Feature-Based Approach for Integration of Life Cycle Assessment With Product Development

This paper aims to develop a methodology for the integrating LCA with product development to enhance the environment-orientated design and manufacturing. First, the LCA feature view model is developed to address the scheme of representing life cycle processes, life cycle inventory analysis and to enable the exchange of valuable data between the LCA and computer aided engineering systems for sustainability improvements. Based on the feature view model, the framework of feature based LCA is then proposed. The LCA study of welding is presented to demonstrate the proposed approach.