Minimising transportation in manufacturing supply chains

The movement of raw material, work-parts and bought-out components is an essential aspect of modern-day global manufacturing systems. It is also an expensive, non-value adding and pollution-generating activity with many undesirable consequences. These manifest themselves not only in terms of the immediate cost of transportation between suppliers, manufacturers and customers but also in the consequential effect this movement has on human health and the environment. Accordingly, modern manufacturing supply chains should be designed with great care to minimise the amount of movement required both internally within a manufacturing facility's production system and externally between the supplier, manufacturer and customer. In so doing, a good supply chain design minimises the costs associated with the transportation of goods along with the effect this has on the environment. In complex supply chains, however, minimising overall transportation movement for large sets of components is no easy task. Consequently, the contribution contained in this paper seeks to outline a technique whereby an initial supply chain design solution which does so can be identified. The method is explained in the first instance via a straightforward material movement example. The resulting solution is subsequently modified to indicate its application in the context of temporal supply chain design. By utilising this approach, the article emphasises the importance of obtaining a solution that minimises transportation movement within the supply chain together with the practical effects of doing so on flexibility, cost and environmental pollution. In addition, the work required for further development of this technique is outlined and finally suitable conclusions are drawn.     

Closed-loop supply chain system with energy,transportation and waste disposal costs

Energy usage and consumption play important and strategic roles in modern manufacturing, inventory and logistics systems. The literature on inventory models for closed-loop supply chains reveals that, for no clear reasons, energy costs were ignored along with transportation and disposal costs. This paper introduces a closed-loop supply chain model that considers the economic value and energy content of products. It also offers a novel framework for studying lot-sizing policies of production processes in that context. Thus, a mathematical model for a closed-loop supply chain system with energy, transportation and disposal costs is developed. Numerical examples are provided with their results discussed. The developed model was also compared to that of Richter (1996) to stress the importance of accounting for the three noted costs. The numerical results emphasise that accounting for energy, transportation and disposal costs in supply chain modelling increases the sustainability of a production-inventory system due to the strong interdependence of the three costs on one hand, and their relationship to the environment on the other hand.     

Eco-efficient cold chain networks design

ABSTRACT

The demand of food distribution across global supply chains is continuously growing and since this kind of deliveries need refrigeration, the growth will enormously increase the energy request and the associated carbon emissions. The aim of this study is to develop a model for the optimisation of eco-efficiency related to a typical refrigerated food distribution network design as a particular case of cold chain. Inventory holding, transportation and energy consumption cost components are included in the model for the evaluation of economic performance of the chain, while energy consumption for storage and transport activities is also considered to contribute to the environmental performance of the chain. In order to model a supply chain related to refrigerated food, the perishability of distributed products is also involved in the model, as it influences storage and distribution activities performances. A novel analytical model is developed for the economic and environmental evaluation of the considered chain. A numerical study that considers different alternative configurations of the distribution network for refrigerated green peas is presented and results are discussed considering the eco-efficiency of different alternatives. Finally, main limitations of the model and future developments are presented and discussed.     

Eco-design practices towards sustainable supply chain management: interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach

Due to increasing emphasis on sustainable practices, many organisations have attempted to leverage their supply chain performance towards balancing triple bottom line dimensions (economic, environmental and social perspectives). This paper, therefore, determines the priorities of sustainable supply chain management focusing on eco-design. Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and Matriced’ Impacts Croise’s Multiplication Appliquée a UN Classement (MIMAC) are used to identify the hierarchical structure of the relationships among eco-design dimensions, and to analyse characteristics power of each dimension on supporting eco-design practices. The relationships and characteristics power of each dimension are used to determine indicators that are effective in enhancement of eco-design practice, evaluated through sustainable supply chain performance. Results indicate that product deployment is an important approach for improving eco-design practice towards sustainable supply chain management. This emphasises the purpose and impact of eco-design on sequential supply chain activities at deployment phase. Further research is required to make an overall assessment of eco-design practices across range of manufacturing industries, given the current research is based on inputs from a limited number of experts of selected organisations.     

Concentrating solar power in a sustainable future electricity mix

The capacity of a concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) plant can be considered flexible and firm, just like that of a conventional steam cycle power station. Periods without sunshine can be bridged by thermal energy storage or fuel, enabling a CSP plant to deliver power on demand at any time. To this technical quality is added the economic quality of electricity costs that will be stable for a lifetime because they are mainly composed of capital costs, spare parts and personnel. CSP is competitive with power from fuel oil and moving to break even in costs with natural gas by around 2020 and steam coal by around 2025. Carbon dioxide emissions of 10–40 tons/GWh, land use of 250–550 m²/GWh and water consumption of 250 m³/GWh (using dry cooling) compare favorably with other energy sources. Environmental benefits, the technical imperative of firm and at the same time flexible power supply, and the economic targets of affordability and cost stability are the main reasons for a significant role for CSP in a sustainable future electricity mix. Two case studies show the different roles CSP can play north and south of the Mediterranean Sea, in one case importing CSP to Germany for flexible power and in the second case using CSP in Jordan to provide firm and at the same time renewable power capacity for the quickly growing electricity demand.     

