A computer-aided system for sustainability assessment for the die-casting process planning

The sustainability assessment of a product's manufacturing using a life cycle assessment tool utilizes the average sustainability performance of the manufacturing process. Because of using an average of sustainability performance, the crucial information related to manufacturing is lost. Therefore, such an assessment cannot be used to assess and compare the sustainability of a part made using different process plans. In this paper, we propose a new systematic approach for sustainability assessment of the die-casting process planning. A computer-aided system named Sustainability Assessor for Die-casting is presented. Here, we discuss the details of the architecture and working of the proposed system. We assess sustainability using three sustainability indicators, namely, energy use, solid waste, and carbon emissions. The proposed system is verified by comparing results with the actual data measured from the shop floor. The developed system is beneficial for sustainability assessment comparing different plans alongside material properties, ultimately helping the die-casting industry to reduce the carbon emissions and material waste, besides improving energy efficiency.

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