumeration of all EOL strategies is prohibitively time-consuming, even for a product with a small number of components, genetic algorithm (GA), specifically NSGA-II has been utilized to achieve rapid calculation of the set of optimum EOL strategies. This NSGA-II method permits extensive sensitivity analysis to understand thoroughly the impact of situational variables, such as reverse logistic cost, technology and replacement part availability, etc., on the EOL decision making, i.e., Pareto front, and thus leading to improved strategy planning and better productdesign. The case study involving EOL treatment of two types of desktop phones is described to illustrate the utility of the proposed methodology.     

Reliability qualification of semiconductor devices based on physics‐of‐failure and risk and opportunity assessment

Qualification frequently is a time‐critical activity at the end of a development project. As time‐to‐market is a competitive issue, the most efficient qualification efforts are of interest. A concept is outlined, which proactively integrates qualification into the development process and provides a systematic procedure as a support tool to development and gives early focus on required activities. It converts requirements for a product into measures of development and qualification in combination with a risk and opportunity assessment step and accompanies the development process as a guiding and recording tool for advanced quality planning and confirmation. The collected data enlarge the knowledge database for DFR/BIR (designing for reliability/building‐in reliability) to be used for future projects. The procedure challenges and promotes teamwork of all the disciplines involved. Based on the physics‐of‐failure concept the reliability qualification methodology is re‐arranged with regard to the relationships between design, technology, manufacturing and the different product life phases at use conditions. It makes use of the physics‐of‐failure concept by considering the potential individual failure mechanisms and relates most of the reliability aspects to the technology rather than to the individual product design. Evaluation of complex products using common reliability models and the definition of sample sizes with respect to systematic inherent product properties and fractions of defects are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

产品生命周期成本概念及分析方法

随着人们成本意识的增强,生命周期成本日益引起设计者和用户的重视。对产品生命周期和产品生命周期成本概念进行了论述,介绍了参数模型、类推模型和详细模型3种生命周期成本分析模型,最后以某厂计划购买自动包装生产线为例,说明如何利用生命周期成本概念进行投资决策分析。     

An approach to conceptual and embodiment design within a new product development lifecycle framework

The design of new innovative products is the result of an accurate and precise management of knowledge sources all over its life cycle, such as technology, market, competitors and suppliers. The work contributes with a framework that shows how the knowledge sources influence in the state-of-the-art and market needs so that they become opportunities for innovating products addressing the whole product life cycle. It provides a systematic path from the early generation of ideas to the production of a new product proposal. Through a deep analysis of previous research works of new product innovation life cycle development frameworks and linking it with knowledge management, strategic planning and scorecards, we came out with a structured contribution. The result considers the concurrent activities and its relationships all the way through the product life cycle that can help in creativity and innovation, combined with a process management proposal. Managing the sources of knowledge in highly dynamic markets and technologies is one of the major difficulties involved in innovative products design and development. The emerging knowledge from external sources is confronted with organisation internal knowledge and experience in order to achieve the first product correct.     

An integrated architecture for implementing extended producer responsibility in the context of Industry 4.0

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a regulatory measure to enforce the life cycle management of electrical and electronic equipment, however, the implementation of EPR programmes is not as effective as expected. In the face of the fourth industrial revolution that commonly labelled as ‘Industry 4.0,’ this paper proposes an integrated architecture to achieve effective and efficient EPR from the manufacturer perspective, and attention is specifically paid on promoting information sharing. On the basis of the selected case study, a smart refrigerator plant of Haier, the architecture integrates information systems and facilitates life cycle management. Particularly, eco-design and end-of-life disposal, the two lasting problems in the current practises of implementing EPR, can be enforced based on product modularisation and high level of information availability that provided by the architecture. The outcomes of this study provide a valuable reference for other sectors that involve EPR or product life cycle management.     

Anticipating aging failure using feedback data and expert judgment

This paper presents a methodology for anticipating failures in a component up to the end of its life cycle. Often, feedback data is not sufficient and must be complemented by the analysis of expert judgment. The methodology developed aims at anticipating the degradation mechanisms responsible for aging, and evaluating their relevance and related uncertainties. This is necessary information for risk analysis related to the operating of a component up to the end of its life cycle. Lastly, the methodology is applied to a nuclear component.     

