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Refrigeration applications is responsible for approximately 17% of the total electricity and around 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. This study presents a comparative life cycle assessment between t...

Engineering design shows a growing interest in exploring cost analysis to anticipate manufacturing issues and integrate production aspects within the product development process. This research aims to highlight key elements (inputs, parameters, models) to accurately predict the cost of a forged part using a complete model, with important information that can be available during the design phase. For this purpose, a systematic literature review of existing engineering methodologies developed for cost analysis of forged parts (i.e., cost estimation, DtC, and ABC) was performed with characterizations of the different approaches for evaluating the most important topics related to this objective. As a result, the most important insights related to the aim of this review are provided: (i) among quantitative methods, analytical and parametric models are the most suitable approaches to develop a cost estimation, (ii) a cost model based on a linear equation supported by single or multiple variables seems to be the most accurate tool to establish a robust cost analysis in the design of forged components, and (iii) input parameters related to the material type and geometrical features are the most critical cost-drivers in the cost assessment. Moreover, this review contributes to identifying emerging applications and obsolete topics, providing the ground to investigate unexplored areas relevant to future research.

In the medical education field, the use of highly sophisticated simulators and extended reality (XR) simulations allow training complex procedures and acquiring new knowledge and attitudes. XR is considered useful for the enhancement of healthcare education; however, several issues need further research.The main aim of this study is to define a comprehensive method to design and optimize every kind of simulator and simulation, integrating all the relevant elements concerning the scenario design and prototype development.A complete framework for the design of any kind of advanced clinical simulation is proposed and it has been applied to realize a mixed reality (MR) prototype for the simulation of the rachicentesis. The purpose of the MR application is to immerse the trainee in a more realistic environment and to put him/her under pressure during the simulation, as in real practice.The application was tested with two different devices: the headset Vox Gear Plus for smartphone and the Microsoft Hololens. Eighteen students of the 6th year of Medicine and Surgery Course were enrolled in the study. Results show the comparison of user experience related to the two different devices and simulation performance using the Hololens.

As nearly one third of global energy demand and CO2 emissions are attributable to manufacturing activities, the reduction of energy/resource consumption in the industrial sector is increasingly crucial. Therefore, research and innovation for the factories of the future is not only a matter of developing and integrating new technologies, but also a challenge to make manufacturing less dependent on energy and managed in an optimized way. This requires considering the efficiency of resource exploitation according to a systematic approach. To this aim, the present paper proposes a resource-saving tool, called Resource Value Mapping (RVM), and describes its application in a smart multinational company that produces electromechanical components for the automotive industry. The RVM tool is composed by three main modules that jointly allow the involved stakeholders to collaborate toward the optimization of the plant management: the Cloud data center that represents the repository of the collected real-time and offline data, the Analytics module that is responsible for data elaboration with the aim of calculating a set of key performance indicators useful to identify process inefficiencies, and the Web-based platform that represents the user interface of the tool. The case study demonstrated how such a tool allows (1) mapping the energy/resource flows to multiple levels (machine, line, plant), (2) characterizing them to identify the most critical activities that do not generate value and (3) supporting multiple stakeholders (plant manager, energy manger, operators) in the management of resource anomalies and definition of a more sustainable action plan.

The fashion industry is responsible for a significant contribution to environmental pressure in the European Union. The present study aims to quantify the environmental impacts of a leather shoe pr...

The paper proposes a method to couple manufacturing knowledge in the context of casting with 3D CAD modelling and design. The approach allows formalizing tacit into explicit design knowledge, for aiding engineers during the development of metal casted components. It is based on three main pillars: (i) identification of geometrical features (3D CAD features) and parameters that can cause an issue during the manufacturing process, (ii) definition of a numerical threshold for feature parameters that guarantee the feasibility of the casting process, and (iii) representation of design rules within a CAD system to support product design review. The method is considered the starting point for future developing a software tool (CAD tool plug-in), here just presented. Two case studies are reported with the aim to show the advantages of the proposed method and tool in the identification of manufacturing issues early in the product development process. Results highlight how the CAD-based tool is a useful assistant to avoid design problems related to the metal casting process.

The implementation of symbiosis approaches is recognized as an effective industrial strategy towards the optimization of resource exploitation and the improvement of collaboration in the context of Industry 4.0. An industrial system can be considered as a complex environment in which material, energy, machine, and human resources should cooperate towards the improvement of efficiency and the creation of value. According to this vision, the paper presents a detailed literature review about the existing symbiosis approaches: (i) industrial symbiosis models, which mainly aim at the sharing of resources among different companies, and (ii) human symbiosis, which focuses on how to effectively strengthen the synergy among humans and machines. Strengths, weaknesses and correlations among the most common symbiosis approaches are analysed and classified. Finally, the existing symbiosis models are related with the pillars of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, in order to understand what should be the future directions of research in the context of collaborative manufacturing.

This paper presents a novel framework for manufacturing and cost-related knowledge formalization. This artefact allows industries to capitalize the knowledge of experienced practitioners in the field of manufacturing and assembly, so that it can be used by designers for quickly and analytically estimating the production costs of components during product development. The framework consists of the following: (i) a cost breakdown structure used for splitting out the manufacturing cost, (ii) a data model (cost routing) to collect the knowledge required to define a manufacturing process, (iii) a data model (cost model) for collecting the knowledge required to compute the manufacturing cost of each operation within a manufacturing process, and (iv) a workflow to define the manufacturing process. The proposed framework provides several advantages: (i) knowledge formalization of product manufacturing cost, (ii) knowledge sharing among design/engineering departments, and (iii) knowledge capitalization for decision-making process. The proposed framework is used to formalize the knowledge required for analytically estimating the manufacturing cost of open-die forged components. Results highlight that the framework addresses the most important requirements for a knowledge-based cost estimation system.

