Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing Research Articles

Development and validation of performance measures for environmentally conscious manufacturing

Growing awareness of environmental issues has put business and government under pressure to reduce the environmental impacts involved in the production and consumption of goods and services leading to a new paradigm of environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM). However, because of the lack of ECM performance measures, judgements about ECM have become costs in ethical or moral terms. In this paper, 11 performance measures for environmentally conscious manufacturing have been identified based on the review of 78 research papers/articles and discussion with practitioners. A survey of 285 industries in India, using a questionnaire specifically developed for this study, has been done to validate the identified performance measures. The developed performance measures have been found to be highly reliable using Cronbach’s alpha. The validity of the performance measures has been assessed through factor analysis by using SPSS 11.5 for window® statistical tool.

Environment Conscious Manufacturing and ISO 14001(<Special Issue>The Environmental Management and Production Systems in the 21th Century)

Environment Conscious Manufacturing and ISO 14001(<Special Issue>The Environmental Management and Production Systems in the 21th Century)

Challenges Faced by SMEs in Developing Countries in Implementing Cleaner Production (CP)

Cleaner production (CP) has been widely recognized as a useful approach to mitigate pollutions during industrial production. Small-to Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) contribute immensely to most developing economies and provide a vital source of employment and incomes for many millions of people in developing countries, but there is often disregard for the negative implications on the environment. The aim of the study was to assess barriers to cleaner production implementation in the small scale industries and recommend ways of addressing these. The research focuses upon some of the key environmental issues in the Zimbabwean small-to medium scale industry. An application of CP to two industries, namely the foundry and cement manufacturing industry is highlighted and the challenges faced during the implementation are discussed. A review of literature is also carried out to relate the challenges to other countries in order to have a global view and ascertain common inter-phases and the possibility of common solutions in the developing world. It was discovered that in the absence of external motivators, such as government regulation and community pressure, SMEs are less likely to adopt rapid advances in environmental performance. Lack of information also impacts negatively on efforts to inculcate a culture of environmental conscious manufacturing. There is a great need to actively inform the SMEs enterprises on the merits and demerits of not employing environmentally friendly methods of production. The other big barrier is the lack of expertise to champion the implementation of a companywide CP programme. Changes in systems and technology may also make certain employees obsolete, and therefore induce organisational structural protection of the existing system.

Environmental impact assessment of an automotive component using eco-indicator and CML methodologies

The environmental conscious manufacturing and climate change made automotive manufacturing organisations to recognise sustainability as a vital concept for survival in the global competitive scenario. Many components of automobiles are manufactured using plastics which play imperative role in ensuring sustainability. This research article deals with the application of Life Cycle Assessment on instrument panel of an electric car which is made of ABS (Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene). The case study has been conducted in an Indian instrument panel manufacturing plant. First, a life cycle model of ABS sheet which is particularly used in instrument panel manufacturing was built, and the environmental impact assessment of the instrument panel was done using Eco-indicator and CML methodologies. In life cycle perspective, the environmental hot spots have been found out. Later the results have been interpreted based on environmental impact assessment factors. The relative comparison of impact factors at different stages in the life cycle enables the generation of improvement options. The sustainability index of instrument panel before and after implementing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been computed. The results are statistically validated, and the managerial implications have been derived.

Selection of Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing's Program Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making: A Case Study in Electronic Company

Nowadays, green purchasing, stop global warming, love the mother earth, and others that related to environment become hot issues. Manufactures industries tend to more active and responsive to those issues by adopting green strategies or program like Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing (ECM). In this article, an electronic company had applied 12 ECM Program and tries to choose one of those programs using 6 criteria, such as total cost involved, quality, recyclable material, process waste reduction, packaging waste reduction, and regulation compliance. By using multi-criteria decision making model, i.e. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and Modified TOPSIS methods, the ECM Program 9 (Open pit) is the best option.

Cleaner production for environmental conscious manufacturing in the foundry industry

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to illustrate application of the cleaner production concept so as to incorporate environmental protection into business performance. The study analyses areas pertaining to the foundry industry that impact negatively on the environment leading to unsustainable resource utilisation and suggests options for promoting sustainable development within the industry, with specific focus on a foundry in a lower income country (LIC).Design/methodology/approachData were collected using the cleaner production (CP) Methodology. Pre‐assessment and assessment was carried out and options generated. The options included both low cost and capital intensive approaches.FindingsThe paper finds that the CP approach adopted provides clear guidance for generating options and can be used as a practical basis for managerial decision making and policy formulation. Of major concern is resource depletion and pollution associated with the foundry processes. Used resin sand contains toxic chemicals cause leaching and as such, reclamation of resin sand is suggested. There is need for low income countries (LIC's) to identify the best available technologies (BAT's) that are available within the foundry industry and take these aboard or better still improve on them.Research limitations/implicationsThis research developed environmental options that can be applied in the foundry industry. However, it can be said that the findings may have limited global application since the analysis was carried out at one Foundry Company.Practical implicationsThe paper focuses on a single foundry factory, since the case study approach was used. As such, environmental indicators and options may vary, since the processes from one foundry to another are bound to differ.Originality/valueThis paper is an attempt at combining theoretical and practical ideas to cover the scope of sustainable manufacturing in the setting of a developing country with a view to identify the lessons that can be learnt and to identify the points of departure when compared with studies done elsewhere. The work informs cleaner production assessment at any level, with a focus of production experiences in the foundry industry in a lower technology, developing economy that is less industrialized. The paper establishes a framework of options that can be applied in the foundry industry and other pollution‐intensive industries.

