JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #34 - July/August 2007 - 60

KNOW-HOW Ecodesign g…/… Towards the optimisation of the ecodesign function for composites Fig. 3: Schematic of the probability eco-indicator associated with event F. Phase 2: Choice of constituents, definition of material and manufacturing process. Phase 3: Undertaking analytical and experimental analyses and defining thicknesses. Phase 4: Correlation between tests and calculations. Phase 5: Plans, specifications and manufacturing of the product. Phase 6: Qualification/certification of the product. Phase 7: Marketing of the product (distribution and transport). Phase 8: Putting the product in service and providing its maintenance scheme. Phase 9: End-of-life of the product, dismantling process and assessment of possible recycling methods. Phase 10: Evolution of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the composite product. The assessment of the ecodesign behaviour will give some information on the state of the problem, and additional details on its acceptability in practice. To further illustrate the objectives reached with regard to the limiting envelope of the probability function, a detailed plot showing the evolution of the interaction level may be presented in the form of a spider graph, where the location of the probability values can be easily interpreted. The considered objective can be achieved by optimising the ecodesign function where the Q-H-E functions all interact together. The interaction can be defined by a function that has multiple variables f(xi, yj, zk) and which lies between the values of 0 to 1. If the final probability-output results of this function are close to unity (f ≅ 1), then the objective illustrated in figure 1c is fully reached! However, if the output results are not close to the desired objective, we need to search for possible new alternatives. These alternatives can be provided by a possible practical alteration of the variable elements xi, yj and zk. The global statement of the fibre-reinforced composite product with regard to ecodesign considerations will be demonstrated by the final probability results in relation to Q-H-E events. It should be noted that the other constraints, such as hygiene & security, risks, energy consumption, cost, performance, timelimit, feasibility, etc., are taken into account in one of the Q-H-E functions. Conclusion Based on mathematical formulations and scientific, industrial and technological know-how in the field of composite materials, this contribution aims to innovate and develop a software tool capable of optimising the ecodesign function related to the interaction between Q-H-E functions. This investigation could be integrated in the European guidelines and international standards for sustainability research actions, and contribute to new orientations in the design of environment-friendly fibrereinforced composite products. Computer data processing can offer industrial designers the primary-output results that show how easily the ecodesign strategy can be achieved. In addition, new ecodesign recommendations will be increasing the design space and offering new data to use in evaluating the different stages of a product/process life-cycle. Studies could be undertaken on subjects like (i) the undesirable substances used in the manufacturing process, (ii) the amount of VOC emission, (iii) operator working conditions, (iv) the quantity of waste produced and expired materials, (v) the level of Q-H-E interaction, (vi) the classification of the company with regard to the authorized regulations, and more. Then, alternative solutions leading to new ecodesign methods could be suggested. The proposed software could become a normative tool for qualification and validation of new ecoproducts manufactured from green composite materials. Software tool for ecodesign optimisation The risk assessment related to the Health, Environment and Quality considerations for each phase that enters into the design of a composite product is very complex. It is important, therefore, to create a data-processing tool that poses a certain number of questions to arrive at the visualisation and detection of the weak and sensible points that require attention if multiphase optimisation is to be achieved. The optimisation procedure can be illustrated by a flow chart where the analysis of the data after each loop for the phase k=1 will be iterated for the other phases involved in the design process (k=2, 3, .., N). The assessment analysis will be done systematically by phase. Depending on the rate of information, the analysis may be of qualitative or quantitative type. Among the main phases subjected to the optimisation process, it may be mentioned: Phase 1: Definition of composite product functions and design objectives. Contact: b.attaf@wanadoo.fr JEC Composites Magazine / No34 July-August 2007
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #34 - July/August 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #34 - July/August 2007
