Title: Evaluation of the productive and environmental potential of closed-loop manufacturing process

Authors: Flavio Numata Junior; Helena V.G. Navas

Addresses: Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT), Nova University of Lisbon (UNL), Universidade Positivo (UP), R. Prof. Pedro V.P. de Souza, 5300 81280-330, Curitiba-PR, Brazil ' UNIDEMI, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; LASI – Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Abstract: Nowadays, energy is considered, and in the future, the main factor for manufacturing. Therefore, closed-loop production processes can reuse waste or by-products, but they have high electricity consumption and generate high rates of pollutants. This scenario is contradictory when looking for the eco-efficiency of the production plant. In this sense, this article aims to develop a theoretical model that optimises solutions to raise the productive and environmental performance of manufacturing. The modelling made compatible the improvements of the system through the inventive principles (theory of inventive problem solving - TRIZ) with environmental analysis (life cycle assessment - LCA) for the generation of systematic innovations in the manufacture. The experimental results present an architecture of results for the use of thermochemical routes and alteration of the composition of the productive resources for generation of clean energy and reduction of the environmental impacts.

Keywords: process improvement; TRIZ; LCA; environmental impacts; closed-loop production.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2024.140964

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2024 Vol.34 No.4, pp.504 - 517

Accepted: 12 Apr 2022
Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *

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