Raw Material Acquisition Research Articles

Primary Data Collection and Environmental/Energy Audit of Hot Mix Asphalt Production

The development of the road construction sector determines the consequences on consumption of non-renewable resources, energy expenditure and environmental pollution. Recent sustainability issues have highlighted the importance of efficient design and quality-oriented techniques in this sector, due to the huge amount of materials involved in construction and maintenance activities. Thus, it is necessary to properly quantify the environmental impacts of asphalt mixtures used for pavement construction, considering the whole life cycle of the products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) represents the most appropriate methodological framework for assessing the environmental burdens of a product, from raw material acquisition to final disposal. A common problem for LCA is the lack of primary data useful to calculate the product eco-profile, for a specific production process. In this context, there is generally limited reliable and accurate data regarding the asphalt plant production phase, which represents the most critical phase. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to perform an environmental/energy audit of an asphalt plant and, further, to collect and analyze primary data useful for the definition of the eco-profile of 1 metric ton of hot mix asphalt (HMA), following a “gate to gate” approach, including transport. The asphalt production is examined in a Sicilian batch-mix plant, representing one of the most commonly used for asphalt production in the Italian context. The results are of interest for asphalt mixture producers, contractors, transportation agencies and researchers seeking to quantify asphalt pavement environmental impacts in Italy, based on context-related foreground data.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Steel and Concrete Construction Frames: A Case Study of Two Residential Buildings in Iran

Given the fact that during the recent years the majority of buildings in Iran have been constructed either on steel or concrete frames, it is essential to investigate the environmental impacts of materials used in such constructions. For this purpose, two multi-story residential buildings in Tehran with a similar function have been considered in this study. One building was constructed with a steel frame and the other was constructed with a concrete frame. Using the life cycle assessment tool, a complete analysis of all the stages of a building’s life cycle from raw material acquisition to demolition and recycling of wastes was carried out. In this research, the environmental impacts included global warming potential in 100 years, acidification, eutrophication potential, human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer effects), resource depletion (water and mineral), climate change, fossil fuel consumption, air acidification and biotoxicity. It could be concluded from the results that the total pollution of the concrete frame in all eleven aforementioned impact factors was almost 219,000 tonnes higher than that of the steel frame. Moreover, based on the results, the concrete frame had poorer performance in all but one impact factor. With respect to global warming potential, the findings indicated there were two types of organic and non-organic gases that had an impact on global warming. Among non-organic emissions, CO2 had the biggest contribution to global warming potential, while among organic emissions, methane was the top contributor. These findings suggest the use of steel frames in the building industry in Iran to prevent further environmental damage; however, in the future, more research studies in this area are needed to completely investigate all aspects of decision on the choice of building frames, including economic and social aspects.

Environmental impact prediction of microalgae to biofuels chains using artificial intelligence: A life cycle perspective

Biofuels derived from microalgae is an emerging technology that can supply fuel demand and alleviate greenhouse gas emissions. However, exclusively producing biofuels from microalgae remains to be commercially unsustainable because of its high investment and operating costs. A promising opportunity to address this are algal bio-refineries. Nonetheless, there is still a need to verify the environmental sustainability of this system along its entire process chain, from raw material acquisition to end-of-life. This study utilizes a life-cycle perspective approach to assess the sustainability of the algal bio-refinery and developed environmental impact prediction model using artificial intelligence, particularly adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system. Results will indicate the environmental impacts of a bio-refinery system identifying its major hotspots on different environmental impact categories. Results show that in the investigated proposed algal bio-refinery, the transesterification process had a huge contribution on the overall environmental impact having over 51.5 % of the total weight. In addition, ANFIS results showed the correlation of input parameters with respect to the environmental impact of the system. The model also indicated that there is a perfect correlation between the two parameters. The model and its accuracy should be further validated with the use of real data.

