Overview

Sustainable manufacturing is a key part of Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE). We pursue a different approach to environmental engineering. While many focus on addressing problems when they appear, such as cleaning up or reducing the impact of waste, this group focuses on preventing the problems. To accomplish this, the LSM focuses on all three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. Areas of research include smart/sustainable manufacturing, circular materials economy, green manufacturing planning, social sustainability of manufacturing, and sustainability impacts.

Current areas of research include:

Smart/Sustainable Manufacturing:

• Pursual of sustainable manufacturing through design and scheduling 

• Incorporation of principles of sustainability into the field of Smart Manufacturing

Circular Materials Economy:

• Development of a Circular Economy within Industrial Symbiosis

• Development of optimal supply chain solutions for recycling of rare earth elements

Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment:

• Evaluation of the economic feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a technology or process

• Assessment on the environmental impacts associated with product's life cycle

Green Manufacturing Planning:

• Pursual of a profitable and environmentally friendly disassembly sequence 

• Development of sustainable manufacturing by remanufacturing end-of-use products

Social Sustainability of Manufacturing:

• Development of sustainable manufacturing by low carbon, green, artificial intelligent, smart, quality control, additive, and subtractive manufacturing

Sustainability Impacts:

• Assessment of sustainable performance for a system by quantifying the potential environmental, economic, and social impacts