The use of Life Cycle Engineering/ Life Cycle Assessment within the design process of production facilities - A business case: Different options of handling overspray

摘要

DaimlerChrysler plans to replace the current paint shop of the rear axles by a new one. It is the goal to design the new paint shop representing the latest technology for paint shops and overspray handling and to consider ecological, technical and economic aspects from a life cycle perspective during the design process. Therefore the Life Cycle Engineering approach (LCE) has been chosen to give a broad view and compare the different options. The application of LCE within the design phase has shown that the reaction time for feedback is reasonable for designers and therefore it can be applied within the planning of new production facilities. The LCE study showed that there is no direct relation between the economic cost and the ecological performance of a design option. While all considered recycling systems have better economics than the options considered at the present time that allow energy recovery of the collected overspray, there is no general preference regarding pro/contra recycling from an ecological point of view.