A framework to assess the sustainability of additive manufacturing for spare parts

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a promising technology for the optimization of the spare parts supply chain. A complete evaluation of whether it is advantageous to switch to this technology for spare parts management should include a comprehensive assessment of its sustainability in addition to its techno-economic viability. General analyses of the economic, environmental, and social impacts of AM have been conducted, but assessments of the sustainability effects of AM in the spare parts field is limited to specific industries. Thus, based on the literature, we designed a framework that can support a life cycle evaluation of the emerging application of AM technology. It represents a methodological approach that covers all the stages of the spare parts life cycle and the three dimensions of sustainability. It has been designed to support both researchers and practitioners who are considering AM for the manufacturing of spare parts. Copyright (C) 2022 The Authors

A Review and Analysis of Traffic Data Sources

Transportation is essential for economic and social development, and vehicle flow data can be used for safety monitoring, pollution analysis, and traffic flow management. Unfortunately, traffic management and control centres do not always comply with codified standards, making it difficult to obtain up-To-date data. This paper analyses open traffic datasets and Italian public traffic data sources available online, providing a knowledge base for transportation managers and researchers. Open traffic datasets are dimensionality-reduced and clustered. An event with 209,135 visitors is used to benchmark the public data sources, the time series of traffic flows are decomposed and a regression tree is used to identify different periods. The results suggest that the available Italian sensor grid is not fine enough to identify all incoming and outgoing traffic, more infrastructure investments are required or the available measurements should be coupled with other evaluation approaches capable of extending the punctual data through mathematical means

Ecotoxicity of Plastics from Informal Waste Electric and Electronic Treatment and Recycling

Plastic materials account for about 20% of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The recycling of this plastic fraction is a complex issue, heavily conditioned by the content of harmful additives, such as brominated flame retardants. Thus, the management and reprocessing of WEEE plastics pose environmental and human health concerns, mainly in developing countries, where informal recycling and disposal are practiced. The objective of this study was twofold. Firstly, it aimed to investigate some of the available options described in the literature for the re-use of WEEE plastic scraps in construction materials, a promising recycling route in the developing countries. Moreover, it presents an evaluation of the impact of these available end-of-life scenarios on the environment by means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. In order to consider worker health and human and ecological risks, the LCA analysis focuses on ecotoxicity more than on climate change. The LCA evaluation confirmed that the plastic re-use in the construction sector has a lower toxicity impact on the environment and human health than common landfilling and incineration practices. It also shows that the unregulated handling and dismantling activities, as well as the re-use practices, contribute significantly to the impact of WEEE plastic treatments

Logistic regression for criteria weight elicitation in PROMETHEE-based ranking methods

For a PROMETHEE II method used to rank concurrent alternatives both preference functions and weights are required, and if the weights are unknown, they can be elicited by leveraging present or past partial rankings. If the known partial ranking is incorrect, the eliciting methods are ineffective. In this paper a logistic regression method for weight elicitation is proposed to tackle this scenario. An experiment is carried out to compare the logistic regression method performance against a state-of-the-art linear weight elicitation method, proving the validity of the proposed methodology

Green supply chain management: Conceptual framework and models for analysis

Sustainability and environmental concerns have been important topics of discussion in recent decades. Green supply chain management assures the effectiveness of public and company policies in greening their operations, increasing the market share, improving the company image and reputation, and increasing profits. The objective of this article is to propose a conceptual framework that considers dimensions, categories, and practices in green supply chain management. After an extensive review of the literature, we identified models and a set of green dimensions, categories, and practices used for green supply chain management. From the analysis of the findings, we propose a conceptual framework that is organized into 3 environmental dimensions, 21 categories, and 64 green practices. The framework can contribute to the literature, given that empirical studies mostly select a limited set of dimensions to evaluate supply chain green practices. Finally, this study offers directions for future research.Sustainability and environmental concerns have been important topics of discussion in recent decades. Green supply chain management assures the effectiveness of public and company policies in greening their operations, increasing the market share, improving the company image and reputation, and increasing profits. The objective of this article is to propose a conceptual framework that considers dimensions, categories, and practices in green supply chain management. After an extensive review of the literature, we identified models and a set of green dimensions, categories, and practices used for green supply chain management. From the analysis of the findings, we propose a conceptual framework that is organized into 3 environmental dimensions, 21 categories, and 64 green practices. The framework can contribute to the literature, given that empirical studies mostly select a limited set of dimensions to evaluate supply chain green practices. Finally, this study offers directions for future research

Integrazione di sistemi a energia rinnovabile nel sistema elettrico locale: stato dell’arte e soluzioni innovative nell’ambito della Simbiosi Industriale e della Simbiosi Urbana-Industriale.

