The NCMS Green Design Advisor, a CAE tool for environmentally conscious design

The NCMS Green Design Advisor is a CAE design tool to help manufacturers minimize the environmental impacts of electro-mechanical products. This tool will generate a product feature-based rating that gives the designer a basis for reducing environmental impacts associated with the manufacture, use, and disposition of the product. This analytical tool will provide support to the designer early in the product development cycle when it is most efficient to address environmental costs and impacts. A user-driven development plan will ensure end-user acceptance and maximize multi-industry applicability. In this paper the authors discuss user needs and the benefits of a collaborative industry-driven approach in meeting these needs. The authors evaluate technical risks and functional limitations in developing a first generation Green Design Advisor. They conclude by suggesting a general technical approach to develop and validate a prototype green design tool. The initial prototype tool and validation exercises will focus on products consisting generically of printed wiring boards in metal or plastic housings