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SLCA to Support Evaluation of Environmental Conscious Production Process

Alternatives: An Industrial Case

Conference Paper · December 2011

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-3010-6_120

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SLCA to Support Evaluation of Environmental Conscious Production
Process Alternatives: An Industrial Case
M. Mengoni, M. Peruzzini, H.E. Otto, F. Mandorli
Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Abstract
This paper presents an industrial case study of production process re-design to reduce both environmental
impact and production costs and to improve overall product quality. The proposed solution is based on the
concept of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) model. Simplified life cycle assessment (SLCA) has been
used to identify and compare the sustainability and environmental performance of alternative production
processes, while supporting strategic decision-making. A company producing shower trays whose process
eco-sustainability is quite low acts as the focal enterprise for the case study. Experimental results relating
to economic and environmental competitive advantages are discussed on both a quantitative and
qualitative base.

Keywords:
simplified life cycle assessment, closed-loop supply chain, recycling, value-added recovery

1 INTRODUCTION relation to environmental, economic and ecological issues

The concept of sustainability, and sustainable engineering
in particular, has become increasingly important both
locally and globally, and has influenced the decision
making and activities of many communities and of
humanity as a whole as it works towards a future which
offers increased harmony between human activities and
the systems of the biosphere. It was during the early 1980s
that the term sustainable development first came into use.
It gradually began to replace earlier concepts within what
had been known in the 1970s as the philosophy of eco-
development. The latter had featured a heavy focus on
scientific principles rather than practical and political
applicability, and thus had limited its potential to gain a
more widespread acceptance. Sustainable development
represents a comparatively complex and normative
concept with many different, sometimes ambiguous,
definitions. However, for modern sustainability
engineering, a discipline that spans all of the traditional
engineering fields concerned with the design and
development of processes and products using a collection
of raw materials and energy to implement aspects of
sustainability, concrete principles are far more important
than a definition of the concept itself.
In the last decade, sustainability has become a critical
issue. While facing the problem of reducing the
environmental impact of their processes and products,
commercial enterprises still need to continuously improve
the quality of their services and products, while keeping
costs under control. Within the industrial context of
wellness products, the problem of how to enable and
support a feasible evaluation of production processes in
is a research field still lacking substantial industrial
experience, know-how and computer-based tools. The
approach of the work presented in this paper is to promote
a sustainable engineering solution by employing the
principles of sustainability science and engineering as
given in [1]. This is based on the application of life cycle
assessment (LCA) as a tool to support enterprise decision-
making in regard to the environmental performance of
products and processes and the management of the same.
In particular, the adoption of simplified life cycle
assessment fosters the implementation of eco-design
strategies as early in the design stages as possible.
Economic and stakeholder issues are addressed by taking
into account the latest results of supply chain management
within the context of an extended enterprise. The concept
of closed-loop supply chains in particular has been chosen
to devise efficient implementation of recycling and
remanufacturing, while achieving economic revenue
through value-added recovery activities that in turn are
capable of creating synergic relationships within the
supply chain.
2 BACKGROUND AND RELATED WORK
2.1 The concept of CLSC
Research on closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) has gained
increased attention both in the field of industrial practice
and with academia, due to its enormous economic and
environmental potential, which had been overlooked for
quite some time. Besides the concept of reuse, product
recovery represents one major element in the foundation
of facilitating the design and development of industrial
systems which are economically and environmentally
sustainable. Recovery in this context is associated with
commercial returns, end-of-use returns, end-of-life
returns, and repair and warranty returns relating to
activities such as product disposition, reverse logistics,
used-product acquisition, remanufacturing, and repair. The
concept of CLSC focuses on bi-directional supply chains
and considers both forward logistics and reverse logistics.
Reverse logistics concentrates on taking back products
from end users with the economic aim of recovering added
