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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
41

Integration of Design for Environment in the vehicle manufacturing industry in Sweden : Focus on practices and tools

Poulikidou, Sofia January 2013 (has links)
Design for Environment (DfE) promotes the systematic consideration of environmental aspects during product design and development. Despite the maturity of concepts and tools in literature, efficient implementation in industries is reported to be low. A need to bridge this gap is identified with studies that look on DfE practices as well as the use and potential of DfE tools. This thesis is part of a research project that investigates DfE practices and the use of tools during vehicle design and development. The aim is to investigate the ways that environmental constraints can be efficiently integrated into product development processes thus assist in improving the environmental performance of products from a life cycle perspective. The scope of the study includes four vehicle manufacturing companies in Sweden. The development and utilization of tools has been also investigated aiming to increase the opportunities for effective use within this product category. Case study methodology, research interviews and literature reviews constitute the research strategy followed in this work. The empirical results presented in this thesis indicated that vehicle manufacturing companies in Sweden are continually working to improve the environmental performance of their products and meet legal and costumer demands. Despite similarities regarding the type of environmental requirements considered, the companies studied have adopted different ways to identify and integrate environmental requirements into their product development process and use DfE tools to different extents. Such variations reflect differences in the success and maturity levels of the DfE practices adopted. A need for increased and more systematic use of tools is identified for all studied companies and especially for analytical tools. Results from the literature review showed that a variety of tools are available that have the potential to support vehicle design processes. However, only a few cover a broad set of aspects identified to be relevant from a vehicle design perspective. For DfE tools to become effective and be used during product development, they need to cover aspects that are relevant for the company and product designers. A need towards the development of tools that assist vehicle or product designers in general, to make informed and comprehensive choices based on a variety of requirements associated to the product, is identified. / Coupling Materials Environmental Analysis - Environmental Effects
42

Green Relationship

Imad, Fadel 01 May 2014 (has links)
Green Relationship is a design solution attempting to raise awareness toward the environment and reduce consumerism. Waste generation and pollution have become major concerns of many governments, municipalities, organizations and individuals around the world since they are affecting human wellbeing and the environment. As an MFA student with VCUQatar, I chose to use design to contribute in protecting the environment hoping to make a difference in life. The thesis includes a research and a design component. The research explores the recycling programs and facilities in Qatar, the governmental and private sector actions toward waste generation and collection, as well as precedent solutions applied around the world. Furthermore, it includes a survey on recycling to gather and analyze the community’s feed back in order to come up with a solution that aims to change people’s behavior toward waste generation and to promote green lifestyle. The design component defines the Green Relationship as the personal connection between the individual and the silent partner, “the environment.” It fulfills the basic survival needs, “food and water,” and the one and only independency need, “oxygen.” The elements of the Green Relationship are the projection of the generic relationships elements we know of through the theory of “Humimicing” that I introduce in my thesis. Humimicing is the design theory that mimics human innate attributes and behaviors to develop design concepts to be applied in different industries. Every element of the Green Relationship is visualized through a different design discipline similar to its nature. Therefore, interactive, product and critical designs are the mediums used to represent Green Communication, Care and Ethics respectively through public installation, experimentation and conceptual design definition. The thesis methodology, which is “Make it Personal,” concludes in creating the Green Relationship that aims to change the behavior of individuals and ultimately to reach out to the wider community. Under the maxim, “Green is not just a color; it is a Lifestyle,” the thesis promotes the use of design to inspire people, designers and manufacturers to consume less and generate less waste in order to save natural resources and the environment.
43

Integration of Environmental Aspects in Product Development Process and Ship Design : a LEAP towards environmental awareness at Kockums AB

Karlsson Sundqvist, Therese, Källmar, Karin January 2012 (has links)
The Swedish company Kockums AB, at the forefront within maritime and naval technology, is in need of a tool, document, and/or method to include environmental aspects in their product development process. This is mainly because of additional requirements put on Kockums AB from their main customer. Ship recycling is the major issue that has to be addressed and included in Kockums AB’sworking procedures. Moreover, ship recycling is a pressing issue to handle due to horrible conditions in South Asian countries, where most ship dismantling is taking place. For these reasons, the objective of this M.Sc. thesis was to integrate environmental aspects in the product development process at Kockums AB by designing and proposing a way of implementing a tool, document, and/or method. Environmental product requirements that Kockums AB is demanded to fulfill mainly derives from customers, classification societies, laws and legislations, and themselves. The Hong Kong Convention has been adapted, in 2009, but is yet to enter into force. Ship recycling is covered by the convention,and an ‘Inventory of Hazardous Materials’ has to be provided from the ship builder, and hence this is the main aspect for Kockums AB to consider. Naval ships are, however, excluded from the Hong Kong Convention. Kockums AB does not have a routine on how to handle environmental requirements nor are environmental aspects included in their product development process. Consequently, Kockums AB’senvironmental ambition should not be put too high and rather aim at follow laws. In an empiricalstudy, regarding environmental aspects at Kockums AB, difficulties were identified. Lack of environmental knowledge, communication problems, and misunderstandings regarding the ambiguous term environment showed to be most notable. The three most prominent success factors for asuccessful integration of ecodesign, from the conducted literature review and empirical findings, are education for employees, existence of an environmental champion, and top management support. A Long-term Environmental Action Plan (LEAP), which took the success factors into account and contains 18 Actions, was developed for Kockums AB, and is the ultimate result of this research. The LEAP was developed in accordance with ISO 14006, a new standard for incorporation of ecodesign in Environmental Management Systems, with the aim of reducing adverse environmental impactsthroughout a product’s lifecycle. Moreover, the proposed way of implementing the LEAP was based on a ”Plan, Do, Check, Act” methodology from Product-Oriented Environmental Management Systems (POEMS). POEMS focus on a product’s environmental efficiency throughout its lifecycle, by a systematic integration of ecodesign in the company’s strategies and practices, and hence continual improvements. This way of implementation should be familiar to Kockums AB because the company is certified according to ISO 14001, where continual improvement of environmental performance is a key factor. The proposed LEAP includes tools, documents, and methods that are to be used in daily work and product development at Kockums AB. It is a step towards environmentally conscious design and enhanced environmental knowledge at Kockums AB. Additionally, as a result of the LEAP, the expectation is that environmental conscious mindsets of employees arise.
44