Design for disassembly is a key enabling strategy for the development of new business models based on the Industry 4.0 and circular economy paradigms. This paper attempts to define a method, based on Data Mining, for modelling disassembly data from large amount of records collected through the observation of de-manufacturing activities. The method allows to build a repository to characterize the disassembly time of joining elements (e.g. screws, nuts) considering different features and conditions. The approach was preliminary tested on a sample of 344 records for nuts disassembly retrieved by in-house tests. Disassembly time and corrective factors were assessed including the analysis of probability distribution function and standard deviation for each feature (i.e. disassembly tool).

In the recent years, many methodologies and tools to support the energy efficiency re-design of production systems have been developed, however, they do not investigate the real-time manufacturing process. In this paper, a methodology for energy efficiency re-design of production systems in a context of smart manufacturing is proposed. The continuous production-machine data collection with operator feedbacks enables the creation of a knowledge-based repository that provides useful support during the design of manufacturing systems. A case study in an automotive sector company has allowed to implement the methodology and to assess its effectiveness.

Background Population aging is inducing governments to redesign their healthcare models. One policy measure aimed at reducing healthcare expenditures and improving services is to encourage people to age-in-place. Scientific research has been trying to find ICT-enabled solutions to the growing problem of elderly home care. However, such research is often technology-oriented and neglects the end-user perspective. It does not consider the real needs of older people and all stakeholders involved in their healthcare. Method A user-centered design approach was adopted with the involvement of older people, experts dealing with the aging population, and the whole stakeholders’ chain. Through surveys, focus groups, and brainstorming sessions, it was possible to determine the main features of the product service platform. Results Starting from a large-scale survey of elderly people living in Italy, this paper presents the requirements and the architecture of a product service platform aimed at improving the independence and elderly quality of life. This work proposes an elderly-centered platform that works as an aggregation point of an articulated social health system, provides multiple tailored services, and optimizes the use of local resources. Conclusions The involvement of the end-user and all the stakeholders allowed for the consideration of different perspectives and the creation of a value network that aggregates existing services, resources, and information with new opportunities to achieve common benefits. This work provides guidelines on how to develop this type of platform by exploiting the potential of each stakeholder without creating new barriers. Technology, caregivers, and society are combined synergistically to provide tailored services able to satisfy specific users’ needs.

Simulation tools for liquid composite molding processes are a key to predict and solve manufacturing issues of composite materials. Numerical processes are commonly used to analyse and predict mould filling, considering also resin cure and exothermic reactions. These evaluations are usually performed through dedicated software tools that require highly specialized operators and purchasing costs. The present study relates to a multi-objective optimization approach for evaluating the effect of different process parameters of the resin transfer molding (RTM) process using a multi-purpose tool. Starting from a simple case, useful for analysing the effect of mesh type and size on the simulations, and then increasing the complexity of the models, virtual simulations have been validated through real tests. Afterward, this approach has been used for the optimization of the RTM process for the manufacturing of an automotive component. Gate positions, injection pressure and resin temperature have been optimized using finite-volume analysis with a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Finally, the parameters have been used in real experiments in order to validate the efficiency and the reliability of multi-purpose tool in simulating RTM processes.

Composite materials are demonstrating the ability to face the challenge of competitive markets where high-performance, low costs, and reduced manufacturing time are mandatory. Vacuum bagging with autoclave curing is one of the most used manufacturing methods for carbon fiber composite parts. However, it shows some limitations, mainly due to manual operations and long processing time. Out-of-autoclave (OOA) methods, such as pressure bag molding (PBM), can lead to a strong reduction of the manufacturing time through the simplification of lay-up and curing phases. In this paper, a comparative analysis between the autoclave and the PBM processes has been performed, jointly considering both the economic and environmental aspects. An evaluation of the environmental impacts has been carried out following the standardized life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. In addition, costs related to these two manufacturing techniques have been estimated through a parametric approach and successively compared. Different scenarios have been considered to take into account various production batches, mold manufacturing techniques, and end of life alternatives. The analyses show conflicting results demonstrating that a global optimum scenario does not exist and, depending on the chosen indicator and production batch, the best alternative varies. Considering only the environmental indicators, the autoclave process can be considered the most sustainable option, due to the lower consumption of energy.

Welding is a widely used technology that allows the joining of thick metal plates for the development of large structures (e.g. piping, tanks, vessels). Many industries are intensively using welding for manufacturing and assembly activities. Sustainability assessment of welded structures is currently performed with misleading information in terms of data heterogeneity (nature) and quality (source). The data required to carry out a robust environmental analysis are spread among different documents and become available only when the project is finalized. This paper aims to define a data framework for a life cycle inventory of metal arc welding processes to preventively assess the environmental performances of different processes for comparison and decision-making analysis. The framework is presented as innovative solutions for life cycle inventory that provide (i) a common data structure (model), (ii) necessary data (input/output), and (iii) physical allocation/placement of data (project design documents). This study was performed in accordance with the international standard organization ISO 14040/14044 by using an attributional life cycle assessment (aLCA). Two structures (an oil and gas riser and a ship hull) were investigated considering the same functional unit: the manufacturing, use, and disposal of a welded structure able to guarantee the engineering requirements (according to a specific standard) in terms of strain, stress, and corrosion allowance over the expected lifetime of 20 years. In both cases, the share of welding process in respect to an overall product/structure life cycle impact assessment is strictly dependant on the project design choice and can be negligible for high-corrosion-resistance materials (e.g., Inconel alloy). On the other hand, the use of traditional metals (e.g., carbon steel) allows a large decrease of the environmental load, and the influence of the welding process becomes significant in a life cycle perspective.

