Product Design for the Environment A Life Cycle Approach

About this book

In recent years the increased awareness of environmental issues has led to the development of new approaches to product design, known as Design for Environment and Life Cycle Design. Although still considered emerging and in some cases radical, their principles will become, by necessity, the wave of the future in design. A thorough exploration of the subject, Product Design for the Environment: A Life Cycle Approach presents key concepts, basic design frameworks and techniques, and practical applications. It identifies effective methods and tools for product design, stressing the environmental performance of products over their whole life cycle.

After introducing the concepts of Sustainable Development, the authors discuss Industrial Ecology and Design for Environment as defined in the literature. They present the life cycle theory and approach, explore how to apply it, and define its main techniques. The book then covers the main premises of product design and development, delineating how to effectively integrate environmental aspects in modern product design. The authors pay particular attention to environmental strategies that can aid the achievement of the requisites of eco-efficiency in various phases of the product life cycle. They go on to explore how these strategies are closely related to the functional performance of the product and its components, and, therefore, to some aspects of conventional engineering design. The book also introduces phenomena of performance deterioration, together with principles of design for component durability, and methods for the assessment of residual life.

Finally, the book defines entirely new methods and tools in relation to strategic issues of Life Cycle Design. Each theme provides an introduction to the problems and original proposals based on the authors' experience. The authors then discuss the implementation of these new concepts in design practice, differentiating between levels of intervention and demonstrating their use and effectiveness in specific case studies. The book not only presents evidence of the potential of the approach and methods proposed, but also analyzes some of the problems involved in developing eco-compatible products in the company context.

Contents

FROM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TO DESIGN FOR ENVIRONMENTSustainable DevelopmentIndustrial EcologyDesign in the Context of the Environmental QuestionDesign for EnvironmentConcepts, Tools and Approaches to the Environmental Question: OverviewStandards and Regulations Oriented Towards Environmental Quality of ProductsSummaryReferencesPART I - LIFE CYCLE APPROACHLIFE CYCLE APPROACH AND THE PRODUCT-SYSTEM CONCEPT AND MODELINGLife Cycle Concept and TheoryLife Cycle and the Product-System ConceptProduct-System and Environmental ImpactLife Cycle ModelingProduct Life Cycle: Reference ModelSummaryReferencesLIFE CYCLE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENTLife Cycle Approach in Product DesignLife Cycle Design Oriented toward Environmental Performance of ProductsLife Cycle ManagementSummaryReferencesLIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTEnvironmental Analysis and Evaluation of the Life CyclePremises, Properties and Framework of Life Cycle AssessmentFields of Application and Limitations of Life Cycle AssessmentOverview of Practical Approaches and Tools for Life Cycle AssessmentSummaryReferencesLIFE CYCLE COST ANALYSISCost Analysis and the Life Cycle ApproachProduct Life Cycle Cost AnalysisEvolution of Models for Product Life Cycle Cost AnalysisReference Standards and Codes of PracticeSummaryReferencesINTEGRATED ECONOMIC-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE LIFE CYCLELife Cycle Cost Analysis and Environmental AspectsEnvironmental Costs and Environmental AccountingIntegration Between LCCA and LCAOther Approaches to Economic-Environmental Analysis: Eco-Cost ModelsSummaryReferencesPART II - METHODOLOGICAL STATEMENTPRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESSProduct Design and DevelopmentProduct DesignMethodological Evolution in Product DesignSummaryReferencesINTEGRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS IN PRODUCT DESIGNOrientation toward Environmental Aspects in the Design ProcessEnvironmental Strategies for the Life Cycle ApproachTools and Techniques for Environmental Requirements of the Life CycleIntegration in Product Development: Proposed FrameworkToward an International Standard: The ISO/TR 14062 Technical ReportSummaryReferencesLIFE CYCLE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR PRODUCT DESIGNStrategies for Improving Resources Exploitation and Determinant FactorsStrategies for Extension of Useful Life and Design ConsiderationsStrategies for Recovery at End-of-Life and Design ConsiderationsProduct Modularity as a Key Concept for the Application of Environmental StrategiesSummaryReferencesENGINEERING METHODS FOR PRODUCT DURATION DESIGN AND EVALUATIONDurability of Products and ComponentsFatigue of MaterialsDamageThermography and the Risitano MethodSummaryReferencesPART III - METHODS, TOOLS, AND CASE STUDIESPRODUCT CONSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM DEFINITION BASED ON OPTIMAL LIFE CYCLE STRATEGIESAims and ApproachMethod and Tools for Analysis an

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