Computer-Aided Design Analysis for Part Carbon and Cost Tradeoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturers face challenges in evaluating and balancing the carbon footprint and cost of product design due to complex interactions between material selection, manufacturing processes, and location, making it difficult to make sustainable choices during the design phase.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for analyzing embodied carbon in part manufacturing by considering geometry, materials, processes, and factory locations, allowing users to compare different scenarios and make sustainable design choices efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manufacturers evaluate each variable (material, process, location) for embodied carbon, then environmental impact assessment improves, but complexity of evaluation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the embodied carbon evaluation into distinct modules: material selection analysis, manufacturing process evaluation, and location-based carbon intensity assessment. Each module independently evaluates specific variables and provides quantifiable results that can be combined to determine total embodied carbon, thereby reducing overall evaluation complexity while maintaining comprehensive assessment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computer system with databases and simulation software as an intermediary between manufacturers and embodied carbon evaluation. This intermediary automatically collects data from multiple sources (material databases, process databases, location carbon intensity data), performs complex calculations, and presents results in user-friendly formats, eliminating the need for manufacturers to manually navigate the complexity of evaluating each variable.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manufacturers analyze multiple variables (material, process, location) for embodied carbon, then environmental impact evaluation improves, but time required for analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-populates databases with embodied carbon factors for numerous materials, manufacturing processes, and location carbon intensity data before actual product design begins. These preliminary data collections and pre-calculations allow manufacturers to quickly evaluate different scenarios during the design phase without performing time-consuming manual analyses, thereby reducing analysis time while maintaining comprehensive evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simulation software to create virtual models and scenarios that replicate real-world manufacturing conditions. Instead of physically prototyping and testing each material-process-location combination, the system creates digital copies and runs simulations to predict embodied carbon outcomes, dramatically reducing the time required for analysis while maintaining evaluation accuracy.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If manufacturers optimize for low embodied carbon, then environmental sustainability improves, but manufacturing cost may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables manufacturers to adjust key parameters such as material selection, manufacturing process type, and production location within the simulation model. By changing these parameters, the system calculates both embodied carbon and associated manufacturing costs, allowing manufacturers to identify optimal parameter combinations that balance environmental sustainability with cost considerations rather than forcing a trade-off.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides feedback mechanisms that show manufacturers the environmental and cost implications of different design choices in real-time during the design process. The simulation software presents comparative data showing how selecting alternative materials or processes affects both embodied carbon and manufacturing cost, enabling manufacturers to make informed decisions that optimize both sustainability and cost rather than treating them as conflicting objectives.
Data Source
AI summary
Pursuant to some embodiments, systems, methods and computer program code are provided for analyzing the embodiment carbon associated with the manufacture of a part.