The eco-design of industrial products is a complex task that requires a high level of expertise in environmental science and a very large amount of data about the product under development. Product data for eco-design are not limited to geometrical and technical aspects; they also include information related to the product life cycle. The present paper aims to define a life cycle standard data model (LCSDM) that manages and shares life cycle information along the product development process. The LCSDM is defined as a common and structured framework for data collection in comparative evaluations. The need of a “standard” data model emerges in the context of life cycle assessment (LCA), mainly due to the subjectivity related to the life cycle inventory phase. The standard structure of the LCSDM facilitates the interoperability of eco-design software tools by creating a common framework for the implementation of eco-design initiatives inside product manufacturing companies. The LCSDM is a data structure that is able to represent the relationships among parts and assemblies. Each part or assembly is defined by a set of nodes that characterize the life cycle phases (e.g., Material, Manufacturing, Use, End-of-life, and Transport). A list of attributes is identified according to the environmental features that describe the product life cycle. The LCSDM structure is implemented in an encoding document for data sharing through a generic software language (e.g., XML – eXtensible Markup Language). The implementation of the proposed LCSDM in the design department of a manufacturing company using an eco-design software platform leads to the following benefits: (i) the fulfilment of the LCSDM (XML file) along the product development process, (ii) the use of a unique standard for data sharing among the several eco-design software tools, and (iii) the creation of a robust framework for life cycle assessment. The main drawback of the proposed LCSDM is related to the initial effort required to set up the design software platform (which consists of both standard and eco-design tools) to be able to read, fill, store and share the LCSDM.

End-of-life vehicles (ELV) represent a relevant waste source in Europe, even if ELV recycling is a priority of the European Union waste legislation and Environment Action Programmes (EAPs). End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) constitute a relevant portion of ELV waste. Textile fibre, which is a relevant portion of the ELT material, is considered as a special waste (European Waste Catalogue – EWC code 19.12.08). The main problem related to textile fibre is its contamination with rubber which does not allow to obtain a pure product economically and qualitatively useable. The aim of this paper is to illustrate an innovative technology for ELT fibre's recycling, which allows to transform textile fibre into a useful secondary raw material for different applications. In particular, the use of ELT fibre as additive for bituminous conglomerates has been investigated. The different processes have been analysed from an environmental point of view, applying the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. It came up there is an impact reduction in case the ELT fibre is reused as additive for bituminous conglomerates, instead of disposing it (through incineration). Moreover, the financial and economic sustainability of the related technological process has been evaluated to check whether the process is sustainable in the long term. Starting from the results of the Life Cycle Assessment, economic performance indicators have been calculated, by applying the European Commission methodology for cost-benefit analysis. According to the present cost-benefit analysis, in the medium and long term the system is financially viable, and the high economic profitability makes the process economically sustainable. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis as well as a risk assessment have been carried out in order to identify critical variables, evaluate risks and define risk mitigation measures. According to the sensitivity analysis performed, the project is not highly risky since even in the worst scenario the possible loss is moderate. Based on the results of this analysis, it can be concluded that this ELT fibre's recycling system can be replicated across Europe, conveniently fostered by national policies (such as subsidies, value added tax etc.).

Product customization aims to consider individual customers preferences in the design of new products, in order to directly involve them in the product development process and to maximize their satisfaction. It can be considered a key competitive factor and a “hot topic” in several industrial sectors, including luxury apparel goods and high-end footwear products. However, currently the design and manufacturing of customized shoes are carried out through artisanal and non-standardized processes, based on the individual expertise of operators.The objective of this study is to define an innovative framework to support the different processes affected by customization. This framework is enabled by different digital technologies, as CAD-based tools, virtual/augmented reality systems, etc., opportunely integrated in the product development process. The main benefits related to the framework implementation in real industrial contexts are an increase of flexibility, the repeatability of processes, a higher efficiency in information exchange, a more effective involvement of final customers, and, as a consequence, the reduction of time to market and production costs for tailor-made shoes.

