Integrating a LCA tool with a design platform towards a sustainable-aware PSS design: application in a FabLAB environment

Abstract

The increasing importance of PSSs as business solution and their link with sustainability issues make it important to develop proper IT tools aimed at supporting the evaluation of their environmental impact. In this regard, commercial tools feature two main drawbacks: (i) they are built around the product concept and can hardly be adapted to the intangible part of a PSS and (ii) they are typically stand-alone tools that can not be easily integrated with design tools such as PLM systems, CAD or production planning and simulation tools. In this paper, a tool specifically thought to perform LCA-like analysis during the design phase of PSSs, the MaGA tool, is presented along with its integration with the 3D EXPERIENCE collaborative design platform. A 3D-printed robotic arm has been chosen as an example to show how the LCA analysis is performed with MaGA and how the integration with the design platform takes place. Even if further experimentation is needed to fine-tune the tool, first empirical evidences are promising.