Охра в позднепалеолитических контекстах стоянки Коврижка IV на Байкало-Патомском нагорье

This paper deals with numerous ocher remains found in cultural layers 6, 2G, and 2B of the Paleolithic site Kovrizhka IV on the Vitim River, in the Baikal-Patom Highlands (Eastern Siberia). These layers are dated by radiocarbon to the interval of ~19.2–18.3 ka cal BP. In cultural layers 2B and 2G, ocher colored the living fl oors and combustion areas. Stratigraphic observations indicate that this was done at the very beginning of the occupation. In layer 6, traces of ocher were present on an anthropomorphic fi gurine made of mammoth ivory, and pieces of ocher were found near the head of another such fi gurine. In layer 2B, a large piece of ocher was unearthed at the edge of the hearth. Ocher residues were also detected by use-wear analysis on certain artifacts. This variety of patterns suggests different functions of ocher, possibly both symbolic and utilitarian. The mineral composition of ocher was assessed by X-ray diffraction analysis. In all three layers, hematite is associated with quartz. In layer 2G, an additional type of ocher was identifi ed, containing impurities, such as calcite and chlorite. Known sources of ocher are located in the distribution areas of magnetite and hematite ores, over 500 km southwest and southeast of Kovrizhka IV. The importance of ocher in the life of these societies is discussed in light of the archaeological evidence and the longdistance raw material acquisition patterns of ocher.

Understanding woodworking in Paleolithic times by means of use-wear analysis

Throughout prehistory, wood working was a frequent activity. The indices of this activity comes from rare found wooden remains, and the analysis of use-wear on them. In most recent periods, there are stone polished tools and metal tools, that increase the capability of wood transformation. This is not the case for older times, from which only knapped tools are available. The woodworking chaîne opératoire includes activities of selection and acquisition of raw material, but also the transformation and the finish of objects and structures. Use-wear analysis in many sites illustrates this. However, a systematic compilation of published traceological analysis has not been made recently. In this paper, we present a revision of the traceological data currently available, which guides a reflection on the methods of working ligneous vegetable matter with knapped tools. The relationship between this information, the morphological characteristics of tools and the necessary actions to elaborate the preserved wooden objects, tell us about the woodworking techniques that are more common in each period. The results allow us to draw conclusions about the performance of each type of tool, as well as the human technical capabilities for environmental transformation.

From the forest to the building. A cross-disciplinary study of wooden roofs in south-eastern France (12th-19th centuries) [abridged version

Despite the increasing interest for wooden materials in medieval and post-medieval architecture studies, their use as roofing material remains little-known. In Provence, which has traditionally been considered the “land of tiles”, wooden roofs have been long regarded as marginal and confined to mountainous areas. This paper aims at restoring these materials to their rightful place in the economy and building techniques, through a cross-disciplinary approach overlapping their viewpoints and methods from different branches, such as standing buildings archaeology, history and dendrochronology. Such a comprehensive and integrated approach provides new insights into the history of building techniques, by identifying the types of wood used and by reconstructing the operating chain from raw material acquisition to their implementation on buildings, in both urban and rural areas. This study contributes also to the knowledge renewal on southern French Alps’ economy, by analysing the integration of such roofing material within the economic markets and sociological environments.

Assessment of the Environmental Impact of a Car Tire throughout Its Lifecycle Using the LCA Method

There are numerous threats to the natural environment that pose a significant risk both to the environment and to human health, including car tires. Thus, there is a need to determine the impact of the life cycle of car tires on the environment, starting with the processes of raw materials acquisition, production, and ending with end-of-life management. Therefore, the authors of this study chose to do research on passenger car tires (size: P205/55/R16). As part of the research, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of traditional car tires was performed with the use of the Eco-indicator 99, cumulative energy demand (CED), and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods. The level of negative effects was determined for the life cycle of a tire and its particular stages: Production, use, and end of life. The negative impact on the atmosphere, soil, and water, as well as on human health, the environment, and natural resources was also investigated. The results show that the most energy-absorbing stage of a car tire life cycle is the use stage. It was found that the most harmful impact involves the depletion of natural resources and emissions into the atmosphere. Recycling car tires reduces their negative environmental impact during all their life cycle stages.

Life cycle assessment of bricks made from waste of building material and plastics (LDPE and PET)

Plastic waste is the one of the common problem in many countries. The main reason is because the a non-biodegradable materials. There are two types of plastic that we discussed in this research, the first one is PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) which is a type of plastic that often used as a bottle of soft drink packaging and the other one is LDPE (Low Density Polyethelene) which is also widely used as a food or beverage packaging material. The utilization of these two types of plastic continuously without good recycling will have a negative impact on the environment. Waste of building materials is also be a serious problem for the environment. This research aims to provide a solution to the problem of plastic waste above and also building material waste by making it as a mixture to be used as brick. There are various methods for evaluating energy and raw material consumption, emissions released into the environment, and other wastes related to the life cycle of a product or system. Therefore, the method can be used thoroughly from various aspects, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method is the most appropriate method, because it is a holistic approach system that aims to quantify potential environmental impacts (climate change, non-renewable energy use, etc.) generated from the product life cycle, starting from the acquisition of raw materials, use, recycling, and final disposal.