This paper aims to analyse and compare the environmental and technical performances of two domestic oven technologies (one powered by natural gas and one by electric energy) considering the Italian context, such as Italian social and food habits. These household appliances are subject to energy labelling and are the most diffused cooking systems along with hobs. This study was performed in accordance with the international standards ISO 14040/14044 and adopted the attributional LCA approach. The analysis is related to the functional unit “the baking of food, considering the Italian context and a lifetime of 10 years”. The analysis includes all phases of the life cycle except for maintenance and transport, which were considered negligible for this analysis. The materials and manufacturing phases necessary for the production of the two ovens were considered in the analysis, and the data were provided by the ovens' manufacturers. The products’ use phase was considered through the measurement of resources (both natural gas and electric energy) consumed during the cooking simulation by experimental tests that simulated a heating cycle of a standard load represented by a brick. The product end-of-life phase was considered in accordance with the current regulations and statistical data in this sector. The EcoInvent database was used as a reference for background data. The ReCiPe life cycle impact assessment method was used for the assessment of the environmental impact categories. This study shows the dominance, in terms of the environmental impact, of the electric oven with respect to the gas oven in every indicator considered in the analysis. In particular, the electric oven accounts has an approx. 3 times greater impact than the gas oven on the climate change, freshwater ecotoxicity and marine ecotoxicity impact categories, while for the ozone depletion, fossil depletion metal depletion and natural land transformation categories, the results are similar, with a slight dominance of the electric oven (approx. 2–5%). This finding is related to the use phase and results from the different energy carriers used and the time required for cooking in the two cases. Indeed, the nature of the energy carrier for the electric oven and the time required for cooking (based on the energy efficiency test) is longer compared to those of the gas oven. This result, which is clearly in favour of the gas oven in the Italian context, leads to the conclusion that the main contribution to the environmental load of the electric oven is the Italian electricity grid mix, which is mainly based on non-renewable sources. Therefore, this analysis depends on the geographic area of interest, and the results can significantly change if different contexts are analysed.

The growing attention to environmental sustainability is not reflected in the effective implementation of ecodesign principles in the industrial context. The main barriers are related to the propen...

The die manufacturing industry is widely based on the use of conventional machining tools. However, several studies have proposed Additive Manufacturing (AM) for molds and die inserts in the last ten years. The AM flexibility allows designing and manufacturing complex surfaces. This flexibility can be used to optimize the cooling channels of die inserts (conformal cooling). The research aims to evaluate whether Design for Additive Manufacturing commercial tools can be employed in redesigning die inserts. Besides, the paper describes a method to redesign a die insert for High-Pressure Die Casting using Selective Laser Melting. A test case is proposed to analyze an AM die insert’s redesign process for improving the thermal exchange and the material distribution. The simulation of the AM process supports the drafting conclusions from the results.

Simulation in healthcare is rapidly replacing more traditional educational methods, becoming a fundamental step in the medical training path. Medical simulations have a remarkable impact not only on learners’ competencies and skills but also on their attitudes, behaviors, and emotions such as anxiety, stress, mental effort, and frustration. All these aspects are transferred to the real practice and reflected on patients’ safety and outcomes. The design of medical simulations passes through a careful analysis of learning objectives, technology to be used, instructor’s and learners’ roles, performance assessment, and so on. However, an overall methodology for the simulation assessment and consequent optimization is still lacking. The present work proposes a transdisciplinary framework for the analysis of simulation effectiveness in terms of learners’ performance, ergonomics conditions, and emotional states. It involves collaboration among different professional figures such as engineers, clinicians, specialized trainers, and human factors specialists. The aim is to define specific guidelines for the simulation optimization, to obtain enhanced learners’ performance, improved ergonomics, and consequently positively affect the patient treatment, leading to cost savings for the healthcare system. The proposed framework has been tested on a low-fidelity simulation for the training of rachicentesis and has allowed the definition of general rules for its enhancement.

Impaired hand function is a major contributor to overall disability and reduced health-related quality of life in scleroderma patients. A relevant issue concerns interaction of scleroderma subjects with touchscreen interfaces. This study aims at investigating this problem assessing scleroderma patients’ performance with a novel, aptly designed, touchscreen application in order to identify critical items of touchscreen technology which may impair or facilitate the use by scleroderma subjects. Eighty scleroderma patients performed this novel application including three games, each of which tested a different gesture: tapping, dragging/dropping, and pinching-to-zoom. Eighty healthy subjects without hand impairments were recruited as controls. Scleroderma patients performed worse than healthy users in each game, and statistically significant negatively impacting items were identified. In the second phase of the study, the 10 worst touchscreen performers within the scleroderma cohort were recruited for a physio-rehabilitation trial based on the daily use at home of a modified version of the software application downloaded into the personal devices of patients. The results of this study allow introduction of guidelines to design accessible touchscreen interfaces for subjects with scleroderma and suggest that touchscreen technology may be included in self-administered physio-rehabilitation programs for scleroderma hand.

In factories of the future, advanced automation systems (e.g., cobots, exoskeletons, cyber physical systems) will reduce the physical effort of workers and compensate their limitations as well as ensure more flexibility, agility, and competitiveness. However, the activities of the operator 4.0 will entail an increased share of complex cognitive tasks. Therefore, monitoring the mental load will be increasingly important to ensure work environments that promote healthy life and wellbeing for all at all ages. For this aim, this paper proposes a framework to analyze heart rate, galvanic skin response and electrooculogram signals in order to extract features able to detect an excessive stress or cognitive load. Two wearable devices are used: Empatica E4 wristband and J!NS MEME electrooculography glasses. The proposed framework has been experimented through a laboratory test focused on LEGO brick-based simulations of manufacturing activities.

This paper proposes a methodological approach for the multi-objective optimization of steel towers made from prefabricated cylindrical stacks that are typically used in the oil and gas sector. The goal is to support engineers in designing economical products while meeting structural requirements. The multi-objective optimization approach involves the minimization of the weights and costs related to the manufacturing and assembly phases. The method is based on three optimization levels. The first is used in the preliminary design phase when a company receives a request for proposal. Here, minimal information on the order is available, and the time available to formulate an offer is limited. Thus, parametric cost models and simplified 1-D geometries are used in the optimization loop performed by genetic algorithms. The second phase, the embodiment design phase, starts when an offer becomes an order based on the results of the first stage. Simplified shell geometries and advanced parametric cost models are used in the optimization loop, which present a restricted problem domain. In the last phase involving detailed design, a full 3-D computer-aided design model is generated, and specific finite-element method simulations are performed. The cost estimations, given the high levels of detail considered, are analytic and are performed using dedicated software.

