Holistic eco-design tool within automotive field

Abstract

In the last decades, sustainability has become a critical issue for the vehicle industry. Today automotive manufacturers are subjected to several government regulations aimed at making the industry more environmentally sustainable. In this context, many research and industrial activities are focused on the eco-design field by developing innovative materials, novel manufacturing technologies, and new methodology; the main objective is to combine the best design performance with increased environmental responsibility. In this paper, a holistic design and sustainability analysis method based on a multi-criteria approach is presented to support the designer in the early conceptual phase finding the best trade-off in terms of performance and sustainability. The new methodology generates a single-score index (SSI) based on product design/sustainability metrics; data normalization, weighting, and aggregation processes are also included in the evaluation method. This method is integrated into an eco-design framework developed through HyperWorks and MATLAB software tools. A case study, based on a reference geometry, a load case, and a list of materials and processes chosen by the designer, is described to show the potential of the proposed methodology. Finally, a critical review and concluding remarks are described following the SSI results; suggestions for further improvements are made.

Towards GreenPLM—Key Sustainable Indicators Selection and Assessment Method Development

“…Although there is a variety of literature describing the various dimensions of sustainability and its metrics (more than 300,000 articles), to the best of the authors' knowledge based on their in-depth research, there is no systematic method for identifying the indicators of sustainable production that are relevant to product lifecycle management in the automotive industry. The main groups of articles tackle the issues of sustainability aspects indicators [19][20][21][22], automotive industry aspects indicators [8][9][10][23][24][25][26], and product lifecycle management aspects indicators [6,10,23,[27][28][29][30], but there is a lack of papers connecting all of those issues. Additionally, the majority of the literature on sustainability indicators discusses industries related to energy, construction, and agriculture [31][32][33][34][35].…”

“…An analysis of different sectors showed that the automotive industry is crucial from an environmental point of view-according to a publication by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) referring to the "Resource Efficiency and Climate Change: Material Efficiency Strategies for a Low-Carbon Future" report, "producing and using materials more efficiently to build passenger cars and residential homes could cut CO 2 equivalent emissions between 2016 and 2060 by up to 25 gigatons across the Group of Seven (G7) member states" [37]. According to Hertwich et al, road transport contributes heavily to the overall environmental impact, as it causes approximately 20% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [24]. The European Commission in the "sustainable and smart" mobility strategy is expecting to have at least 30 million zero-emission cars on European roads by 2030 [25].…”

“…Thus, it is crucial for the automotive industry and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in particular to radically redesign their products and processes. Car producers facing strong regulatory pressure for sustainability will have to reduce resource consumption in production, improve the recyclability of materials, and reduce tailpipe emissions during operation [24]. Therefore, what is expected in the first place is transparency: "manufacturers must create transparency on the emissions embedded in their upstream activities" [25].…”

“…Therefore, what is expected in the first place is transparency: "manufacturers must create transparency on the emissions embedded in their upstream activities" [25]. Moreover, automotive companies will have to shift towards sustainable design, investment in clean technologies, and value creation for local and global communities [24]. Hirz and Brunner point out that ecodesign in the automotive industry requires a comprehensive consideration of numerous influencing factors [10].…”

Transformation of the Automobile Sector Companies` International Marketing Strategy Taking Into Account Factors of Sustainable Development

“…[10], Ajanovic A., Haas R. [11], Antonacci A., Del Pero F., Baldanzini N., Delogu M. [12] in their works form the foundations of the importance of the concept of sustainable development for the successful transition of the transport system to a new level of functioning, laying the foundations for a further increase in the importance of this concept in the marketing activity of automotive companies. In the works of Arefieva O.V.…”