An improved compromise ranking method for evaluation of environmentally conscious manufacturing programs

An environmentally responsible or environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) program addresses the environmental impact of the interrelated decisions that are made at various stages of product life, from conception to design, raw ECM programs consumption, processing, delivery, use, recycling and/or disposal. The evaluation of alternative ECM programs for producing a given product is similar to many strategic initiatives and their justification methodologies. This similarity arises from the fact that there are multiple attributes that need to be considered, many of which have long term and broad implications for an organisation. Only a few decision making methods were proposed in the past for ECM program evaluation for producing a given product. There is a need for a systematic and logical scientific method or mathematical tool to guide organisations in taking a proper decision about ECM program evaluation. This paper presents a multiple attribute decision making methodology for evaluation of environmentally conscious manufacturing programs for producing a given product. The methodology is based on an improved compromise ranking method considering the ECM program selection attributes and their relative importance. The proposed ‘ECM program selection index’ helps to evaluate and rank the ECM programs for producing a given product. An example is included to illustrate the approach.

Evaluation of environmentally conscious manufacturing programs using multiple attribute decision-making methods

Manufacturers are increasingly under pressure from their major stakeholders to integrate environmental issues in the design and management of their products. These stakeholders include customers, regulators, employees, communities, and interest groups who have a common stake in protecting the earth from pollution and in limiting the exploitation of earth's limited natural resources. Manufacturers recognize that being environmentally responsible also offers competitive advantage to the firm. An environmentally responsible or environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) program addresses the environmental impact of the interrelated decisions that are made at various stages of product life, from conception to design, raw materials consumption, processing, delivery, use, recycling, and/or disposal. The evaluation of alternative ECM programs for producing a given product is similar to many strategic initiatives and their justification methodologies. This similarity arises from the fact that there are multiple attributes that need to be considered, many of which have long-term and broad implications for an organization. This paper presents three multiple attribute decision-making methods for evaluation of environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) programs for producing a given product. These methods are based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS), and the modified TOPSIS method. The proposed ‘ECM program selection index’ helps to evaluate and rank the ECM programs for producing a given product. An example is included to illustrate and compare the methods. It is proposed that the most sensible approach to select a particular alternative ECM program from among the given alternatives is to apply several valid decision-making methods to the same selection problem and then to make the final selection on the basis of aggregation of the results of those decision-making methods that have a very significant positive relationship.

Evaluating Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing Barriers With Interpretive Structural Modeling

Environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) has been a mainstay of sustainable organizational practices for at least two decades. The adoption of ECM practices needs to overcome a variety of barriers. To overcome these barriers and adopt these crucial practices, understanding their structure and relationship is needed. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM), can help us do this. ISM has been applied to a number of organizational decision problems. It is a technique that is helpful to managers in organizing the relationships among a series of factors that may influence their decision. The decision support technique has a long history dating back to the late 1960's and early 1970's. Yet, its application and investigation by researchers to a variety of topical areas has not occurred until very recently. This lack of application is especially true for investigation into topics related to ECM. We find that the barriers to this organizational practice can be further investigated and analyzed with ISM. This paper seeks to provide and overview of major barriers and an illustrative example of this procedure with initial insights. More complete evaluation and implementation of this technique is recommended for its validation.

What Makes Companies Green? Organizational and Geographic Factors in the Adoption of Environmental Practices

In this paper we advance the hypothesis that organizational factors play a key role in the adoption of environmental innovations, referred to as environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) practices. We distinguish among three classes of organizational factors: organizational resources, organizational innovativeness, and performance monitoring systems. The research also explores the interplay of organizational factors and spatial or geographic factors (such as proximity to customers and suppliers) in the adoption of ECM practices. We employ a structured field research design, involving “matched pairs” of plants, to address these issues. The findings confirm the hypothesis. Organizational factors matter significantly in the process of ECM adoption. Furthermore, two classes of organizational factors are particularly significant to ECM adoption: organizational resources and performance monitoring systems. Performance monitoring systems composed of quantitative goals and related metrics are a particularly key factor. The research finds that geographic or spatial factors have little effect on the adoption of ECM practices, reflecting the significant geographic distance between customers and suppliers in the sample. There may be reason to expect that geographic factors play a more significant role, but this is a subject for future research.