Nowadays, the increasing of global climate change and warming is leading governments, consumers, and firms towards a low-carbon economy. A lot of research shows that about 75% of the environmental impacts related to energy-related products is due to the use phase. Therefore, energy-related products, such as household appliances, are responsible for the consumption and depletion of natural resources. The eco-design of household appliances is a necessary approach to analyze and reduce the environmental impacts related to these products, considering materials, efficiency, and energy consumptions. In Europe, as well in China and America, the eco-design is becoming an Integrated Product Policy to support the Energy Labelling of several energy-related and consuming products. This paper deals with a design methodology to support the eco-design of cooking ovens by the simulation of the product performance. Two simulation cases have been analyzed: the energy consumption, which is provided by EU regulations No 66/2014 and No 65/2014 and the baking test. Even if regulations only provide the energy consumption test, the baking test is necessary to analyze the functional quality of the product. Therefore, two levels of simulations are necessary to complete the eco-design approach of cooking ovens. The results show that the proposed methodological approach can reduce the time-to-market and enhance the design optimization from the early design phases.

Gas turbines consume a large volume of ambient air during in-service condition. The quality of air incoming the system is essential to the performance and longevity of a gas turbine. A filtration mechanism is employed to regulate air quality by removing contaminants. For high-powered turbines, the filter system can be composed by hundreds of single filters. Therefore, to achieve the best performance, a carefully design is needed. However, a correct sizing of the filtering houses is often complex. Their dimensions and manufacturing costs make design and experimentation difficult. Numerical modeling has been playing a crucial role in the design and optimization of complex products/systems. In literature, various methods have been proposed to reduce computational resources and speed-up the simulation process. The hypothesis of bi-dimensional flow represents one of the most used strategy in different industrial cases. Much research in recent years were focused on establishing the results accuracy of 2D simulation models compared to 3D ones. The aim of this study is to propose a method to design and optimize filter houses, which integrates, in a unique framework, 3D and 2D simulations models. The latter are exploited to speed-up the design process, reducing computational time and resources. 2D simulation models have been defined according to physically validated 3D simulations. The error in estimating the temperature, pressure and velocity fields using 2D simulation models, considering 3D ones as reference, is less than 5%. Keywords: Filter House, Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD, Virtual Prototyping, 2D Modelling, Power Plant Gas Turbine

The wine production constitutes an important sector for the Italian economy. Most of the wine producers are associated in local consortiums, which include small family companies involved in the production of similar products. This study aims to investigate the implementation of circular economy opportunities in the wine production chain. In particular, the reuse of glass bottles in the Piceno wine consortium (central Italy) has been analyzed to quantify the potential environmental benefits. The standard Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology has been used to compare the standard scenario (recycle of glass) against the circular scenario (cleaning and reuse of bottles within the local consortium). Results demonstrate that the reuse of glass bottles leads to relevant benefits in all the considered impact categories (ReCiPe Midpoint method). The avoided use of virgin glass offsets the additional resources (e.g. energy) consumed during the cleaning of used bottles.

In manufacturing context, social dimension is often neglected. With Industry 4.0, companies focus more on technologies and data. However, human continues to play a key role in cyber-physical systems and company growth. This work proposes a method to help the company to evaluate workers’ experience and identify the optimal solution to improve workers’ well-being and company performance. It starts from personalized social analysis within a production plant to identify ergonomics problems and intelligently suggest effective corrective actions. The latter are selected achieving the best trade-off between social, economic and productive aspects. Three case studies are proposed to validate the method.

Eco-design is a design paradigm aiming to the development of sustainable products. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is considered an eco-design tool able to assess the product environmental performances through a life cycle perspective. However, LCA shows some limitations in industry’s daily practice and cannot be considered a standard for implementing eco-design. The paper aims to describe the implementation of a novel eco-design teaching approach involving company’s employees from different technical departments. LCA analysis of company’s product portfolio allowed to create a specific eco-knowledge, used to train designers and engineers on this subject for the implementation of eco-design actions during the development of new products (espresso coffee machine). Results highlighted relevant learning outcomes and significant improvements in terms of environmental sustainability of a new product design.

Hot forging is an industrial process where a metal piece is formed through a series of dies which permanently change the shape of the part. Open-die forging is a particular type of hot forging in which the used dies are generally flat and the part to be formed has a simple shape. Manufacturing cost estimation is a well-debated topic, especially for traditional manufacturing technologies. However, only few models are available in scientific literature for the open-die forging process. This lack is due to the complexity of the process, characterized by a low level of automation and a high degree of expertise required to develop the process. The paper proposes an analytical model for the cost estimation of axisymmetric components realized using open die-forging. The model uses as input the geometrical features of the part (e.g. dimensions, shape, material and tolerances), and gives as output: (i) the time required for the process development, (ii) the amount of material needed for the part processing and, (iii) the forging machine size/type, from the cutting of the billet to the piece deformation. Two cylindrical discs have been analysed for validating the proposed cost estimation model. The case studies show that the cost models give an accurate result in terms of cost breakdown, allowing the designer a quick calculation of process costs.

