Proposal of a model for life cycle optimization: Evidences from the LinkedDesign project

Pressure of emerging countries, environmental protection and industrial companies´ interests are pushing European companies towards new trends and paradigms such as sustainable manufacturing. Sustainability is now considered a strategic must-have and it can enable a profitability in the long run. One way to pursue sustainability is to implement a product life cycle approach, especially in the capital intensive industries, considering the whole lifecycle from the cradle to the grave of a product. The most critical phase to hit sustainability is the design process, due to its high influence on costs and environmental impacts generated along the whole manufacturing systems lifecycle. The aim of this paper is therefore to propose a model for Life Cycle Optimization, considering both economic and environmental dimensions, in order to support designers´ activities in the creation and identification of the optimal lifecycle oriented solution. The model has been developed within LinkedDesign project, and applied to a use case, referred to a supplier of industrial systems for the automotive sector.