value and the environmental aim of reducing waste and
raw material demand by reusing the entire product or a
selection of its components and parts. Current work on
CLSC is focusing mainly on research directions concerned
with the costing of CLSC [2], the development of
recovery networks [3], inventory control [4], and
sustainability issues [5]. Further details on and references
for the development of CLSC research in both economical
and environmental directions can be found in [6,7,8].
2.2 The concept of SLCA
In recent years, discussion about LCA methodology,
especially regarding the feasibility of simplification and
adaptation to designer needs [9], has been on the rise.
Different methods have been proposed. For example,
simplification has been suggested in regard to the
reduction of data requirements by excluding different
levels of life-cycle stages and/or substituting external
databases for these [10]. The use of qualitative and semi-
qualitative LCA [11] instead of full-scale LCA has also
been mooted. Another approach, reported in [12], is also
aimed at reducing complexities associated with the
practical application of LCA. It focuses on the
manufacturing life cycle stage by employing so-called
component manufacturing analysis (CMA), which
requires the identification of all product components and
their associated weights. Simplified life cycle assessment
(SLCA), especially in the conceptual design phase, is also
supported by identifying the basic characteristics of
materials and products, and using this information early in
the design process to identify where significant
environmental impact may occur [13]. Yet another
approach aimed at facilitating a simplified preliminary
analytical environmental assessment in the early design
stages is related to the use of artificial neural networks
[14]. For discussions on current developments and further
literature references see [15].
3 PROBLEMS AND APPROACH
Increased global competition, shortened life cycles,
expanded environmental legislation and even more
consumer attention to sustainable products and services
force companies both to implement eco-design strategies
and to adopt a life cycle approach to products in order to
integrate all product returns into the business model for
the product. The achievement of the first goal requires the
use of life cycle assessment tools within the early design
stages to support decision-making oriented towards the
improvement of environmental product performance. The
second needs the design of a forward and reverse supply
chain to take advantage of the extended enterprise
involvement (i.e. strong partnership, reduced lead time
and reduced costs) and of all possible types of product
returns. Both imply the creation of a new business model
supported by a novel way of conceiving products.
The proposed approach aims to create a new model for the
design of sustainable products, by choosing the best
manufacturing process to support the recycling of end-of-
life returns and by realizing a closed-loop supply chain to
reduce product costs, while achieving economic revenue
from the implementation of life cycle approaches. It
consists of the following steps:
1) Study of the AS-IS processes from raw material
extraction to manufacturing, and continuing right up until
product disposal. This requires the identification of main
activities and of stakeholders’ roles (material suppliers,
manufacturers, retailers, etc.) and also of the main
drawbacks in terms of eco-sustainability. It allows the
definition of product design specifications, which are
aimed at improving the environmental performance, in
order to meet customer needs and eventually to fit with the
supply chain requirements.
2) Evaluation of alternative manufacturing processes that
allow the fulfilment of product requirements, while taking
into account environmental and economic performance
along with CLSC implementation. For this purpose, a
metrics-driven analysis has been used for measuring LCA
performance, manufacturing cycle time and production
costs. SLCA tools have been chosen to support the
evaluation of the environmental performance in terms of
waste and pollution generation and resource consumption.
Although the LCA is simplified, it is still of a quantitative
nature in regard to information used for compiling and
assessing the life cycle inventory. The use of a simplified
method is due to the fact that decision-making in design
permits only a short time for the comparison of design
solutions and focuses only on those processes that impact
strongly on environmental performance in this case study,
namely manufacturing equipment design and supply chain
arrangement.
3) Choosing the best design and production solution and
subsequent definition of a TO-BE cycle that completely
re-designs the current manufacturing process and the
existing supply chain. Economic revenue calculation
needs to be carried out; as it is one of the major triggers
for promoting life cycle-oriented approaches in real
industrial cases.
4 THE CASE STUDY
4.1 The industrial context
The focal enterprise and main industrial research
collaboration partner is Teuco Guzzini S.p.a., a leading
enterprise in the design and production of wellness
products (e.g. showers, whirlpool bathtubs, equipped
columns, steam saunas). By their nature, the products are a