The increasing focus on environmental practices has led academia and industry to address eco-sustainability in different ways. Recent improvements to supply chain management (SCM) have also included environmental sustainability as a key factor, in addition to common drivers such as risk, supply quality, and cost. Although several eco-sustainable SCM approaches have been proposed, often those solutions remain too theoretical and difficult to implement. This paper contributes to this research topic by proposing a web-based platform capable of tracing suppliers and related processes along the entire product supply chain (SC). This platform is a powerful decision-making tool for improving overall SC environmental sustainability. A structured methodology is defined and implemented that can efficiently model complex SCs, share data between actors, and measure its environmental sustainability. To demonstrate the platform applicability and validate its effectiveness in industrial settings, a case study of industrial partners involved in the production of leather shoes is provided.

Maritime vessels are complex products with long service lives and high costs of construction, manning, operating, maintaining and repairing. The definition of a consistent and repeatable life cycle model among vessel types is still an open question, and the development of such a model can be helpful for the implementation of decision-making strategies and design choices. The present paper aims to introduce a life cycle model and a data framework in the early phases of shipbuilding design, supporting the decision-making process of material selection, manufacturing and assembly processes, maintenance and service, use and end-of-life. The model provides a common structure for life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), including an approach to retrieve and collect all data necessary for the analysis starting from the available project documentation and design models. Three luxury yachts with different features were analysed using the proposed model, and a software tool that embeds the developed data framework was developed. The results provided by the tool are in line with the same analyses carried out with dedicated LCA and LCCA tools (maximum deviation of 6.3% for climate change indicators). Other important advantages are (i) the time saved for the inventory phase, (ii) compliance with existing life cycle standards (e.g., ISO 14040), and (iii) the possibility to make comparisons and a benchmarking analysis.

The paper aims to analyse and compare the environmental performances of the most widely used cooking appliances (the induction hob vs. the gas hob) considering a typical Italian scenario in terms of food, family and social habits. Cooking appliances are subject to energy labelling, and they represent the most impacting system inside households. This study was performed in accordance with the international standard, ISO 14040/14044, by using an attributional Life Cycle Assessment (aLCA). The functional unit is defined as the “preparation of a complete homemade meal (lunch) for 20 years consumed by a four-member family in Italy”. This study shows the dominance, in terms of environmental impact, of the induction hob with respect to the gas hob for most of the selected midpoint indicators. In particular, the induction hob accounts for more than 60% of the climate change and ozone depletion impact categories and more than 70% of the metal depletion category. The same trend is also noticed in the end-point categories (human health, ecosystem qualities and resources) and for the Cumulative Energy Demand indicator. Based on the experimental evidence of this work, the use phase is the most important due to the different energy carriers (natural gas vs. electrical energy). This finding is the result of the nature of the energy carrier (the electricity grid mix) in the Italian scenario, which is mainly based on non-renewable sources. In addition, concerning the production phase of the two appliances, the induction hob shows a relevant dominance in terms of the human toxicity and metal depletion impact categories due to the use of rare metals and coppers in the cooktop part manufacturing. The outcomes obtained from this study may be used by household manufacturers to improve the performance and design solutions of their appliances as well as by end users in their selection of cooking technologies.

The cost reduction is one of the most spread strategy adopted by companies for guaranteeing profits in a competitive market. This paper presents an approach for the cost optimization of industrial electrical routings. The proposed optimization process consists of two levels: the arrangement of the cables within the cable trays and the 3D routing of the cable trays for connecting the modules of a product. The arrangement of the power and signal cables and the selection of the cable trays are carried out considering specific configuration rules. A genetic algorithm, coupled with the Hightower's algorithm, is used to solve the routing optimization problem. The proposed cost functions consider the raw materials and manufacturing/assembly operations. The optimization process has been used for optimizing a portion of the electric cable harness of a 43 MWe power plant with a size of 44 × 20 meters, and a total of 40,60 kilometers of cables. The optimization process let to a cost saving of about 15% compared to the design carried out with the traditional approach. Abbreviations:CTs: cable trays; CUi: hourly rate for the installation phase [€/hour]; CUrmtk: hourly rate for the k-th cost center used for transforming a semi-finished component [€/hour]; Cut: hourly rate for the test phase [€/hour]; CUtray: unitary cost of a cable tray [€]; DOE: design of experiment; GA: genetic algorithm [€]; Ic: installation cost [€]; If: installation factor [-]; PAc: cost for the preliminary analysis [€]; PAcp: percentage used for calculating the cost of the preliminary analysis [%]; RMc: cost of the raw material and relative transformation operations [€]; RMcci: cost of the i-th commercial component [€]; RMoc: percentage of the overhead costs related to the management of the raw material [%]; RMsc_scrapsj: cost of the scraps for the j-th semi-finished component [€]; RMscj: cost of the j-th semi-finished component [€]; RMtc: cost for transforming semi-finished components [€]; Tcl: commercial length of a straight cable tray [meter]; Tii,j: standard installation time for the i-th or j-th component [hour]; Tl: linear distance between two points of the wiring system that need to be connected [meter]; Trmtk: time for the k-th operation for transforming a semi-finished component [hour]; Ttk: standard test time for the k-th skid of the electrical system [hour].

