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Method of Material Selection Considering Quality, Environmental, and Cost Aspects
Andrzej Pacana1, Dominika Siwiec1
1Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, Rzeszow University of Technology, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 27, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a new eight-stage method for selecting sustainable materials in product innovation. It balances product quality, environmental impact, and manufacturing costs for better material decisions.
Area of Science:
- Engineering
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Design
Background:
- Product innovation necessitates material changes for improved quality and sustainability.
- Current material selection lacks a standardized method integrating quality, environmental impact, and cost.
- Sustainable product development demands consideration of material acquisition's environmental footprint.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a standardized, eight-stage method for material selection in product improvement.
- To integrate product quality, life cycle environmental impact, and manufacturing costs into material decisions.
- To support informed material choices for sustainable product innovation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized OpenLCA 2.0.0 with the Ecoinvent database for environmental impact assessment.
- Employed formalized scoring (PS), cost analysis, and morphological analysis for decision-making.
- Calculated indicators for quality (user satisfaction), environmental impact (extraction/acquisition), and manufacturing costs.
Main Results:
- The developed method successfully identified favorable hypothetical prototypes based on material modifications.
- Application to a six-speed manual transmission demonstrated variability in the decision-making process.
- The method provides a structured approach to selecting materials considering multiple critical factors.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method offers a coherent framework for material selection in product design and improvement.
- It effectively balances quality, environmental considerations, and economic factors.
- The method is applicable to both new product development and existing product modifications.
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