Optimizing a two-echelon serial supply chain with different carbon policies

In recent years, organizations are becoming environment conscious due to stringent laws, competitive advantages and increasing awareness of customers. They are integrating environmental practices into their operations to curb carbon emissions. Regulatory bodies are also imposing carbon policies to check emission. In this paper, we developed three models considering three carbon policies (I. carbon tax, II. strict cap and III. cap-and-trade) and have determined the optimal order quantity and number of shipments for a two-echelon supply chain. The objective is to minimize the total supply chain cost which comprises the ordering, setup, production, inventory holding and transportation costs. In Model I tax on carbon emissions has been included in the cost function; in Model II we have considered a strict carbon cap on the total carbon emission; and in Model III trading price of carbon is included in the cost function. A numerical study is given to illustrate the solution procedure. Further, sensitivity analyses are performed to examine the impact of the various parameters on the total cost and total emission.     

Computing sustainable manufacturing index with fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

The growing industrial interest in adopting sustainability programmes has ushered in studies regarding sustainability indicators which have continually flourished in current literature. However, limited attention is given to the development of priority ranking, which is an important input for any adopting firm. This paper presents a hybrid multi-criteria approach in determining priority areas in sustainable manufacturing (SM). Using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to address uncertainty in hierarchical decision-making, this paper determines SM priority strategies and eventually identifies even lower level strategies. The computed sustainable manufacturing index is presented at both the organizational and operational levels for a real case study of an industrial plastic manufacturing firm. This work provides a detailed and transparent hierarchical decision-making approach based on SM framework, the use of which could be valuable to practicing managers across industries in their pursuit of greater sustainability.     

Sustainable product design using CAD: a case study in an Indian rotary switches manufacturing organisation

Sustainability is gaining importance in contemporary manufacturing organisations. Modern design engineers need approaches for creating environmentally friendly products. In this context, this paper reports a case study carried out in an Indian rotary switches manufacturing organisation. A component of the rotary switch has been modelled using computer-aided design. Then, the sustainability analysis has been carried out for determining the environmental impact. The environmental impact has been measured in terms of carbon footprint, energy consumption and air/water impacts. The handle design has been modified to minimise the environmental impact. The results of this case study indicate that appropriate modifications in design could lead to the development of sustainable design with minimal environmental impact.     

Reverse logistics network design: a conceptual framework for decision making

Reverse logistics play a significantly increased role in supply chains. Producers are incorporating reverse logistics into their supply chain design because of governmental legislation, economic benefits from product recovery, and customers' demands for better environmental practices. Motivated producers face two main challenges in reverse logistics network design: (1) how do you build product recovery activities into traditional forward logistics networks? and (2) how do you manage the impact of uncertainty in the reverse logistics supply chain? Moreover, producers need to consider many tradeoffs leading to efficient network design. Published case studies have discussed these tradeoffs, and we describe a framework to evaluate these tradeoff considerations. We then apply the framework to three new case studies: medical device refurbishing, municipal e‐waste recycling, and carpet fibre recycling.     

Multi-objective design optimization of sustainable commercial a-ircraft: performance and costs

The present work deals with a multi-objective optimisation approach to incorporate up-to-date financial models in the multidisciplinary conceptual design of a commercial aircraft. Design optimisations based on financial objective functions are compared to standard performance-based optimal solutions. The main novelty is in the extension of the financial models to the long-term investments of a wider group of stakeholders. The rationale underlying this research stems from two considerations: (i) the environmentally sustainable development of the air transportation system in the next 20 years is subordinate to breakthrough technologies, since the consolidated ones have reached their saturation point; (ii) the economic impacts of highly innovative concepts on the stakeholders chain is still uncertain. The problem is addressed at the conceptual design level and the analysis is performed within a comprehensive multidisciplinary framework, adopting all the technical constraints required in aeronautical design. The Pareto fronts obtained using performance and financial merit factors, reveal that the proposed financial model yields highly efficient, technically sound concepts. The design space point corresponding to the negative cash flows minimum turned out to be very close to the one corresponding to minimum acoustic emissions, confirming that the financial model drives the optimiser towards environment-friendly designs.     