The paper aims to explore the implementation of an eco-design methodology and the related software platform (G.EN.ESI – Green ENgineering dESIgn) within technical departments of a manufacturing fir...

End of Life Tires (ELT) constitute a major portion of End of life Vehicles (ELV). The treatment process of ELTs is primarily aimed at recovering steel and rubber, which jointly represent the main portion of the ELT material and are currently applied in different sectors. During the treatment of ELTs, other sub-products are generated in significant quantities (about 10-15% in weight), as textile fibers that currently are landfilled or used for energy recovery. The aim of this study is a comparative evaluation of the environmental impacts related to three different end of life scenarios for the textile fibers. In addition to landfilling and incineration, this study considers the possibility to reuse textile fibers as reinforcement in bituminous conglomerates. Results obtained through the Life Cycle Assessment study confirms that the reuse scenario leads to a relevant reduction of impacts in terms of Global Warming Potential. However, by considering other environmental metrics the reuse scenario is not always the less impactful one.

Promoting a more sustainable and energy-saving economy is one of the main goal of the European Community. In this context, home appliance manufacturers are researching and developing more efficient and sustainable products. Home automation and smart objects, by implementing specific energy management strategies, can significantly reduce energy waste. This paper aims to investigate the benefits offered, in terms of environmental impacts, by a smart system for kitchen air treatment. The system is composed by two inter-connected smart devices: a kitchen hood and an additional aspiration system able to assure a constant indoor comfort minimizing energy consumption and heat losses. Three different configurations were analyzed and compared: conventional extractor kitchen hood, smart extractor kitchen hood, and smart filtrating kitchen hood with smart additional aspiration system. Results show that in comparison with a traditional hood, products equipped with smart devices present lower environmental impact, due to the optimization of their energy consumptions.

In the last decade, the environmental sustainability has become an important issue that drives more and more the consumer decisions. Consequently, industrial companies are called to meet the growing demand for more sustainable products. Especially in the furniture sector, customers pay serious attention to the emissions that negatively affect human health and so they request products with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. This represents a big challenge because it requires the strictly control of each component provided by all the supply chain actors through expensive laboratory tests. For this aim, the present paper proposes a method to estimate the total VOCs emissions of furniture products starting from the characteristics of all semi-finished products (e.g., geometric features, product composition, process information and functionality) and through the definition of an appropriate impact scale based on historical data. It allows making the supply chain (SC) more sustainable, limiting costly chamber tests.

The growing attention on environmental and social sustainability issues is pushing companies to move towards new business models. In this context, PSS (Product Service System) seems to be one of the most suitable model to foster the transition to sustainable economic models. The PSS is composed of a mix of tangible products and intangible services. The method proposed in this paper supports the PSS design. The objective of this work is to integrate careful assessment of economic, environmental and social sustainability supporting the transition towards new business models and strategic company decision-making. The method is then validated through a case study on the management of urban waste.

Waste management, in particular waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), currently represents an important issue for the modern society. A transition toward circular economy and industrial symbiosis models is needed to mitigate the environmental problem and recover value from end of life (EoL) materials/products. This study aims to define an approach and a platform, dedicated to the WEEE sector, to favor the creation of industrial symbiosis opportunities. Through this structured approach, demand of virgin materials and components, and supply of EoL products are linked to find potential collaborations. In this way, EoL components/materials could be reused in different applications, thus closed-loop lifecycles can be created through industrial symbiosis. A case study focused on the reuse of plastics from electrical cables is shown to demonstrate that in the WEEE sector the implementation of industrial symbiosis models can lead to win-win scenarios for all the involved stakeholders.

The paper defines a framework called virtual eco-design aiming to support designers and engineers in the development of sustainable energy-related products. Virtual prototyping is used to perform energy consumption tests according with ecodesign and energy label regulations. The goal is to build a knowledge-based repository in which virtual tests are stored and classified to create eco-knowledge. Induction hob has been analysed to verify the applicability of the approach and the integration in a traditional product development process. Results highlight how the proposed methodology increases company eco-knowledge providing a tangible support in the definition of energy-label compliant products.

Maritime vessels are complex products with long service life and great costs of building, manning, operating, maintaining and repairing. The paper aims to introduce a specific life cycle model and related metrics in shipbuilding design, supporting decision-making processes of material selection, manufacturing/assembly practices, maintenance, use, etc. The model provides a common structure for life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) including the way to retrieve and to collect necessary data for the analysis starting from the available project documentation and design models. Different design configurations (materials, welding methods, etc.) for hull and hatches of a luxury yacht have been analysed using the proposed model.

Conceptual design is a fundamental phase for developing optimal product configurations. During conceptual design, the degree of freedom in engineering choices can propose optimal solutions in terms of assembly, manufacturing, cost and material selection. Nevertheless, in current industrial practices, each aspect is analysed independently and a guided decision-making approach based on multi-objective criteria is missing. Multi-objective analysis is a way of combining each production aspect with the aim of choosing the best design option. The goal of this research work is to define a multi-objective design approach for the determination of optimal and feasible design options during the conceptual design phase. The approach is based on the concept of functional basis, module heuristics for defining product modules and the theory of multi-criteria decision-making for mathematical assessment of the best design option. The novelty of this approach lies in making the design process, currently based on company know-how and experience, systematic. A complex product (i.e. tool-holder carousel of a computer numerical control machine tool) is the case study used to assess the economic sustainability of different design options and to validate the proposed design workflow in a real manufacturing context. Different product modules have been re-designed and prototyped for comparing the assemblability, manufacturability and cost of the design solutions.