How to evaluate the quality of suppliers in a PIM`s Company X

The research was carried out in Company X that operates in the electronics industry at Manaus Industrial Pole (PIM). The objective is to propose a system of indicators to evaluate the quality of suppliers, in order to enable the relationship`s continuous improvement among company and its suppliers. Based in the collection and analyzed data, it was possible to identify six successful cases of suppliers' quality assessment indicators system, which permitted to propose, in partnership with managers, a model that does not need a high cost investment to implement it. Finally, it was suggested to company: a) computerize this process; b) to train employees that work in quality material sector; c) to strengthen relationships with current and future suppliers by showing the company's new vision and model. Doing so, it is believed that the company studied will have a great advance in the field of raw material acquisition, thus obtaining more quality and may be more competitive in the market.

Environmental impact reduction in a pump sub assembly using alternate material

Abstract This work addresses the results developed by the systematic method with environmental consciousness in the selection of alternative materials used in the components, meeting the performance, functional requirements and reducing the environmental impact associated with the product life cycle. The investigation was carried out in monoblock pump impeller subassembly component. The environmental impact of CO2, SO2, PO4, ADF, and DCB has been evaluated using Centrum VoorMilieukunde Leiden (CML) methodology during the product’s life cycle from raw material acquisition through production, end-of-life treatment recycling and final disposal (i.e. cradle – to grave). The reduction in pollutant emission and environmental impact categories was observed to be reduced by 40% of CO2, 37% of SO2, 39% of PO4 and 5% of DCB respectively. The numerical simulation test report proved that change of material will increases the life-span and efficiency of the pump, since significant reduction in deformation and stress intensity is obtained when compare with the existing material.

Life cycle assessment of melange yarns from the manufacturer perspective

Different proportions of colored fibers are able to spin into melange yarns with different colors and textures. With the advantages of energy saving, water saving, and emissions reduction in their production, melange yarns become more and more popular in manufacturers. However, the environmental performance of melange yarns with different colors has not been well investigated, which makes fashion designers unable to consider environmental performance when determining the color scheme of their design works. This study focuses on evaluating the environmental impacts of melange yarns spun from different colored fibers and identifying the environmental hotspots, in order to seek opportunities for improvement from the manufacturer’s perspective. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of melange yarns was performed, where the investigated phases include raw material acquisition, transportation, dyeing, mixing, and spinning. The functional unit is 1 ton of the finished melange yarns. The primary data of nine melange yarns spun from monochrome fibers, i.e., white, brown, blue, purple, green, yellow, red, black, and gray, were collected by on-site investigation in a large manufacturer in China. The environmental impacts of the nine melange yarns were evaluated using the ReCiPe method. The environmental impacts were indicated by 15 impact categories including climate change, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, marine eutrophication, ozone depletion, water depletion, metal depletion, fossil depletion, freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, human ecotoxicity, ionizing radiation, particulate matter formation, and photochemical oxidant formation. The results obtained from the LCA demonstrated that spinning phase and dyeing phase in the production of melange yarns are main contributors to environmental impacts. The electricity and tap water consumptions are found to be the dominant contributors to most of impact categories, except terrestrial ecotoxicity, metal depletion, and ionizing radiation, whereas these environmental impacts are related to the wastewater treatment process. The recycled water is beneficial to reduce environmental burdens and can bring over 30% environmental benefits to the category of freshwater ecotoxicity. Melange yarns spun from white fibers have the least impact on the environment because of the lower electricity and water consumptions. The potential hotspots identified are tap water use, reactive dyestuffs and auxiliaries use in the dyeing phase, and the electricity consumption in spinning phase. This work points out the future direction for the textile industry to improve the environmental performance.

