Integrated designs for sustainable manufacturing

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This research program focuses on conception and design optimization of Sustainable Manufacturing Systems (SMS) and Reverse Logistics (RL) Systems. Sustainability is defined as the development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Reverse Logistics (RL) include all activities to collect, disassemble and process used products, product parts, and/or materials for a sustainable recovery. In this present era of globalization, the world is facing ever growing challenges to meet basic human needs in a sustainable manner. Innovative and significant solutions are required at all levels of society to address these complex and inter-related problems in the creation of a sustainable world. In view of these, the present industrial production and consumption culture will experience significant changes such as dealing with pollution and waste problems, decreasing non-renewable resource consumption, and increasing manufacturer responsibility for environmental protection. There is, accordingly, a need to change the traditional objectives of manufacturing. Industrial manufacturing was traditionally driven by the objectives of increasing efficiency of the manufacturing resources, quality improvement, and cost reduction. Whereas these traditional manufacturing objectives will continue to exist in the future, account must also be taken of the reduction in the consumption of natural resources, the impact on environment, and the integration of manufacturing within a framework of sustainable distribution systems. These trends will radically change the manufacturing system and the supply chain designs. These changes include the integration of recycling, disassembly, re-work, and remanufacturing in these designs. Furthermore, all these have to be considered within a larger framework of "Reverse Logistics" in the design and management of supply chain networks. Based on these, in this research program, analytical and simulation models of Sustainable Manufacturing and Reverse Logistics Systems will be developed and optimized. The interrelations between the designs of SMS and the RL systems will also be investigated.