combination of aesthetics and technology. Indeed, several
aspects contribute to final product definition: market
trends, aesthetic impression, product functionalities,
customer taste, marketing requirements, ergonomic
satisfaction, manufacturing and technological constraints,
environmental normative standards, etc. Therefore, all
products need to address consumer requirements by
differing from others in size, shape, materials,
technological components and additional functions such as
aromatherapy, chromo-therapy and ultrasound massage.
Thermoforming is a widespread technology in the
manufacturing industry, and is used to produce shaped
plastic artefacts. It is the AS-IS process used to
manufacture shower trays at Teuco. The AS-IS process
involves draping a heat-softened plastic sheet onto the
surface of a thermoforming mould. When the plastic sheet
cools down, it takes up the shape of the mould, producing
thin-walled parts with large areas. PMMA
(polymethylmethacrylate) is generally used for the plastic
sheet. Thermoforming also implies the use of reinforcing
supports to improve structural performance.
Reinforcement is usually achieved by applying a wooden
board behind the plastic sheet, and by spraying a mixture
of resin and fiberglass beyond.
The AS-IS process is actually carried out by a four-
company supply chain, with Teuco as the leading
company. In particular:
- Teuco Guzzini designs the final product, assembles
the components (thermoformed tray, electronic
boards, hydraulic plant, glass closing structure, user
control interface, etc.) and puts the final product on
the market.
- G.M.P. S.r.l. supplies materials, both raw and
recycled, and provides several recycling services
(material grinding, enrichment, etc.).
- DRAG Stampi S.r.l. designs and produces steel and
aluminium moulds on demand for plastic moulded
products.
- CS Plastic Stampi S.n.c. designs moulded products in
collaboration with the leading company, optimizes the
production by considering specific moulding
constraints, and moulds final items for third parties.
The actual process has been analyzed by interviewing
personnel of the industrial partners, by collecting data
from the supply chain, and by studying internal company
documents and reports. Functional analysis has been
carried out to highlight process activities and input/output
data flows in term of energy, materials and data.
4.2 SLCA for product design: how to choose among
alternative solutions?
In order to properly compare different manufacturing
processes, the authors have pointed out the main product
requirements and the main drawbacks of the actual
process. Indeed, product requirements represent the
starting conditions for identifying and choosing from
several alternative processes that should be able to
guarantee almost the same product quality and process
performance. Next, we identify those limitations that need
to be overcome for each of the alternative processes. In
our context, the product requirements for the Teuco tray
design can be summed up in four points:
1. High aesthetic quality of the top surface: the tray must
not have any surface irregularities or inconsistent
finishing, any color blemishes, etc.
2. High structural rigidity and chemical stability: the tray
must pass a set of laboratory tests as required by the
regulations, certifying the deflection under vertical
loads, impact resistance, thermal shock, chemical
resistance, drainage verification, and dimension
conformity.
3. Low environmental impact: sensible reduction of CO2
emissions (40%), elimination of styrene emissions,
total recyclability (100%).
4. Economic revenue: supply chain process optimization
and reduction of the actual unit production cost (ca.
20%).
The AS-IS process based on thermoforming guarantees
the first two aspects. However, it implies some drawbacks,
significantly: air emissions, considerable consumption of
energy and additional costs due to some manufacturing
operations (movement of thermoformed plastic sheets,
positioning of the wooden boards, high-quality resin
finishing, etc.). It is impossible to recycle because the
product components are no longer separable as the resin
adheres strongly to the plastic sheet. Furthermore, product
disposal is not managed, so that the goods end up in
landfill. During the analysis phase, taking into account
product design in aesthetics, surface quality, structural
performance, and production costs, two manufacturing
processes have been identified, namely over-moulding and
co-injection moulding (Fig.2). Over-moulding combines
thermoforming and injection moulding by thermoforming
a thin PMMA sheet through a traditional process and then
injecting the reinforcing material by inserting the formed
sheet into an injection mould. The reinforcement is made
of recycled PMMA. Different material compositions have
been tested using FEM analysis (100% recycled PMMA
or recycled PMMA with the addition of some other virgin
materials such as PMMA or ABS). Co-injection uses only
the injection moulding press machine in order to obtain a
final product by injecting two distinct materials, one virgin
and one recycled, into the same mould. In this case too,
different material compositions have been tested with
varying ratios of virgin and recycled elements.