ВПЛИВ ОБРОБКИ ТИСКОМ НА СТРУКТУРНО-МЕХАНІЧНІ ТА ОРГАНОЛЕПТИЧНІ ВЛАСТИВОСТІ ГОТОВИХ КОВБАСНИХ ВИРОБІВ

For further efficient development and, accordingly, efficient operation of such type of technological equipment, as meat comminutors, it is urgent to make reliable recommendations on the parameters of the influence of meat comminutors working organs on raw materials and prepared sausage products. Structural, mechanical and organoleptic properties of sausage products from such raw materials as: beef processed in a meat grinder, beef minced by hand with a knife and beef processed with a pressure have been studied. It is established that the largest module of axial compression is peculiar to beef sausages minced with a knife (285 kPa). For products from raw materials processed with a pressure of 0.4 MPa and 0.6 MPa, as well as minced meat, the axial compression module accepts significantly smaller values (249 kPa, 217 kPa and 140 kPa, respectively). The highest standard penetra-tion pressure is also observed for beef sausages, cut into cubes (124 kPa), while for the products from raw materials processed with a pressure of 0,4 MPa and 0,6 MPa, as well as for minced meat it is 96 kPa, 87 kPa and 71 kPa respectively. The results obtained allow to consider the processing of meat with a pressure in meat comminutors as a positive process necessary for obtaining sausage products with high organoleptic properties. The impact of the pressure when grinding meat in a meat grinder defines the delicate consistency of the meat and finished sausage products. Sliced meat doesn’t allow to achieve benchmarks of finished sausage products. It is necessary to supplement the definition of to read as follows: mince is meat, sliced and crushed. A purely compressive pressure, which corresponds to the pressure in the working chamber of meat grinder, doesn’t lead to the acquisition of raw materials, cut into cubes, the reference values of structural, mechanical and organoleptic properties. It is reasonable to study the effect of joint action of compressive and shear stresses on the indicated properties of the raw material. The meat processing with a pressure in meat comminutors should be considered a positive process necessary to obtain sausages with high organoleptic properties. To reduce losses of meat juice during the raw material processing it is appropriate to develop new methods which provide for its processing by pressure.

Life cycle assessment of emerging environmental technologies in the early stage of development: A case study on nanostructured materials

AbstractThe use of nanostructured materials has been recently proposed in the field of environmental nanoremediation. This approach consists in using nanomaterials not directly, but as building blocks for the design of nano‐porous micro‐dimensional systems, overcoming the eco‐ and health‐toxicology risks generally associated with the use of nano‐sized technologies. Herein we report the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) as an eco‐design tool for optimizing the production of cellulose nanosponges (CNS), nanostructured materials recently developed for water remediation purposes. LCA was applied from the acquisition of raw materials to the synthesis of CNS (from cradle‐to‐gate), considering three production systems, from the lab‐level to a modeled scale‐up system. The lab‐scale LCA identified the main environmental hotspots, namely the energy‐consuming steps and the final purification of the material (washing step). In a second lab‐scale production, an improvement action could be implemented, switching the washing solvent from methanol to water and decreasing the washing temperature. A second LCA showed a reduced contribution to the impacts from the materials, while the global impacts remained within the same order of magnitude. A simulated scale‐up of the process allowed to optimize the energy‐consuming steps and the water consumption, through internal recycling. A third LCA assessed the resulting benefits and a decrease in the global impacts by two orders of magnitude. Our study contributes to the discussion of LCA community, providing a focus on the importance of scaling‐up of emerging technologies, namely nanostructured porous materials, highlighting the benefits of a LCA based approach since the very beginning of product design (eco‐design).