La riduzione delle emissioni climalteranti è considerata un obiettivo strategico, sia a livello europeo che globale. Una maggiore diffusione delle fonti energetiche rinnovabili (FER) è considerata essenziale per una transizione verso un sistema energetico più sostenibile. Questa transizione verso un’energia a basse emissioni di carbonio richiede lo sviluppo e l'uso di tecnologie innovative, in particolare nei settori di utilizzo finale (edifici, industria e trasporti), e nuovi approcci economici, di gestione e di mercato. Lo studio presentato in questa tesi esplora le opportunità sostenibili offerte dall'approccio di simbiosi industriale e urbano-industriale basati sull'energia. La simbiosi industriale energetica (SIE) propone la condivisione di risorse, strutture e infrastrutture legate all'energia come un modello efficace per promuovere misure di risparmio energetico e l'adozione di fonti energetiche rinnovabili a livello industriale. Inoltre, è possibile perseguire una strategia energetica a basse emissioni di carbonio creando sinergie energetiche tra i distretti industriali e le aree urbane adiacenti. Stabilire la simbiosi energetica urbana-industriale (SUIE) consente di ottimizzare la produzione e il consumo di energia e di sfruttare il know-how locale e le risorse umane. Il nuovo sistema integrato necessita infatti di un cambio di prospettiva, considerando un'azione multi-stakeholder: aziende di servizi energetici, comunità locali, settore industriale, consumatori, policy maker, ricercatori devono impegnarsi attivamente nei processi di pianificazione partecipativa per guidare la trasformazione del sistema energetico e del processo di ricerca e innovazione, e rispondere adeguatamente alle esigenze del territorio. Nella tesi viene presentata un'analisi approfondita dei molteplici driver e barriere tecnici, economici, organizzativi, normativi, ambientali e sociali dell'approccio di simbiosi energetica, con l'obiettivo di modellare le configurazioni ottimali delle sinergie energetiche tra le imprese che comprendano l’uso di FER. Viene inoltre sviluppata una metodologia per supportare energy manager, singole imprese, gruppi di imprese all'interno di parchi industriali e decisori per valutare le sinergie e i progetti energetici che coinvolgono FER, tenendo conto degli impatti economici, ambientali e sociali dei progetti. Inoltre, viene sviluppato un framework orientato alla sostenibilità con l'obiettivo di modellare le sinergie energetiche urbano-industriali comprendenti le FER da un punto di vista multi-stakeholder per supportare il processo decisionale sulla sostenibilità economica, ambientale e sociale delle sinergie energetiche. L’applicazione degli strumenti decisionali sviluppati a specifici casi studio consente di sottolineare come le strategie collettive (SIE o SUIE) consentano una migliore gestione della fornitura di energia da fonti rinnovabili.Reducing emissions responsible for the climate change is recognized as a strategic goal at European and global level. A higher deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) is considered as essential for a transition towards a more sustainable energy system. This low-carbon energy transition requires both the development and use of innovative technologies, particularly at end-use sectors (buildings, industry and transport), and new management approaches as well as new market design and business models. This study explores the sustainability driven opportunities offered by the energy based Industrial and Urban-Industrial Symbiosis approach. The Industrial Energy Symbiosis (IES) considers the sharing of energy-related resources, facilities and infrastructures as an effective model to promote energy conservation measures and the renewable energy sources uptake at the industrial level. In addition, an improved low-carbon strategy can be achieved creating energy synergies between industrial districts and the adjacent urban areas. Establishing Urban-Industrial Energy Symbiosis (UIES) allows optimizing the energy production and consumption and exploiting the local knowhow and human resources. These new integrated system needs a change of perspective, considering a multi-stakeholder action: energy service companies, local communities, industry sector, consumers, policy makers, researchers must get actively involved in participatory planning processes to guide the transformation of the energy system and the research and innovation process, and respond adequately to the needs of the territory. Thus, an in-depth analysis of the manifold technical, economic, organizational, regulatory, environmental and social drivers and barriers of the energy symbiosis approach are presented, with the aim of modelling the optimal energy synergies configurations among firms including RES. A methodology is developed to support energy managers, single firms, groups of firms within industrial parks, and decision-makers to evaluate energy synergies and projects involving RES, taking into account the economic, environmental and social impacts of the projects. Lastly, a sustainability-driven framework is developed, with the aim of modeling Urban–Industrial Energy Symbiosis networks integrating RES from a multi-stakeholder point of view and supporting decision-making on the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the energy synergies. The application of the developed decision-making tools to specific case studies emphasizes how collective strategies (IES or UIES) allow better management of the energy supplied by renewable sources

Opportunities of Digital Transformation in Post-Harvest Activities: A Single Case Study of an Engineering Solutions Provider

The purpose of this article is to identify opportunities that digital transformation in post-harvest activities offers to an engineering solution provider. The research method is a simple case study. The object is a company based in southern Brazil that provides engineering-integrated digital solutions to grain producers, including products and services. The specific objectives are to describe the company’s digital products and services, identify opportunities and players, and discuss how players can take advantage of opportunities owing to business process digitalization. The main results include separating products into three technological layers and identifying five types of opportunities (financing, commercialization, operation, logistics, traceability, and insurance), eight types of players, and the main opportunities for each player. The most significant opportunities are risk reduction in insurance contracts, improvement in grain quality, increments in food safety, and accurate information on grain movements. The main implication of the study is that grain producers and other players can explore opportunities, and solution providers can evolve toward complete digitalization by integrating service into the current offerings of post-harvest engineering solutions