Analysis and assurance of the ecological sustainability of technical Product-Service Systems in the early design phase
Final Report Abstract
Technical product-service systems (PSS) are a combination of investment goods and complementary services. Due to their immanent characteristics, PSS show potential to contribute to sustainable development. The DFG project "Analysis and assessment of the ecological sustainability of technical product-service systems in the early design phase - ÖkoPSS" investigated how this potential can be systematically exploited. PSS from the commercial vehicle and machine tool industries served as the research objects. The material products are supported by services such as maintenance, remote monitoring or user training. In order to increase the sustainability of PSS, PSS design was chosen as the starting point. In this early life cycle phase, measures can be taken cost-effectively and with a major impact on the rest of the life cycle. To identify suitable improvement measures, it is necessary to understand the environmental impact of the production and use of PSS. To this end, life cycle assessments were carried out considering the entire life cycle of the PSS. The results show that the majority of environmental impacts, e.g. in the form of CO2 emissions, arise during the production of the core product and in its use phase. Services have a lower direct environmental impact and can even indirectly contribute to reducing the overall environmental impact of PSS by maintaining and potentially improving the efficiency and functionality of the core product. To specifically reduce the environmental impact of production and use, a process model was developed that allows the environmental impact of PSS to be selectively influenced as early as the planning and development stages. The process model begins with a detailed identification of functional and sustainability requirements to subsequently create a PSS concept that fulfills these requirements as precisely as possible. This concept is then decomposed into individual modules, which are examined using life cycle assessments. In this way, the biggest drivers of environmental impact can be identified, and their influence reduced with targeted eco-design measures. Subsequently, the improved modules are elaborated and transferred into concrete solutions for material products and service blueprints. Finally, implementation planning, and PSS realization are carried out, which includes the production and use of the PSS. With the help of the developed process model and the eco-design measures, potential reductions of up to 40% in environmental impacts could be identified. The process model provides a theoretical framework and might be transferred to industrial practice in the future.
Publications
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Customer-Driven Eco-design for Technical Product-Service Systems. Lecture Notes in Production Engineering, 592-600. Springer International Publishing.
Werrel, M.; Yi, L.; Kölsch, P. & Aurich, J.-C.
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Design guidelines towards absolute sustainability for technical product-service systems. In: 11th International Conference on Through-life Engineering Services - TESConf 2022, 8-9 November 2022, Cranfield UK, Paper number 1095
Aurich J.C., Werrel M. & Glatt M.
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Bewertung und Verbesserung des CO2-Fußabdrucks für PKW-Ladeeinrichtungen. Zeitschrift für wirtschaftlichen Fabrikbetrieb, 118(9), 594-598.
Werrel, Max; Becker, Victor; Ehmsen, Svenja; Tepper, Florian; Glatt, Moritz & Aurich, Jan C.
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Service provision process scheduling using quantum annealing for technical product-service systems. Procedia CIRP, 116, 330-335.
Yi, Li; Wu, Xiangqian; Werrel, Max; Schworm, Philipp; Wei, Wei; Glatt, Moritz & Aurich, Jan C.
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Technical Product-Service Systems: A Methodology to reduce the Carbon Footprint in PSS Design. Procedia CIRP, 116, 77-82.
Werrel, Max; Yi, Li; Glatt, Moritz & Aurich, Jan C.