ASSESSMENT OF THE BUSINESS PROCESSES EFFECTIVENESS IN THE CORPORATE COMPANY

“Business processes” is a summarized term for all innovative, operational and focused towards client’s activities in the corporate company. Innovations are about exploring the real and future necessities of customers as well as developing the appropriate products after sales service. They are involved in building the extended value chain in the corporate company and determine the long-term financial effectiveness of the business. The criteria and indicators for effectiveness of innovations generalize in four groups: a) Identifying opportunities for creating new products; b) Management of the portfolio for operation and development; c) Operation and development of new products; d) Release of new products on the market. Key measures of the financial effects of innovative activities are the profitability of the investments in innovations, revenue growth from existing customers, revenue growth from new customers and the cost management of the product life cycle.The operations include a variety of activities for the acquisition of raw materials and materials, processing and recasting, as well as producing the resulting product into an exchangeable state. The operational activities compose the shortened chain of value in the corporate company. They condition the effectively, timely and rapidly delivery of already existing products to existing customers. The criteria and indicators for effectiveness of the operations can be classified into groups: a) Developing and maintaining relationships with suppliers; b) Production of products; c) Distribution of products to customers; d) Risk management. Traditional guidelines for evaluation of financial effects of operational activities are the level of costs, the degree of asset utilization, the success of expanding the proportion of customer purchases, and the increase in revenue from new customers.Customer relationships present a variety of activities aimed at maintaining and developing a consumer’s base. In them the loyalty and affection are reinforced of existing customers and attracting new ones. The criteria and indicators of effectiveness of the client relationships can be summarized in the following groups: a) Customer selection; b) Attracting new customers; c) Keeping the customer base; d) Development of customer relationships.Key measures of the financial effects of customer relationships are the creation of new sources of revenue, the increase in revenue from one customer, the growth of customer profitability, the increase in effectiveness of sales and others.Among the diversity of business processes a small number determine the specifics of the management strategy in the corporate company and form strategic topics.

Applying Brantingham's neutral model of stone raw material procurement to the Pinnacle Point Middle Stone Age record, Western Cape, South Africa

The Palaeo-Agulhas Plain (PAP), when exposed, presented Middle Stone Age (MSA) foragers at Pinnacle Point (PP) on the South Coast of South Africa with new sources of raw materials to make stone tools. Sea-level fluctuations and the changing size of the Paleo-Agulhas Plain throughout the Pleistocene PP record ∼165 ka to 50 ka would have altered the availability of different resources, thus potentially forcing new raw material procurement strategies. The relative frequencies of raw material throughout the PP sequence shows that frequencies of raw material types did change, especially after 90 ka. What caused these changing frequencies is debated and centers on whether targeted procurement of specific raw materials was the cause, or if simple raw material availability and abundance due to the changing environmental context in conjunction with opportunistic procurement drove such shifts. The application of a neutral model of stone raw material procurement presented here evaluates whether random walk in the region surrounding the PP site during different coastline configurations (Marine Isotope Stage 6, 5, and 4) explains the observed shifts in raw material usage. Put differently, did opportunistic acquisition of raw materials during random walk in these different environments cause the observed raw material pattern? Model simulations and a sensitivity analysis provide no convincing evidence that observed raw material frequencies at PP resulted from opportunistic acquisition during random walk.

A comparative life cycle assessment for sustainable cement production in Turkey

Recently, a considerable increase has occurred in cement manufacturing, which is a highly energy intensive, resource consuming, and carbon emission industry based on industrialization and urbanization. In order to minimize the adverse effects from this industry on climate change, ecosystem quality, human health, and resources for cement production, it is very important to assess the potential environmental impacts of the cement production process. In this study, a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of cement production with traditional raw material and fuel (traditional scenario [TS]) and alternative raw material and fuel (alternative scenario [AS]) usage were performed in accordance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 and 14044 standards. The scope of the study was determined as “cradle to gate” including raw material acquisition, transportation, and manufacturing stages. The functional units were 1 ton of clinker and 1 ton of cement. SimaPro 8.0.4 software was used for the LCA, and impact assessment was carried out using the IMPACT 2002 + method. As a result of the LCA for clinker production, the overall environmental impact was reduced by approximately 12% in the AS. According to damage assessment, the effects on climate change, human health, ecosystem quality, and resources decreased 1.4%, 27%, 10%, and 11%, respectively. The use of alternative fuel and raw material had approximately 3% positive impact on overall environmental burden of clinker production. Considering cement types, the lowest environmental impacts were determined for CEM IV and CEM II based on trass usage.

Life Cycle Assessment of Fuel Cell Vehicles Considering the Detailed Vehicle Components: Comparison and Scenario Analysis in China Based on Different Hydrogen Production Schemes

Numerous studies concerning the life cycle assessment of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have been conducted. However, little attention has been paid to the life cycle assessment of an FCV from the perspective of the detailed vehicle components. This work conducts the life cycle assessment of Toyota Mirai with all major components considered in a Chinese context. Both the vehicle cycle and the fuel cycle are included. Both comprehensive resources and energy consumption and comprehensive environmental emissions of the life cycles are investigated. Potential environmental impacts are further explored based on CML 2001 method. Then different hydrogen production schemes are compared to obtain the most favorable solution. To explore the potential of the electrolysis, the scenario analysis of the power structure is conducted. The results show that the most mineral resources are consumed in the raw material acquisition stage, the most fossil energy is consumed in the use stage and global warming potential (GWP) value is fairly high in all life cycle stages of Toyota Mirai using electrolyzed hydrogen. For hydrogen production schemes, the scenario analysis indicates that simply by optimizing the power structure, the environmental impact of the electrolysis remains higher than other schemes. When using the electricity from hydropower or wind power, the best choice will be the electrolysis.

