International Journal of Sustainable Manufacturing (4 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Environmental sustainability benchmarking of roof type using life cycle assessment  
  by Asela K. Kulatunga, Raitha Peiris 
  Abstract: At present, alongside the gradual growth of the building construction industry, a massive number of materials have come to be used. Hence, there is a diversity in the impacts caused to the environment by these materials. Consequently, when the product life cycle of a building component (which is constructed by assembling these materials) is considered, its environmental performance is difficult to determine. Likewise, the environmental performance of the entire building component can be evaluated by categorising it into classified scenarios. Considering this need, a scenario-based life cycle assessment (LCA) is generally conducted on roofs, which are one of the main components of a building. One of the major differences between roofs that can be seen is the roof cladding material, and by changing the cladding material, the LCA was conducted repeatedly. The clay cladding roof is compared with commonly available alternatives, such as the PVC roof and the asbestos roof. Clay roof tiles, as a material, could be eco-friendly, but the results of this research study have proven that this is not always the case. The factors that affect this deviation from expectations are further analysed in this research. In addition, a guide is provided on how to recover the depleted eco-sustainability that existed previously in the clay roof tile.
  Keywords: life cycle assessment; environmental sustainability; sustainable manufacturing; roofing materials.
  
  
• Comparison of energy consumption and environmental emissions of diesel engine after-treatment devices based on life cycle assessment  
  by XiaoLei Mei, Tao Li, ShiTong Peng, HongChao Zhang 
  Abstract: Now, after-treatment devices have been proven to affect reducing emissions. However, manufacturing after-treatment devices also produce pollution emissions. This study used a life cycle assessment (LCA) method to evaluate three diesel after-treatment devices: diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) converter, diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) converter. The data results show that after-treatment devices have different impacts on the environment, and SCR has more environmental impact. The ozone depletion potential (ODP) pollution is the largest and cannot be ignored. The use of after-treatment devices has great emission reduction benefits, and the quantified reduction rate of environmental indicators exceeds 96%, except for global warming potential (GWP, about 15.26%). An engine equipped with after-treatment devices has some environmental benefits, which are reflected in the five indicators of GWP, AP, EP, POCP and RI, but the use of urea in SCR devices will increase the impact of ODP.
  Keywords: engine after-treatment devices; life cycle assessment; catalytic converter; environmental impact.
  
  
• A TOGAF-based framework for the development of sustainable product-service systems  
  by Kaio Vasconcelos De Oliveira, Ederson Carvalhar Fernandes, Milton Borsato 
  Abstract: Globally, manufacturing companies seek to develop new products and services with less impact on the environment, and consequently better sustainability rates. The impact produced by the COVID-19 pandemic showed that the supply Product-Service Systems (PSS) with an emphasis on sustainability has grown to become one of the main strategic approaches used. The existence of an automated framework capable of assisting designers to create a PSS that encompasses the preparation of products and services simultaneously from its initial stages has become of paramount importance. So the objective of this article is to develop a framework capable of organising the information necessary for the development of product and service in an integrated manner, using the logic of development of information architectures such as TOGAF so that in all stages there is fluidity and there are no duplicity terms in its development. The use of information architecture development methods to develop the PSS structure presents a great opportunity to carry out it's mapping, thus ensuring that the model is adequate to represent real-world situations.
  Keywords: product-service system; TOGAF; automated framework.
  
  

Special Issue on: Circular Economy and Sustainable Manufacturing

• Implementation of Society 5.0 to improve the solar energy sector in the MENA region  
  by Ahmed Abu Hanieh, Afif Akel Hasan 
  Abstract: Solar energy as a renewable resource is used extensively in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for electricity generation and thermal applications. In this paper, adapting Society 5.0 to this sector will be investigated to enhance the implementation of this clean resource in the region. Input and output parameters of the solar energy applications will be integrated with Society 5.0 categories, including modern manufacturing techniques, internet of things, artificial intelligence, big data and mechatronic systems. The developed doughnut model will integrate solar sector, Society 5.0 and sustainable development goals. Many applications are considered for solar energy, including solar water heating using solar collectors, solar photovoltaic panels for electricity generation, food drying, air conditioning and solar cooling. Implementation of the integration between Society 5.0, solar sector and SDGs is demonstrated through solar water heating system.
  Keywords: solar energy system; SDGs; Society 5.0; MENA region; internet of things; artificial intelligence; big data.