Measuring Environmental Consciousness in Product Design and Manufacturing

Adverse environmental impact, a consequence of the ever-increasing industrial activities since the Industrial Revolution, is a growing global problem. Corrective measures in the last several decades have proven insufficient and ineffective to remedy such environ mental damage. To protect the world we live in, it is necessary to adopt a preventive approach to environmental pollution. In order to elimi nate the problems from the very source, Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing (ECM), Design for Environment (DfE), and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) are now being pursued, falling under the paradigm of Concurrent Engineering (CE). This has led to the need of this research to define environmental consciousness, and to analyze its design implications. Environmental decision-making at the design stage of a product is considered vital to preventing negative environmental impact. Based on concems of all phases in the product life cycle, this re search defines seven criteria to measure environmental consciousness, including recyclability, reusability, maintainability/serviceability, emissions, energy consumption, materials, and durability. It also examines their significance and implications for design. Interactions among these criteria are analyzed by classifying their relationships as positive, negative, and partially positive and negative. To further quantify the degree of environmental consciousness of product design, mathematical and graphical representation of the imprecise environmental data is exemplified.

Indices for Comparative Waste Assessment in Environmentally-Conscious Manufacturing

With the expansion of pollution-prevention initiatives in the government sector, development of certification and eco-labeling mechanisms in foreign trade, and the emergence of “green” market drivers for consumer demand, industry is under increasing pressure to evaluate the “life-cycle” waste streams which emanate from their products and manufacturing processes. While much research has been devoted to the study of “system-level” design-for-environment (i.e. design for disassembly, serviceability, modularity), little attention has been given to the influence of planning and design decisions at the unit manufacturing process level, which has a significant impact on waste streams through material, catalyst, parameter and feature selection decisions. One of the most pressing issues in environmentally-conscious manufacturing is the ability to compare the environmental impacts of dissimilar waste streams to formulate the above decisions. This paper presents an overview of the hierarchical levels of comparative waste assessment which links process-level emissions to immediate, site-wide, and eco-system impacts. Significant issues to be addressed are: (1) the aggregation of data collection required for each level of decision-making, (2) the range of environmental effects needed to be analyzed at each level, (3) the uncertainty present at different levels of data aggregation, (4) the influence of site-specific (fate and transport) factors, and (5) the transformation of environmental information into metrics usable in detailed design and planning of products and processes. Case studies in the fabrication of metal parts and printed circuit boards are presented.

Polysilicon RTCVD process optimization for environmentally-conscious manufacturing

In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, optimization of advanced equipment and process designs must include both manufacturing metrics (such as cycle time, consumables cost, and product quality) and environmental consequences (such as reactant utilization and by-product emission). We have investigated the optimization of rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) of polysilicon from SiH/sub 4/ as a function of process parameters using a physically-based dynamic simulation approach. The simulator captures essential time-dependent behaviors of gas flow, heat transfer, reaction chemistry, and sensor and control systems, and is validated by our experimental data. Significant improvements in SiH/sub 4/ utilization (up to 7/spl times/) and process cycle time (up to 3/spl times/) can be achieved by changes in 1) timing for initiating wafer heating relative to starting process gas flow; 2) process temperature (650-750/spl deg/C); and 3) gas flow rate (100-1000 seem). Enhanced gas utilization efficiency and reduced process cycle time provide benefits for both environmental considerations and manufacturing productivity (throughput). Dynamic simulation proves to be a versatile and powerful technique for identifying optimal process parameters and for assessing tradeoffs between various manufacturing and environmental metrics.

An analytical approach for determining the environmental impact of machining processes

This paper presents a model of the environmental impact of machining processes. The analytical model integrates aspects of the process mechanics, wear characteristics and lubricant flows. The quantifiable dimensions in this analysis include energy utilization, process rate, workpiece primary mass flow, and secondary flow of process catalysts. The generation of multiple waste streams can be compared by examining factors such as toxicity and flammability. The sensitivity of environmental factors to variations in operating parameters such as depth of cut, speed, feed, and tool rake angle are examined. The prioritization of environmental factors were evaluated for both high-rate transfer line and flexible job shop environments through utility analysis. This model can serve as a framework for decision-making in environmentally-conscious manufacturing, including the design of parts for machining, process planning and the selection of operating parameters.

Green automation

Examines the increasing trend in the United States for environmentally friendlier manufacturing processes and ways of making environmental clean‐up more affordable. Looks at the work of the Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing [ECM] programme to identify and solve major environmental problems through collaboration among manufacturers, government agencies and universities. Outlines some of the ECM programme goals and some of the on‐going projects such as finding alternatives to ozone‐depleting chemicals [ODCs].