Product modelling and decision support system for product EOL

This paper focuses on product modelling and a decision-support system for product design and manufacture within which product end-of-life (EOL) issues can be addressed and quantitatively evaluated. A framework method is developed to determine good design and manufacturing strategies enabling products to meet quality and functionality criteria with minimum environmental impact and life-cycle costs. The assessment of alternative scenarios involves the consideration of several qualitative and quantitative factors simultaneously, and therefore has to be handled by multi-attribute analysis techniques.