Mitsutaka Matsumoto

Total performance analysis of product life cycle considering the deterioration and obsolescence of product value

Environmental consciousness has gained more and more interest in recent years, and product life cycle design that aims to maximise total performance while minimising its environmental load and costs should be implemented. To achieve that, the rise and fall in product value along life cycles should be evaluated properly. This paper proposes a practical evaluation method for the product value along life cycle by correlating it with product functionalities, and design guideline for maximising product performance through product life cycle with balancing its value, environmental load, and costs.

Wireless sensor network for power consumption reduction in information and communication systems

This paper presents prototypes of wireless sensor nodes and network system for monitoring the power consumption of information and communication devices. Nowadays, carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the information and communication technology (ICT) field is increasing enormously due to the high electric power consumption in ICT devices, e.g., in internet data centers (IDC) as well as offices and homes. In order to reduce CO2 emission from the ICT devices, it is very important to introduce energy management systems taking the advantages of wireless sensor network technology. In this study, we have developed the prototypes of a wireless current clamp probe integrated with a thermometer and a network system that enables simultaneous monitoring of 50 power lines. Using the sensor nodes and system, power consumption monitoring of several typical ICT appliances in home has been successfully demonstrated.

Development of a Model to Estimate the Economic Impacts of R&D Output of Public Research Institutes

This paper proposes a modeling framework to estimate the economic impacts of R&D output of public research institutes. The framework models the process of R&D output generating the economic impacts. The authors collect case data of market-creation economic impacts originating from R&D output of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan. On the basis of the case studies, the process of R&D output generating economic impacts is modeled in the following four stages: (1) R&D output, (2) technology transfer, (3) commercialization, and (4) market impacts. The model describes these stages using six parameters. This paper presents the model and case studies, and discusses the application of the model.

Business Constraints in Reuse Services

Global product sales are increasing rapidly. As many as 70 million automobiles are produced annually worldwide. The number of refrigerators, PCs, and cellular phones sold annually are 80 million, 230 million, and 1.1 billion, respectively. Manufacturing these products require a large amount of energy and material resources. Therefore, to achieve an environmentally sustainable society, it is necessary to reduce energy consumption and materials use in manufacturing by prolonging the use of products, and by encouraging the reuse of their parts. Businesses that develop closed-loop supply chains of products, or that support the promotion of product reuse, parts reuse, product remanufacturing, and effective material recycling, minimize CO2 problems, energy and material resource problems, and hazardous waste problems, thereby playing significant roles in achieving environmentally sustainable industries. Using interviews, companies that run reuse businesses were surveyed for this study. We focus on the reuse business in four product areas: cars, auto parts, PCs, and ink cartridges. The survey involved interviews of managers from eight companies. We also conducted a consumer survey via questionaires to investigateconsumer recognition and impressions of reused products. Here we present the results of those surveys.

Total performance analysis of product life cycle considering the uncertainties in product-use stage

Product life cycle design has gained more interest in recent years due to growing concern about environmental problems. In general, there exist significant uncertainties (e.g., operating condition, user preference, collection rate etc.) in product life cycle and a design method that is robust and tolerant against these uncertainties should be established. To this end, this paper discusses the uncertainties in product life cycle and evaluates their impact on total performance throughout a whole product life cycle. Based on this discussion, a design method for product life cycle that maximizes its total performance handling these uncertainties is proposed.

Total performance design of product life cycle considering future uncertainties

Product life cycle design has gained increasing interest in recent years due to growing concerns about environmental problems. In general, there exist significant uncertainties (e.g., operating conditions, user preference, post-consumer product collection rate, etc.) in the product life cycle, requiring a design method that is robust and tolerant against these uncertainties. To this end, this paper discusses design strategies for products and their life cycle to enhance total performance as a defence measure. Based on the discussion, a robust design method is proposed for maximising environmental and economic performance for the product life cycle. The effectiveness and feasibility of this method are demonstrated through a simple example of laptop computers.

Low-Carbon Society Scenario: ICT and Ecodesign

This article presents a scenario for a sustainable low carbon society with an emotionally healthy lifestyle in the year 2050. This scenario was developed on the basis of a survey of citizens, examination of science fiction and animation films, and consultations with experts and research teams. This analysis suggests that with a techno-ontological approach it would be possible to develop a low-carbon society in which advanced information and communication technology (ICT) and an emotionally healthy lifestyle are compatible.

Proposal and feasibility assessment of “tele-inverse manufacturing”

The environmental pollutions caused by uncontrolled e-waste recycling is a pressing issue in the area. Appropriate e-waste management systems are required. The goal of this research is to discuss the long term future scenarios for e-waste recycling system. In the current paper, first, we present basic data which is useful for the scenario assessments. The data is mainly for the Japanese case. The data includes: e-waste amount, e-waste flow, material content in e-waste, LCA of electronics products and recycling costs. Second, we outline the future scenarios for e-waste recycling system. Third, as a scenario for the future e-waste recycling, we propose the tele-inverse manufacturing model. The feature of the model is that the operations for recycling are carried out via remote operations. It could utilize inexpensive wages and could reduce the costs for the processes. As the result, the model possibly promotes resource recycling. We discuss the feasibility of the model from the viewpoint of economical feasibility and technological feasibility.

Remanufacturing as an Enabler for Green Service Models

In today’s society, especially in developed countries, people enjoy materially affluent lives. This affluence presupposes the consumption of vast amounts of energy and material resources. Considering the world’s growing and increasingly affluent population, current consumption patterns lead to scarcity, volatility, and pricing levels that are unaffordable for our economy’s manufacturing basis (Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2013). Society needs to cope with these problems by substantially improving resource productivity. Though there are a number of requirements for realizing the green economy, such improvement of material resource productivity is a crucial element. Achieving this improved productivity requires a paradigm shift in industrial systems. This paradigm shift is possibly facilitated by manufacturing industries’ movement toward servitization. This chapter addresses the opportunities and challenges of the transitions.

A Multi-agent Model for Product Reuse Service Markets

This paper presents a multi agent model for Reuse-Product markets. In the paper, by referring to previous studies, five prerequisites for reuse businesses are extracted. A simulation model with three types of agents: consumers and two types of companies, is proposed. The model contains eight parameters that reflect the prerequisites extracted. The model developed is original and informative because it incorporates the prerequisites that had been treated independently in many cases in previous studies within a single simple framework. In this paper, the model formulation, simulation results, and correspondences with two cases of actual reuse businesses are presented.