绿色供应链管理：企业经营管理的趋势

在供应链的各个阶段中从原材料获取到产品的制造、运输、使用过程都会产生废弃物，对环境造成严重的污染，威胁人类的健康和生态系统系统。为此，本文提出了以供应链管理的概念，并讨论了它的主要内容以及实施绿色供应链管理的应用前景。     

Application of environmentally conscious manufacturing strategies for an automotive component

Application of appropriate environmentally conscious manufacturing strategies enables the sustainable development of products and processes. Automotive component manufacturers recognise the potential of applying appropriate strategies for attaining Triple Bottom Line benefits. In this context, three strategies such as eco-efficiency, waste minimisation and material efficiency are being applied to minimise environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of automotive products and its associated processes. A case study of an automotive component manufacturing firm has been exemplified. After conducting the study, the potential environmental impact was reduced by 20% and eco-efficiency was improved by 13%. Further, improvements have been observed in terms of overall resource consumption and material efficiency. The overall power consumption was reduced by 18% and weight of the component was reduced by 11%. The study aimed at improving the sustainable performance of product by incorporating green and environmentally friendlier manufacturing practices.

Abbreviations: USEPA: United Nations Environmental Protection Agency; OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; WBCSD: World Business Council for Sustainable Development; Eco-QFD: Environmental Quality Function Deployment; WCED: World Commission on Environment and Development; LCA: Life Cycle Assessment     

Modelling and analysis of sustainable manufacturing system using a digraph-based approach

Abstract

Sustainable manufacturing practices have many benefits like cleaner production, resource efficiency along with economic benefits. Sustainable manufacturing practices focuses on four dimensions environment, economy, business and society. The effective deployment of sustainable concepts mostly depends on interaction of these sustainable dimensions. In this study, an attempt on assessment through modelling has been presented. Mostly two factors determine the sustainable performance of organisation: the performance of the criteria is identified under four dimensions (inheritance) and their interaction (interdependency) among each other. Thus, graph theory-based modelling has been done considering both inheritance and interdependency for computing Overall Organisation Sustainability (OOS) score. Finally, permanent scores for matrices obtained from experts’ team have been computed. OOS score for the organisation has been computed and is compared with the scores of hypothetical scenarios. Through the comparison with hypothetically generated practical best and worst-case scenario, insights have been derived.     

Air flow and concentration fields at urban road intersections for improved understanding of personal exposure

This paper reviews the state of knowledge on modelling air flow and concentration fields at road intersections. The first part covers the available literature from the past two decades on experimental (both field and wind tunnel) and modelling activities in order to provide insight into the physical basis of flow behaviour at a typical cross-street intersection. This is followed by a review of associated investigations of the impact of traffic-generated localised turbulence on the concentration fields due to emissions from vehicles. There is a discussion on the role of adequate characterisation of vehicle-induced turbulence in making predictions using hybrid models, combining the merits of conventional approaches with information obtained from more detailed modelling. This concludes that, despite advancements in computational techniques, there are crucial knowledge gaps affecting the parameterisations used in current models for individual exposure. This is specifically relevant to the growing impetus on walking and cycling activities on urban roads in the context of current drives for sustainable transport and healthy living. Due to inherently longer travel times involved during such trips, compared to automotive transport, pedestrians and cyclists are subjected to higher levels of exposure to emissions. Current modelling tools seem to under-predict this exposure because of limitations in their design and in the empirical parameters employed.     

可持续转型与延伸生产者责任制度

本文采用多层次转型理论的分析框架,回顾了国内外延伸生产者责任(EPR)制度的理论和实践进展,对比了EPR制度倡导者最初提出的创新导向的制度设计,与当前各国实践中基于成本—效益平衡所开展的政策评估研究,指出两者在是否应该将激进的可持续转型作为EPR基本政策目标上观点不同,其原因在于政策的技术创新激励效果难以通过可测量的政策评估方法进行有效考察,由此造成两者在EPR政策调整方向上的分歧:前者坚持EPR制度设计应该进一步完善个体责任原则,以激励生产者创新和采纳绿色技术,推进生产消费模式的系统转型;而后者则强调在现有管制框架下简化制度设计,重点完善循环处理基础设施及其管理效率。这种分歧不仅影响到发达国家EPR制度的演化,也深刻影响了发展中国家EPR制度的移植和建构。结论以中国电子废物管理实践为例,提出构建包含三个层次的演化经济学分析框架,考察EPR制度建构过程中,微观层次的企业技术选择,中观层次的供应链治理结构变动,和宏观层次的再生资源产业转型,以系统考察制度发展对技术创新的激励效果。     

Sustainability risk identification in product development

Sustainability-related issues present significant financial, strategic, compliance and operational risks to manufacturers. Many of these risks directly or indirectly result from the way a product is designed and managed across its life cycle. Assessing sustainability risk (S _R) at the product design stage is crucial for the development of products that both minimise sustainability risk exposure and are environmentally sustainable. Managing the costs associated with these risks requires risk management intervention at the design stage before these costs are committed throughout the life cycle (production, use, end-of-life). The goal of the sustainability risk assessment (SRA) methodology is to provide an approach to comparing the financial cost of a ‘sustainable product’ vs. an ‘unsustainable product’, by factoring in the effects of S _R on life-cycle cost. The SRA methodology demonstrates that, in some cases, sustainable products cost less than unsustainable products when sustainability risk is considered in the costing analysis. This paper outlines the first step of the SRA methodology, which is a process for identifying S _R inherent in the product life cycle. Once key risks are identified, the subsequent steps of the SRA assess and prioritise these risks for treatment through changes to product design and materials composition.     

