De-manufacturing systems

open3noDe-Manufacturing Systems allow implementing optimized End-Of-Life strategies and are necessary to support a sustainable and competitive Manufacturing/De-Manufacturing integrated paradigm. However, available technologies, management methods and business models present several limitations that make landfill and, at a lower extent, materials recycling, the most diffused End-Of-Life practices. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes an integrated multi-disciplinary research framework addressing single technologies improvement, system integration and business model coherency. The main challenges and research opportunities are presented that can boost the development of sustainable De-manufacturing Systems at industrial level.Colledani, Marcello; Copani, Giacomo; Tolio, TullioColledani, Marcello; Copani, Giacomo; Tolio, TULLIO ANTONIO MARI

A Structured methodology for business network design

In the new manufacturing environment, a single enterprise does not often own all resources and skills to offercompetitive solutions. Therefore, such enterprises become part of enterprise networks of independent corecompetencies in order to produce marketable products. Thus, Business Networking is an innovative businessparadigm that can help companies to remain competitive in the market. Nevertheless, its practical implementation isvery complicated because of the several dimensions that it involves, and, especially in network start up phase,because it is often left to the case and not managed with adequate methodologies and tools. The present paperproposes a structured methodology for long term business network design that is based on a network descriptivemodel and that should be applied by a network architect. The proposed methodology has been developed andapplied in the frame of KoBaS project funded through European Commission Program

Risk assessment for circular business models : a fuzzy Delphi study application for composite materials

Circular economy (CE) implementation requires the transition from linear business models (BMs) to circular ones, with related uncertainties and multi-disciplinary risks, which often discourage organisations. However, there is still a lack of understanding of risks associated with this process. This work thus aims to identify, classify and prioritise key risk factors for innovative circular BMs in order to enable the development of appropriate risk management strategies. A fuzzy Delphi method was tailored to assess the risk factors obtained from the literature and was applied to the industrial case of composite materials. 24 major risk factors for innovative circular BMs were identified and classified into six categories. The probability and impact of the risk factors were evaluated by experts and the risk factors were then ranked by calculating their risk scores. The resultant major risks appeared to be related to the external context in which organisations operate. Among those risks, the greatest were those generated by take-back systems and low customers’ acceptance of CE products. This research is the first to address risks for circularity in a structured way and contributes to the field of CE by providing an extensive list and classification of risk factors for innovative circular BMs as they are perceived by industry, acting as a reference for academics and practitioners. Furthermore, it provides the first evaluation and prioritisation of risk factors within the CE domain, highlighting critical risks within the specific industrial context of composite materials and suggesting action priorities for the establishment of circular BMs

DEMAT: sustainability assessment of new flexibility-oriented business models in the machine tools industry

New flexibility-oriented business models represent a novelty in business model research. They aim at optimising the management of manufacturing flexibility in turbulent environments through the offering of added-value services by system suppliers. However, they are currently defined at theoretical level and their economic sustainability for customers and suppliers has to be quantitatively demonstrated. In this paper, a methodology to assess the economic performance of flexibility-oriented business models based on probabilistic event-decision trees modelling is presented. The methodology was applied to a real industrial case and simulations were performed to identify win-win conditions that make business models sustainable for customer and supplier. Results allowed to understand which are the main variables determining flexibility-oriented business models’ success and they constitute a reference for companies willing to innovate their business model in this direction

Innovative flexibility-oriented business models and system configuration approaches: An industrial application

In the current competitive scenario, industrial companies experience frequent unexpected changes in production demand. To cope with this, they often opt for investments in manufacturing technologies which embed extra-flexibility that is rarely utilized and, consequently, affects financial and operational performance. Innovative flexibility-oriented business models based on innovative service value propositions could increase manufacturers competitiveness in turbulent environment and could represent a competitive factor for systems suppliers. Their industrial implementation requires the optimization of manufacturing flexibility over the lifecycle of a system and the quantification of economic performance for customers and suppliers in order to mage risks and to shape sustainable contractual agreements. In this paper, stochastic configuration methods to design focused-flexibility production systems are presented as a promising methodological enabler of new flexibility-oriented business models. An industrial case demonstrating the potential value of these methods is discussed. Future research developments are finally outlined

Remanufacturing with Upgrade PSS for New Sustainable Business Models

AbstractProduct Service Systems are indicated in literature as enablers toward a more sustainable and resource-efficient industry. In particular, the potential of Eco-efficient PSS to promote more sustainable industrial practices, such as re-use and re-manufacturing, has been discussed outlining the possible environmental advantages deriving from a more intense use of resources and emphasizing the economic benefits for producers as well. In recent years, together with barriers hindering the implementation of such strategies, authors started discussing also some ‘rebound effects’ that could limit the expected re-manufacturing environmental benefits, such as the obsolescence of re-manufactured products, especially in case of fast technology cycles. To overcome these criticalities and to target high-value customers segment, the concept of product upgrade in re-manufacturing has been introduced. Upgrade cycles would allow embedding technological innovation into products, to reach advanced environmental performances over time and to satisfy evolving customers’ preferences. However, the concept of product re-manufacturing with upgrade has been treated mainly theoretically with limited evidence of industrial applications in PSS. Producers currently engaged in established remanufacturing practices are mainly big manufacturers of durable or long life-time products, in particular in the B2B sector, while only few pioneering cases of PSS offering product upgrade are cited in literature, mainly referring to B2C. To contribute to the progress of the state of the art and to move from theory to industrial application, this article takes a business model perspective for the implementation of remanufacturing with upgrade PSS. A coherent configuration value proposition, supply chain and reverse logistics, revenue model and ownership scheme is proposed, aiming at addressing the major criticalities and barriers encountered in the literature for the implementation of remanufacturing strategies. The producer will play a central role in the business model, since he has the knowledge and capability to conceive product's design and supply chains suited to perform remanufacturing and upgrade cycles. Potential benefits, and unsolved barriers to the implementation of the proposed business model are finally introduced in order to suggest future research directions

Factories of the Future

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.This book presents results relevant in the manufacturing research field, that are mainly aimed at closing the gap between the academic investigation and the industrial application, in collaboration with manufacturing companies. Several hardware and software prototypes represent the key outcome of the scientific contributions that can be grouped into five main areas, representing different perspectives of the factory domain:1) Evolutionary and reconfigurable factories to cope with dynamic production contexts characterized by evolving demand and technologies, products and processes.2) Factories for sustainable production, asking for energy efficiency, low environmental impact products and processes, new de-production logics, sustainable logistics.3) Factories for the People who need new kinds of interactions between production processes, machines, and human beings to offer a more comfortable and stimulating working environment.4) Factories for customized products that will be more and more tailored to the final user’s needs and sold at cost-effective prices.5) High performance factories to yield the due production while minimizing the inefficiencies caused by failures, management problems, maintenance.This books is primarily targeted to academic researchers and industrial practitioners in the manufacturing domain