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A Process Chaining Approach toward Product Design for Environment
Author(s) -
Sheng Paul,
Worhach Paul
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1162/jiec.1997.1.4.35
Subject(s) - process (computing) , process modeling , computer science , design for the environment , life cycle assessment , industrial ecology , product (mathematics) , product design , scrap , reliability engineering , process design , systems engineering , production (economics) , process engineering , engineering , work in process , sustainability , process integration , operations management , mechanical engineering , ecology , geometry , mathematics , biology , economics , macroeconomics , operating system
Summary This article presents an approach toward product design for environment (DfE) at the level that integrates environmental hazard analysis with models of transformation processes. As a complementary analysis tool to life‐cycle assessment (LCA), this method would support detailed design decisions through modeling of a “process chain” for a subset of the product's life cycle. The building blocks for this approach are a set of unit process models that can convert process and design parameters into estimates for energy utilization, production scrap, and ancillary waste flows. These values for quantity of environmental releases can be integrated using a multicriiteria environmental hazard evaluation methodology that can estimate the “qualrty” of environmental releases. Finally, the waste information can be used to support a design model that can link design parameters to material, process, and operational parameter selection. A case study illustrating printed circuit board (PCB) assembly is presented to show process chain implementation in manufacturing applications.