Life cycle assessment of rammed earth made using alkaline activated industrial by-products

Given increasing environmental concerns, lower energy building materials are being developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The ancient technique rammed earth has been combined with modern industrial waste products to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce waste. The new rammed earth mixes have been developed using alkaline activation (sodium hydroxide) of industrial by-products: fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag and silica fume. This paper explores the ‘cradle-to-gate’ life cycle assessment, assessing global warming potential of these rammed earth materials, considering acquisition of raw or recycled materials and processing to final product of residential building envelope. These are compared with commonly used building envelope materials, brick veneer and cavity brickwork, and the more common rammed earth variety, cement-stabilised rammed earth. Results show that greenhouse gas emission savings can be made using these rammed earth mixes compared to the control building materials while achieving comparable or better material properties. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with the building envelope materials are reduced by more than half or one third when compared to cavity brickwork or brick veneer respectively. Following testing of the waste products in surplus in a given area, the same process could be followed for any geographic location.

Life cycle environmental impact assessment of fuel mix-based biomass co-firing plants with CO2 capture and storage

As a carbon-neutral renewable energy source, biomass co-firing with coal contributes to reducing the carbon intensity of pulverized coal power plants with CO2 capture and storage; thus, this process significantly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of the power industry. However, various types of environmental impacts caused by co-firing have hindered the large-scale deployment of this technology. In this study, ten life cycle assessment models were developed based on the Integrated Environmental Control Model and GaBi software to quantify the performance parameters of different power plants and the influence of the co-firing ratio on various environmental impact categories. The system boundaries included raw material acquisition, raw material transport, energy conversion of power plants, CCS and brine treatment. The results indicated that a pulverized biomass/coal co-firing power plant with CCS can achieve near-zero emissions at a co-firing ratio of 25% and negative emissions of 877 kg CO2-e/MWh from a life-cycle perspective when coal is totally replaced. Co-firing biomass and coal in power plants has a passive impact on seven environmental categories, such as the eutrophication potential and toxicity potential, rather than on the global warming potential, abiotic resource depletion potential and acidification potential. The major causes of environmental burden shifting are energy penalties and indirect emissions from high-energy-consumption processes, especially emissions of N2O, NH3 and ethylene oxide released during biomass extraction and solvent preparation. The conclusions and recommendations presented in this paper may have implications for deep decarbonization in other industrial sectors.

Analysis of Closed Loop Production System Using Orthogonal Array and Integer Programming Optimization

Sustainable production systems require optimal utilization of resources. Raw material acquisition is one of the costly processes in a production system. EOL (End-of-Life) products re-manufacturing through reverse logistics can help in decreasing excessive raw material cost. In this study, we consider production system of closed loop supply chain in which both forward and reverse production systems are active. DOE (Design of Experiments) methodology is incorporated which is a statistical approach adopted in dealing with complex workplace problems. We employ L9 orthogonal array using Taguchi experiment in Minitab 17 and DOE for plotting the results. Dependent variables used in this study are productivity, P (number of forward and reverse products produced per period) and quality accuracy of product (measured in percent deviation from reference standards). A trade-off analysis between the control variables is presented on the basis of SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio). Control variables used in the analysis are tools employed in production system (tu), number of machines being used (m) and dedicated manufacturing cells (dc). We use three levels of analysis for each control factor. Optimum result conditions are calculated using signal to noise ratio with larger-the-better-criteria as well as smaller-the-better criteria and study is concluded with main effects of the mean plots. DOE optimization analysis for productivity suggests combination set of 32, 8, and 6 for tools, machines in use and manufacturing cells, respectively. Similarly, for optimal dimensional accuracy, tools used are 24; number of machines in use is 14 with 3 manufacturing cells. All result indices are accomplished within a confidence interval of 95% with p-values less than 0.05. MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Programming) analysis considers cost function of production and transportation between tools, machines and levels and Taguchi based experimental findings are validated by mathematical optimization findings.