Fig. 2: IDEF diagrams of the over-moulding and the co-
injection process analysis
The process redesign has been approached employing a
set-based methodology. Alternative solutions for
moulding have been developed in parallel and product
design has been continuously redefined and adjusted.
Fig. 3: Design, simulation and re-design of the shower tray
according to set-based methodology
Continuous process iterations from SLCA to product
shape redesign have been carried out, using finite element
mesh structural analysis and computer-aided moulding
simulation (see Fig. 3) in order to define the best process
solution. Processes have been analyzed and developed
right up to the final physical prototyping. Then, a three-
column matrix has been used for a comparative process
assessment considering process efficiency and
environmental as well as economic benefits.
4.3 Experimental results and evaluation
The use of the method described in section 4.2 allows the
assessment and comparison of two different TO-BE
processes, considering both requirement satisfaction and
the process performances in terms of environmental
impact, cost savings and feasibility within the supply
chain. The evaluation also considers the economic revenue
from closed-loop supply chain implementation. The
processes have been compared in detail by considering
materials, energy flows and consumption, process costs,
etc. Fig. 4 shows some of the activities carried out during
prototyping and process testing. In the case of over-
moulding, a mixture of recycled PMMA and ABS was
used as reinforcement. The proportion of recycled material
in the final product was about 83% (1.4 kg of PMMA
sheet to about 7 kg of recycled mixture). In the case of co-
injection, the same mixture of recycled PMMA and ABS
was injected in combination with non-recycled PMMA.
The proportion of recycled material was about 88% (1.1kg
of raw PMMA to 8.6kg of recycled mixture).
Fig. 4: Prototyping and testing of the two alternative
processes
Experimental testing and product prototyping revealed
that over-moulding allows for a better aesthetic quality
and easy customization of product colors, due to the top
thermoformed sheet. However, it requires several
additional activities (sheet transfers, sheet polishing and
positioning inside the mould, etc.) and involves two 4.4 Outline and structure of the TO-BE process
different press machines. As a consequence, cycle time The Teuco supply chain was chosen as a starting point for
increases and process implementation in a closed-loop investigation of the new closed-loop supply chain model.
chain is more complex. On the other hand, co-injection This was used to identify necessary activities and to
guarantees a simpler process and increases efficiency and estimate a new business model. Co-injection and over-
agility by reducing the equipment cost and process moulding gained similar LCA scores. Concerning the unit
activities. There are some limitations in the selection of product cost, over-moulding allows the reuse of
recycled materials due to adherence properties and there is considerable quantity of recycled PMMA from the closed-
additional cost for the second moulding injector. loop, which increases the product affordability. However,
co-injection maximizes both environmental and efficiency
Table 1: Process results in comparison performances and improves the final aesthetic quality, if
taking into account additional technical aspects such as
Metrics Over-moulding Co-injection mould conditioning and air ducts. Furthermore, co-
LCA parameters injection simplifies the closed-loop process by involving
EI99, EA - 54.88% - 62.96% all partners in the chain in the new process and realizing
complete product recycling. From a global viewpoint, it
air emissions - 53.56% - 60.96%
allows the creation of a lean closed loop supply-chain and
water emissions - 73.53% - 97.05%
higher economic revenue by containing process changes
ground emissions - 75% - 50% and investments. As a consequence, co-injection has been
CO2 emissions - 57.7% - 60.9% chosen as the new process, especially as it offers complete
carbon footprint - 53.74% - 58.05% recycling. Fig.5 shows the TO-BE process that realizes the
(equiv. kg CO2) closed-loop chain. Each actor has his own role and takes
advantage of component recycling. In particular:
Efficiency
- 37.33% -70.48% - Teuco (the leading enterprise) designs the final
production cycle
time (in minutes)
product and assembles product components as in the
(13.16 vs 21) (6.2 vs 21)
AS-IS process. It also provides production waste and
Effectiveness recovered products for material recycling. Finally, it
production unit cost - 34.23% -24.70% benefits from the recycling carried out by chain
(in European Euro) (34.78 vs 52.8) (39.80 vs 52.86) suppliers and takes part in remanufacturing.
- G.M.P. (supplier 2.1) provides chemical
compounding both raw and recycled. In the new
Table 1 shows the most significant results according to the
process it also handles product recycling and produces
three selected metrics. Data refer to reductions obtained
recycled mixture as required by grinding and
compared to a traditional thermoforming process. They
combining waste materials.
show that co-injection allows a significant reduction in
production cycle time as well as reduced environmental - DRAG Stampi (supplier 1) designs and builds steel
impact. Process complexity is limited and no additional moulds according to the final product design,
machinery is required. This solution guarantees higher ensuring that they are suited to the characteristics of
product quality and simpler industrialization. materials used.
- CS Plastic Stampi (supplier 2) implements injection
moulding for the leading enterprise. It also
collaborates with suppliers in order to produce
suitable materials.

Fig. 5: Structure of the TO-BE process

5 CONCLUSION
The present research proposes a method for redesigning a
complex manufacturing process within the context of a
larger enterprise and several small suppliers. The solution
is based on adoption of the best performing technological
process within a closed-loop supply chain. Process
selection considers environmental impact, sustainability
and process efficiency, by adopting a SLCA approach.
The TO-BE process achieves closed recycling and re-
schedules the chain partners’ roles.
The central elements of the approach are the integration of
SLCA into the design cycle, the use of SLCA as a tool to
foster remanufacturing, and the implementation of closed-
loop supply chains related to cost assessment. It also
introduces innovations in the particular industrial sector of
medium-sized enterprises regarding the design of modular
products, costs savings due to the integration of recycling
and remanufacturing, and competitive advantage for the
supply chain.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
At this point we would like to thank our industrial
research collaboration partners, in particular Teuco
Guzzini S.p.a. and its chief technical officer Ing. Roberto
Onori, for their support with the research project.
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