Parametric Life Cycle Assessment & Ecodesign for Sustainable Manufacturing

Aim

Workshop Objectives

Workshop Structure

Day 1: Baseline LCA & Environmental Hotspot Analysis

• Understand the LCA framework: Goal & Scope, Functional Unit, System Boundary, LCI, LCIA, and Interpretation.
• Map manufacturing processes and organize inventory data for materials, energy, transport, waste, and emissions.
• Distinguish foreground and background data and prepare structured LCI datasets.
• Build a baseline manufacturing model and assess carbon footprint and selected environmental impact categories.
• Identify environmental hotspots and interpret the major contributors to product and process impacts.

Tools: openLCA, Excel/CSV, RCSB-style process mapping templates

Hands-on: Build and interpret a baseline manufacturing LCA model and identify major environmental hotspots.

Day 2: Parametric LCA, Scenario & Sensitivity Analysis

• Convert static LCA inputs into variable parameters such as material mass, recycled content, energy use, scrap rate, transport distance, and grid mix.
• Create and compare multiple manufacturing scenarios using parameter ranges and design assumptions.
• Differentiate scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty concepts.
• Automate parametric calculations and organize results using Python and pandas.
• Perform sensitivity analysis to identify the variables that most strongly influence environmental impacts.
• Visualize and rank key impact drivers for design and manufacturing decisions.

Tools: Google Colab, Python, pandas, SALib, Matplotlib

Hands-on: Build parametric scenarios, run sensitivity analysis, visualize results, and rank the most influential parameters.

Day 3: Ecodesign & Sustainable Manufacturing Decision-Making

• Translate LCA and sensitivity results into practical ecodesign strategies.
• Evaluate material substitution, lightweighting, recycled content, energy reduction, and waste minimization.
• Compare baseline and redesigned manufacturing scenarios and quantify environmental improvements.
• Assess trade-offs among alternative design options using environmental and manufacturing criteria.
• Build an ecodesign decision matrix to rank and select improved product or process configurations.
• Connect parametric LCA with sustainable manufacturing and circular design decisions.

Tools: openLCA, Google Colab, Python, pandas, Matplotlib

Hands-on: Redesign a manufacturing scenario, compare alternatives, quantify environmental improvements, and select the best ecodesign option.

Who Should Enrol?

Important Dates

Workshop Outcomes