A method for defence product major overhaul analysis focusing on interfaces redesign and extended life supportability

Due to high acquisition costs of new units, defence products can be subjected to life extension processes, sometimes not previously planned during their life cycle. These processes are characterised by widespread maintenance tasks and they can be denominated as major overhauls. The main objective of this paper is to propose a methodology to aid the major overhaul technical management. In general, the major overhaul defines the scope of maintenance and modernisation. Main problems about maintenance are managed by risk-based decision-making for determination of replacement rules and quantities of spares. The need for redesign of parts that interacts with the upgraded subsystems is evaluated by design structure matrix and a HAZOP-based analysis aiming at achieving product performance requirements. The proposed method is a support tool to the major overhaul manager, not replacing technical methodologies that are specific to each branch of the overhauled product. The proposed method was applied to a major overhaul project of an armoured personnel carrier. The results enabled a better characterisation of detailed design, analysing risks in the context of maintenance and modernisation aiming at controlling modernised product life cycle.     

面向全生命周期的大规模定制生产模式的研究

针对目前关于大规模定制的研究主要囿于产品族开发的现状,提出了从全生命周期的角度研究大规模定制生产模式的思路。通过分析单件定制、大规模生产和大规模定制三种生产模式之间的差别,形成了面向大规模定制的响应模式,总结出了设计和定制分离、延迟策略以及模块化产品族的特点。提出了面向DFX的产品族设计方法、包含需求配置和工程配置等在内的定制配置过程、基于制造单元的生产线布局规划过程、基于产品族结构和JIT策略的物流网络融合处理、面向并行装配线规划的设计结构矩阵处理算法等内容。     

基于全生命周期设计思想的工业设计方法

分析了工业设计与全生命周期设计的关系以及将全生命周期设计思想引入工业设计的意义.提出了基于全生命周期设计思想的产品设计方法.该方法包含识别机会缺口、建立需求模型和细节设计3个环节.在此基础上,建立了基于全生命周期思想的产品设计系统模型,整个系统以产品全生命周期评判准则为支撑.最后,以学生公寓系列产品设计为例,说明本文提出的方法和系统模型的具体运用,并给出了设计效果图.     

Combining LCT tools for the optimization of an industrial process: material and energy flow analysis and best available techniques

Life cycle thinking (LCT) is one of the philosophies that has recently appeared in the context of the sustainable development. Some of the already existing tools and methods, as well as some of the recently emerged ones, which seek to understand, interpret and design the life of a product, can be included into the scope of the LCT philosophy. That is the case of the material and energy flow analysis (MEFA), a tool derived from the industrial metabolism definition.This paper proposes a methodology combining MEFA with another technique derived from sustainable development which also fits the LCT philosophy, the BAT (best available techniques) analysis. This methodology, applied to an industrial process, seeks to identify the so-called improvable flows by MEFA, so that the appropriate candidate BAT can be selected by BAT analysis. Material and energy inputs, outputs and internal flows are quantified, and sustainable solutions are provided on the basis of industrial metabolism.The methodology has been applied to an exemplary roof tile manufacture plant for validation. 14 Improvable flows have been identified and 7 candidate BAT have been proposed aiming to reduce these flows.The proposed methodology provides a way to detect improvable material or energy flows in a process and selects the most sustainable options to enhance them. Solutions are proposed for the detected improvable flows, taking into account their effectiveness on improving such flows.     

RMS capacity utilisation: product family and supply chain

The paper contributes to development of RMS through linkage with external stakeholders such as customers and suppliers of parts/raw materials to handle demand fluctuations that necessitate information sharing across the supply chain tiers. RMS is developed as an integrated supply chain hub for adjusting production capacity using a hybrid methodology of decision trees and Markov analysis. The proposed Markov Chain model contributes to evaluate and monitor system reconfigurations required due to changes of product families with consideration of the product life cycles. The simulation findings indicate that system productivity and financial performance in terms of the profit contribution of product-process allocation will vary over configuration stages. The capacity of an RMS with limited product families and/or limited model variants becomes gradually inoperative whilst approaching upcoming configuration stages due to the end of product life cycles. As a result, reconfiguration preparation is suggested quite before ending life cycle of an existing product in process, for switching from a product family to a new/another product family in the production range, subject to its present demand. The proposed model is illustrated through a simplified case study with given product families and transition probabilities.     

