Design for environment: an integrated systems approach

The author explores the need for improved modeling and analysis support to make DFE (design for environment) a practical aspect of integrated product development. He points out that an integrated life cycle model (ILCM) for design verification is needed for effective use of DFE in integrated product development. The ILCM should be capable of assessing the relative importance of environmental, health, and safety issues associated with all product life cycle stages, should explicitly represent uncertainty, and should allow evaluation of economic impacts associated with product strategy decisions. For practical reasons, the ILCM should be available as part of a customized computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAE) environment to allow integrated assessment and optimization of strategic decisions. One economic modeling approach well-suited to development of an ILCM is dynamic simulation using generic business process models