Eisuke Kunii

Recyclability Evaluation of LCD TVs Based on End-of-Life Scenarios

One of the effective approaches for increasing resource efficiency of products is to improve their recyclability in consideration of their product life cycles at the design stage. To support product design for recycling, this paper proposes recyclability evaluation method by following two steps; (1) to describe an end-of-life scenario of a product, (2) to calculate recyclability rate of the product based on the described end-of-life scenario. As a case study, we evaluated recyclability of three LCD TVs. The result showed that recyclability of a product depends on its end-of-life processes as well as the material constitution of the product.

A Design Support System for Scenario-Based Lifecycle Design

In order to solve global environmental issues, we should construct stable circular product lifecycle systems. For this purpose, lifecycle design plays a crucial role; especially, it is necessary to determine lifecycle strategies at the early stage of lifecycle design. In the current practice of eco-design, for example, a designer increases the disassemblability of a product for recycling, although the product is shredded without disassembling. For avoiding such a situation and realizing stable circular product lifecycle systems, appropriate lifecycle strategies should be determined and implemented by designing both a product and its processes. This paper proposes a method for supporting design of a product lifecycle. The main approach is to support a designer to determine a lifecycle strategy by describing a lifecycle scenario, at early stage of lifecycle design. We define a representational scheme of the lifecycle scenario and develop the support system based on the idea of cognitive design process model so that a designer can examine various possibilities of lifecycle strategy. After this stage of lifecycle design, the product and its lifecycle processes should be designed so as to realize the strategy. In order to embody the strategy in the later stages, the system derives requirements for the product and process design. A case study indicates that the lifecycle scenario is successfully represented on a computer and a designer can easily determine lifecycle strategies by using this system.Copyright

Quantitative Design Modification for the Recyclability of Products

This paper proposes a design support method for increasing the recyclability of electrical and electronic products. The method estimates the recyclability rate and the disassembly time of a product based on its material composition and end-of-life scenario. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on the recyclability rate in order to quantify the impact of design changes in the product’s material composition, mass of components, and end-of-life treatment processes. For the feasibility check of the design changes, we introduce a structural model of the product, which represents the geometric constraints among components to assess their disassemblability. As a case study, the recyclability of a LCD TV with an end-of-life scenario in Europe was evaluated and sensitivity analysis on the TV generated design alternatives that increase the recyclability rate while keeping the disassembly time of the original design.

Consistency Management System Between Product Design and the Lifecycle

Within the framework of sustainability in manufacturing industry, product lifecycle design is a key approach for constructing resource circulation systems of industrial products that drastically reduce environmental loads, resource consumption and waste generation. In such design, designers should consider both a product and its lifecycle from a holistic viewpoint, because the product’s structure, geometry, and other attributes are closely coupled with the characteristics of the lifecycle. Although product lifecycle management (PLM) systems integrate product data during its lifecycle into one data architecture, they do not focus on support for lifecycle design process. In other words, PLM does not provide explicit models for designing product lifecycles. This paper proposes an integrated model of a product and its lifecycle and a method for managing consistency between the two. For the consistency management, three levels of consistency (i.e., topological, geometric, and semantic) are defined. Based on this management scheme, the product lifecycle model allows designers to evaluate environmental, economic, and other performance of the designed lifecycle using lifecycle simulation.© 2013 ASME

Proposal of Design Environment for Life Cycle Scenario

To reduce environmental impact and resource consumption, life cycle design is required; especially planning a strategy of product life cycle in the early design stage is needed. On the strategy planning, rationales of designer’s decision and design alternatives should be managed. This paper proposes a method of supporting for planning the strategy with representation scheme called life cycle scenario by managing design rationale and alternatives. We implemented a life cycle scenario description support system and verified the system by a case study.

Development of a Consistency Management System between Product and Life Cycle Flow in Life Cycle CAD

In order to increase value and reduce the environmental loads of a product life cycle, integrated design for the product and its life cycle is important. This paper proposes a consistency management system between product and its life cycle in order to support such design. For this purpose, we define two levels of consistency: the model consistency level and the requirement fulfillment level. A case study indicated that the relationship between a product and its life cycle is successfully represented and that a designer can design them in an integrated manner.

Development of CAD System for Life Cycle Scenario-Based Product Design

Life Cycle Management (LCM) has established as research area to foster sustainability in all fields of action of organizations. To provide an understanding for this broad research area suitable teaching methods are required. This paper presents the concept for a business game based on the Framework for Total Life Cycle Management (TLCM). It enables participators to understand the interdependencies of four different management disciplines: product, production, after sales and end-of-life management. The educational objective is to continuously develop a holistic life cycle strategy. The game requires communication of all actors and reasonable activities towards sustainability. By that prospective managers can understand relationships and interdependencies of TLCM.