Product concept manufacturability and sustainability assessment with eco process engineering system

The focus of engineering design on achieving a superior product, processes or services from functional and economical factors is now shifting towards sustainable design which considers environmental, economical and social aspects. This can be achieved by integrating the sustainable elements into the engineering design and analysis tasks throughout the product's lifecycle. Life Cycle Thinking (LCT), Design for Environment (DfE), eco-efficiency, eco innovation should be part of collaborative product development. In the development of products, product improvements, processes and related services, e.g. product service systems (PSS) which provide customer and business value but significantly decrease environmental impacts, new tools are needed. Eco-process engineering system (EPES) is the methodology and related ICT tools provided as a service for the development of PSS. The goal is to improve eco-efficiency, i.e. reduce energy and resource consumption, emissions, and the use of hazardous substances through the holistic analysis of PSS and its life cycle. European research project, EPES, carries out research and development to improve the sustainability performance of end-users operations, products and services. EPES system integrates existing tools and provides them as configurable services for non-ICT experts. This paper shows a case study for conceptual product assessment using EPES system.