生命周期评估(LCA)与生态环境材料开发

生命周期评估（ＬＣＡ）已经发展成为系统评价产品整个生命周期过程环境影响的关键工具。详细介绍了生命周期评估及其研究现状,尤其是生态环境材料开发、材料生命周期评估、生命周期评估软件系统开发。最后就我国ＬＣＡ工作提出了建议。     

Minimization of life cycle CO2 emissions in steam and power plants

A methodology is presented to minimize life cycle CO₂ emissions through the selection of the operating conditions of a steam and power generation plant. The battery limits of the utility plant are extended to include CO₂ emissions of: (1) extraction and transport of natural gas burned in its boilers, (2) generation of imported electricity by nuclear, hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants and (3) exploration, extraction and transport of natural gas, oil, coal and uranium consumed by thermoelectric and nuclear plants. The operating conditions of the utility plant are selected optimally to minimize the life cycle CO₂ emissions. There are continuous operating conditions such as temperature and pressure of the high, medium and low pressure steam headers and binary operating conditions to represent discrete decisions to select optional pumps drivers between electrical motors and steam turbines or whether some equipment is on or off. A Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming problem is formulated and solved in GAMS. Significant reductions in life cycle CO₂ emissions, natural gas consumption and operating cost are achieved simultaneously in the steam and power generation system of an ethylene plant. This is an important tool to support a decision making process to reduce CO₂ emissions in a key industrial sector. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle: Case studies on laundry detergent and milk

This study presents systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle. To design packaging for sustainability, the trade-offs between functional and environmental aspects of packaging throughout the product life cycle should be considered. However, it is difficult for packaging designers to understand the overall trade-offs because the extent of the design consequences on the entire life cycle of packaging and its contents is unclear. We developed two tools for packaging design: the Life Cycle Association Matrix (LCAM) and the Function Network Diagram (FND). The following three steps, based on literature reviews and interviews with industrial experts, were applied. Firstly, we listed the product functions and design variables related to the functions as the attributes allocated to the product life cycle. Secondly, the attributes were connected appropriately based on causal relationships. Lastly, we identified the factors to support decision making in the packaging design procedure. As a result, the LCAM depicts the design consequences on the life cycle, and the FND determines the stakeholders affected by the design consequences. Two case studies were demonstrated to analyze the trade-offs by using our tools. In the case studies, a liquid laundry detergent bottle and a milk carton were redesigned. The tools identified the design consequences and stakeholders affected by the redesign of the usability and protective function for the detergent and milk cases, respectively. The results showed the significance of understanding the design consequences on the product life cycle by integrating the functional and environmental aspects.     

Product category rules and environmental product declarations as tools to promote sustainable products: experiences from a case study of furniture production

New requirements and regulations have increased the pressure on companies to provide information on their products. This is challenging for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) since they lack both expertise and resources. In this paper, the possibilities to develop environmental product declarations (EPDs) for products with use of data-assistant tools are explored. A case study of furniture production in Norway is used to exemplify this. A database with specific environmental data for materials used in furniture has been developed. The database is used to conduct the life cycle assessment (LCA) for selected products and is the backbone of a data-assistance tool used to design and present the EPDs. Five key performance indicators are selected. The database and these KPIs ensures standardised assessments of products that enables both comparison of existing products as well as assessment of environmental performance of redesigned products and potential new products. This paper shows how this enables the SMEs to both provide environmental performance information to stakeholders as well as enables them to identify possible improvements with limited resources and competence on environmental performance and LCAs.     

基于绿色设计理念的室内家具设计思考

绿色设计理念形成发展至今,绿色家具逐渐成为家具设计的未来发展方向。文章从绿色设计理念的概念及特征着手,分析绿色家具设计的主要特点,如强调环境亲和性、延长使用寿命、体现创新理念等。将绿色设计理念贯穿融入产品生命周期的全过程,从设计、制造、使用、回收等各环节逐一落实,提升家具设计制造水平及改造非绿色家具产业发展状况,更好地满足人们对绿色家具的消费需求,实现人与自然及环境的和谐共生。文章重点从绿色环保型原材料的选择使用、绿色家具结构形式的组合性与可拆卸性以及工艺流程的绿色化等关键节点深入分析,基本包括了绿色设计理念指导融合中的绿色家具设计全程工作要点,并辅以图式表达。绿色家具理念及创新设计实践正在改变着室内家具物品特性,也必将塑造人本身,绿色家具理念及其应用本身就是人类一种文明的新型生活方式。