Analyzing the sustainability of an automotive component using SolidWorks CAD software

Abstract

Design stages have been widely recognized as a milestone in the life cycle of a product in sustainability implementation, and this is of major importance for leading organizations that produce cost-effective and environmentally friendly products. This paper focuses on analyzing some aspects of environmental impact and ecological sustainability of design models using SolidWorks CAD design software. The material from which the piece was made was evaluated, with emphasis on its strength, durability and environmental pollution in terms of carbon footprint, energy consumption, air acidification, and eutrophication. Consideration was given to the whole life cycle of the product under consideration, from raw material extraction, processing, product production, assembling and use to the end of life, taking into account the mode of transport and the distance between these stages. In the case study is presented the virtual model of the analyzed product and the sustainability report that the SolidWorks software provides us and which can be analyzed later by the whole organization for the adoption of the right decision.

Approaching the re-design of reusable packaging from an environmental perspective: a case study in the railway sector

“…The environmental impact has been estimated on the basis of two main sources. For existing and newly designed packages the use of CAD-integrated sustainability software such as the Solidworks Sustainability tool [3] has been adopted; due to the adoption of known materials (wood, metal, plastics etc.) and of conventional manufacturing technologies all main information were available.…”

Lca Applied to Eco Design: A Comparison Between Results From a Rigorous Cradle-to-Grave Assessment and Solidworks Sustainability Tool

“…Ecodesign tools were developed to address this issue, such as the SolidWorks Sustainability, which is a tool integrated into the CAD software that provides dynamic feedback on life cycle environmental impact factors of a product during design [5]. The analysis includes all product lifecycle steps: ore extraction from the earth, material processing, part manufacturing, assembly, product usage, end of life, and transportation services [6], however, it does not provide any documentation on data used for calculation.…”