Environmental performance assessment of manufacturing processes: comparative analyses and decision support tools

An increased consciousness about the environmental performance of manufacturing processes can uncover new energy- and resource-efficient strategies. The understanding of the actual factors of influence affecting the environmental impact of processes is still limited. The developed research line aims at providing knowledge and guidelines concerning the environmental footprint characterization of metal shaping approaches. Specifically, three different research perspectives have been identified and developed, with respect to: (1) LCI/LCA-based methodologies for the manufacturing of metal components; (2) environmental comparison of mass conserving, subtractive, and additive manufacturing approaches; (3) development of decision support tools at the process planning stage.