Integrating environmental consciousness in product/process development based on life-cycle thinking

This paper describes a general methodology in Design for Environment (DFE), and a part of our research with a specific application using entropy minimisation. The entropy evaluation brings about the generation of a disassembly sequence in which the disassembly efficiency, the material value and the specific value arc big and the liability is small, as a gold ship's chronometer. Fuzzy logic and feature modelling are used during the DFE evaluation for parts, assembly and operations analysis. Increasing and extensive environmental concerns lead to the establishment of general metrics and operational guideline. A case study shows the methodology; only the disassembly analysis is detailed. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.