Performance evaluation of lean sustainable systems using adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system: a case study

The modern manufacturing organisations have been adopting both lean and sustainable manufacturing paradigms to survive in the competitive environment. Lean and sustainable strategies aim at achieving productivity improvement by streamlined processes and waste elimination. The performance of such integrated lean sustainable system has to be assessed to ensure whether the strategic objectives are in line with customer value and to identify improvement opportunities that enable and enhance the competitive advantage of an integrated lean sustainable system. This paper presents the formulation of conceptual performance evaluation model to assess lean sustainable systems. Appropriate performance indicators have been identified and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system approach is used to evaluate lean sustainability. A case of automotive component manufacturing firm in Indian scenario is exemplified. Based on the evaluation, lean sustainability index was computed and the firm was found to be ‘Averagely Lean Sustainable’. Further improvement actions to enhance the lean sustainable performance were planned and implemented. The developed performance evaluation model is capable of effectively evaluating the lean sustainable performance of manufacturing firms and has more practical relevance.     

Exploring the relationship between unethical practices,buyer–supplier relationships and green design for sustainability

Sustainable procurement practices have gained popularity amongst both researchers and supply chain practitioners. However, ethical practices in sustainable procurement have been the topic of discussion in the recent years. The goal of the study is to scientifically build a green procurement framework by exploring relationship between buyer–supplier relationships, unethical practices and green design for sustainability. The study was conducted considering samples from South African steel and engineering sector. Data show high rate of wastages and losses occurring at various stages of steel and engineering supply chains. Every steel and engineering company aims to reduce such losses for improving their profitability and achieve sustainability. The empirical findings show that such wastage and losses can be minimised through efficient eco-design and involvement of key suppliers at the design stage so that disassembly, recycling and reuse options not only prove successful but as well cost-effective for the organisation. Also we find that buyer deceitful practices are a strong determinant of green design for sustainability. Buyers making up a second source of supply for green components and preferring green suppliers being approved by top management is helpful for mitigation of supply risks under green procurement process. The present study is distinctive in terms of coverage and its contribution to supply chain theory.     

Recalculating GHG emissions saving of palm oil biodiesel

In 2010, the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) came into force in the EU and establishes a framework for achieving legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. Only sustainable biofuels can be counted towards Member State targets. The aim of this paper is to calculate realistic and transparent scenario-based CO₂-emission values for the GHG emissions savings of palm oil fuel compared with fossil fuel. Using the calculation scheme proposed by the RED, we derive a more realistic overall GHG emissions saving value for palm oil diesel by using current input and output data of biofuel production (e.g. in South-East Asia). We calculate different scenarios in which reliable data on the production conditions (and the regarding emission values during the production chain) of palm oil diesel are used. Our results indicate values for the GHG emissions savings potential of palm oil biodiesel not only above the 19 % default and 36 % typical value published in RED but also above the 35 % sustainable threshold. Our findings conclude the more accurate GHG emissions saving value for palm oil feedstock for electricity generation to be 52 %, and for transportation biodiesel between 38.5 and 41 %, depending on the fossil fuel comparator. Our results confirm the findings by other studies and challenge the official typical and default values published in RED. As a result, the reliability of the Directive to support the EU’s low-carbon ambitions is being undermined, exposing the EU and commission to charges of trade discrimination and limiting the ability of Member States to achieve their legally binding GHG emission reductions.     

绿色经济视野下的低碳经济发展新论

在可持续发展经济学的理论框架下,低碳经济应该是经济发展的碳排放量和生态环境代价及社会经济成本最低的经济,是一种能够改善地球生态系统自我调节能力的生态可持续性很强的经济。低碳经济发展理论的形象概括与现实形态就是一种绿色经济发展理论。发展低碳经济是推动我国科学发展的迫切要求和战略任务,其关键所在是进行能源经济的生态革命。发展低碳经济,实现低碳发展,是发展绿色经济的系统工程。我们应该立足于中国国情,把加快低碳经济建设同建设生态文明,加强生态经济与可持续经济建设、发展循环经济和绿色经济紧密结合起来,积极推进低碳经济的健康发展。为此,应提高认识,制定规划;加强绿色能源技术创新,形成低碳与无碳经济技术体系;加强绿色制度创新,形成低碳与无碳发展的体制机制。发展低碳经济必须以政府为主导,公民广泛参与,全体国民都走低碳发展之路。