Circular economy (CE) is a new business model that is pressing manufacturing companies to think about closed loop scenarios for materials and products. Design for End-of-Life (DfEoL) and Design for Disassembly (DfD) are key enabling methods for the effective application of this model. The paper presents a time-based method for the calculation of disassembly sequences, adopting basic theories and techniques in this topic and integrating new concepts for the assessment of the disassembly time. The method consists of five steps and starts from the documentations (e.g., CAD model) generally available early in the product development process. The first three steps encompass the product analysis by including (i) the definition of target components from the general assembly, (ii) the analyses of the virtual model, and (iii) the assessment of the so-called level matrix, which is based on the concept of disassembly levels and liaisons characterization among components. The last two steps allow for the assessment of the time-based disassembly sequence by including (iv) the analysis of feasible sequences and (v) the generation of the best disassembly sequence for target components. The method mainly overcomes two issues highlighted in the literature regarding the reliability of the disassemblability analysis using a time-based approach and the quality of results accounting for the real condition of the product at the time of disassembly. The calculation of the effective disassembly time is grounded on a specific repository developed to gather knowledge about the disassembly tasks and related disassembly time. This is the main contribution and novelty of the proposed approach. By using the proposed method, different target components of a washing machine are analysed with the aim of demonstrating the robustness of the method and its consistency in the estimation of disassembly time. A maximum deviation of 10% between the estimated and measured disassembly times is noticed.

Modular product design is an efficient strategy to let manufacturing companies meet the customers’ requirements by offering a wide variety and customization of products and significantly saving time and cost during engineering and production (Fei et al., 2011). Despite numerous approaches for function modeling and modular product design (Srinivasan et al., 2012; Eckert, 2013; Vermaas, 2013) that have been developed in the last decades, carrying out an efficient product variants’ design process is still an open issue for many manufacturing companies. The proposed approaches offer numerous ways to model information about product functionality, but each approach is useful and particularly well suited for different applications and domains (Summers et al., 2013). The present research compares the existing approaches for product variants design and defines a function-based model to support product design and redesign according to a modular framework, merging qualitative technical issues with business-oriented evaluation. Such a framework has been used to develop a multiuser IT platform, composed of a knowledge-based engine and four different tools to support designers and engineers in product variants creation, management, and configuration, from product functional modeling to cost estimation and life cycle assessment. The proposed model has been tested on industrial cases in the context of household appliances. Experimental results demonstrates that, after a preliminary context analysis and a proper knowledge base creation, such a model supports a more conscious decision-making and promote collaboration within an interdisciplinary design team. Finally, the case study shows the necessity, but in the meanwhile the insufficiency, of a functional decomposition as the only representation viewpoint.

A growing interest towards smart manufacturing is focused on sustainable development at both industrial and policy level. In particular, an effective sustainable development incorporates three fundamental pillars: environment, cost and society. While environment and cost have been already faced by numerous studies so far, society is still the less considered in manufacturing. Social sustainability comprises specific relapses on humans that are quantifiable through social assessment methods. This research work proposes a new Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) methodology, based on the United Nations Environment Programme and the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) framework, to support enterprise modelling and knowledge management to assess company sustainability by solving current issues and uncertainties regarding the evaluation of social impacts in the context of smart manufacturing. The analysis is settled into a LIFE +2012 European Project, named LIFE GREEN SINKS. The project concerns the introduction of innovative materials for a new generation of kitchen sinks. The S-LCA methodology proposed embeds a detailed inventory method tailored on real data, collected directly from the field of application thanks to customised surveys that allow modelling the enterprise and integrating data available from the manufacturing process. This method is designed as a supporting tool for enterprise modelling and strategic company decision-making. Specifically, it intends to help companies in understanding and, consequently reducing, social impacts of all processes related to a certain product from a life cycle perspective, to achieve an effective “smart” manufacturing for a sustainable development.

Many foot pathologies are prevented or treated with Custom Made Insoles (CMIs). Although a strong computerization has characterized the shoe development process during the last decade, the CMI sector still lacks a software platform integrating the design and diagnosis tools used by the stakeholders of this area. Moreover, the prescription of CMIs is only based on the experience of skilled podiatrists rather than on a common and shared knowledge (e.g. guidelines, best practices, rules, etc.). This paper presents a multi-users and knowledge-based platform, called Smart Prescription Platform ( SPP ), covering the whole CMI development phases, from foot diagnosis to the production, involving clinicians, patients, manufacturers and controllers. The web-based platform is fully integrated with the technologies available in the orthopaedic sector, which are 3D/4D scanners, baropodometric platforms, footwear virtual catalogues, plantar pressure simulators, Augmented Reality devices and 3D CAD systems. The use of standard file formats (e.g. .stl , .bmp , .xml ) allows an electronic dataflow among the tools. The main module of the platform, called Prescription System (PS), is used for prescribing custom-made insoles for patients with different health conditions, satisfying the needs of all actors and optimizing the data exchange. PS is a knowledge-based prescription system integrating the best practices related to the prescription of CMIs. The PS output is a XML file representing the electronic order, used to exchange data with the other tools of the SPP . The proposed platform has been tested with a twofold aim: to validate the usability of the Prescription System and the inter-operability of the platform tools. The positive results gathered during the validation, led the experts to start using the web platform for their daily work.