Parametric Life Cycle Assessment & Ecodesign for Sustainable Manufacturing

This 3-day hands-on workshop introduces a practical workflow for assessing and improving the environmental performance of manufacturing systems. Participants will begin by developing a baseline LCA model, identifying major environmental hotspots related to materials, energy, transportation, waste and emissions. They will then convert key manufacturing variables into parameters to evaluate alternative scenarios and conduct sensitivity analysis.

To provide participants with practical skills to build manufacturing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models, perform parametric and sensitivity analysis, and apply ecodesign strategies to reduce environmental impacts across products and manufacturing processes.

• Understand the complete LCA framework and manufacturing system boundaries.
• Build a baseline environmental impact model for a manufacturing process or product.
• Identify environmental hotspots across materials, energy, transport and waste.
• Develop parameterized LCA models using manufacturing variables.
• Perform scenario and sensitivity analysis to identify major impact drivers.
• Evaluate material substitution, recycled content and lightweighting strategies.
• Compare baseline and redesigned manufacturing scenarios.
• Develop an ecodesign decision framework for reducing environmental impacts.

Day 1: Baseline LCA & Environmental Hotspot Analysis

• Understand the LCA framework: Goal & Scope, Functional Unit, System Boundary, LCI, LCIA, and Interpretation . Map manufacturing processes and organize inventory data for materials, energy, transport, waste, and emissions . Distinguish foreground and background data and prepare structured LCI datasets. Build a baseline manufacturing model and assess carbon footprint and selected environmental impact categories . Identify environmental hotspots and interpret the major contributors to product and process impacts.
• Tools: openLCA, Excel/CSV, RCSB-style process mapping templates
• Hands-on: Build and interpret a baseline manufacturing LCA model and identify major environmental hotspots.

Day 2: Parametric LCA, Scenario & Sensitivity Analysis

• Convert static LCA inputs into variable parameters such as material mass, recycled content, energy use, scrap rate, transport distance, and grid mix . Create and compare multiple manufacturing scenarios using parameter ranges and design assumptions. Differentiate scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty concepts . Automate parametric calculations and organize results using Python and pandas . Perform sensitivity analysis to identify the variables that most strongly influence environmental impacts. Visualize and rank key impact drivers for design and manufacturing decisions.
• Tools: Google Colab, Python, pandas, SALib, Matplotlib
• Hands-on: Build parametric scenarios, run sensitivity analysis, visualize results, and rank the most influential parameters.

Day 3: Ecodesign & Sustainable Manufacturing Decision-Making

• Translate LCA and sensitivity results into practical ecodesign strategies . Evaluate material substitution, lightweighting, recycled content, energy reduction, and waste minimization . Compare baseline and redesigned manufacturing scenarios and quantify environmental improvements. Assess trade-offs among alternative design options using environmental and manufacturing criteria. Build an ecodesign decision matrix to rank and select improved product or process configurations. Connect parametric LCA with sustainable manufacturing and circular design decisions.
• Tools: openLCA, Google Colab, Python, pandas, Matplotlib
• Hands-on: Redesign a manufacturing scenario, compare alternatives, quantify environmental improvements, and select the best ecodesign option.

• Create abaseline manufacturing LCA model.
• Generate anenvironmental hotspot map.
• Build and testmultiple parametric LCA scenarios.
• Rank influential manufacturing parameters usingsensitivity analysis.
• Evaluate alternative materials, energy sources and circular-design strategies.
• Quantify environmental improvements between baseline and redesigned products.
• Develop anoptimized ecodesign model and before/after LCA comparison.
• Apply LCA-based evidence to sustainable manufacturing and design decisions.

Undergraduate and postgraduate students PhD scholars and research fellows Faculty and academic researchers Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Materials and Chemical Engineers Sustainability and Environmental Engineering professionals Product designers and R&D professionals LCA, ESG and sustainability practitioners Industry professionals working in manufacturing, product development or circular economy