Kasta loss mot en hållbar framtid : En kvalitativ flerfallsstudie om hållbar produktutveckling i den svenska båtindustrin

Axelsson, Oskar, Örnstedt Björnbom, Nicklas January 2018 (has links)
Det är inte längre bara ekonomiska faktorer som bidrar till ett företags långsiktiga framgång, utan numera blir också sociala och miljömässiga faktorer allt mer påtagliga. För dagens moderna konsumenter blir hållbarhet ett mer centralt kriterium och allt fler anser att det är viktigt att företag arbetar aktivt med hållbarhetsfrågor. Produkter är en essentiell del i företags arbete med hållbarhet och de förväntas inte bara att skapa produkter som bidrar med nytt värde, utan de förväntas även göra detta på ett hållbart sätt. En övervägande del av produktens nivå av hållbarhet bestäms i produktutvecklingen, då dennes attribut i stort sett är fixerade när den är klar för produktionslinjen. Detta innebär att det är av central vikt att integrera hållbarhet redan i produktutvecklingen.   Denna studie kommer att fokusera på hållbar produktutveckling, där vi kommer ta en bred och okonventionell ansats genom att titta på designbeslut kopplat till produktlivscykeln, tillsammans med interna förutsättningar för utvecklingen av hållbara produkter, samt hållbara innovationer. Detta kommer sedan att appliceras i den svenska båtindustrin, vilket dels är en bransch vi är intresserade av och dels är en bransch där hållbarhet blir alltmer aktuellt. Det teoretiska ramverket är grundpelaren i studien och vår intention är att bidra med större förståelse för hur dessa teorier kan associeras med det som faktiskt sker i branschen idag. Vårt syfte är således att undersöka på vilket sätt och till vilken grad företag inom den svenska båtindustrin implementerar hållbarhet vid utvecklingen av nya båtar. Studien syftar vidare att fylla luckan gällande hållbar produktutveckling i den svenska båtindustrin, då detta är outforskat i dagsläget. Studien syftar även på att ge en mer sammansvetsad bild av hållbar produktutveckling och bidra med ett bredare perspektiv än enbart de individuella ämnesdelarna.    För att uppfylla syftet har vi genomfört en kvalitativ studie, där vi genom sex stycken djupgående semistrukturerade intervjuer med ledare av svenska båtföretag har skapat oss en god inblick i hållbarhetens roll vid utvecklingen av nya båtar. Studien har präglats av ett deduktivt angreppssätt där vi har varit teoridrivna, samt att vi subjektivt har försökt att tolka och förstå informanternas syn och ageranden gällande hållbar produktutveckling i branschen. För att analysera det empiriska materialet har en tematisk analys använts, och det resulterade i att våra tre huvudämnen även bildade de tre huvudtemana.    Utifrån studiens resultat kan vi konstatera att hållbarhet i dagsläget inte har en övervägande roll vid designen och utvecklingen av nya båtar inom den svenska båtindustrin. Vissa delar av produktlivscykeln ser ljusa ut från ett hållbarhetsperspektiv, men det finns mer att göra i framtiden för att cykeln ska vara fullt ut optimerad. Rådande interna förutsättningar finns det också ljusglimtar när det kommer till hållbarhetsaspekter, men även här finns det stor utvecklingspotential för framtiden. Företagens innovationsarbete när det gäller hållbarhet präglas till stor del av försiktighet, vilket förmodligen lämpar sig bäst för marknaden i dagsläget. Marknadskraven på hållbarhet förväntas dock öka i framtiden och i takt med att företagen ser det som en affärsmöjlighet kommer förändringar mycket troligt att ske i deras innovationsarbete.
45

Investigation of the Use of Ecodesign Methods and Tools in the Electrical and Electronics Industries of Thailand

Samuelsson, Erik January 2008 (has links)
<p>This investigation strives to determine the level of ecodesign awareness as well as to map the use of methods and tools for this concept in the electrical and electronics industries of Thailand.</p><p>The foundation of the thesis is eight semi-structured qualitative research interviews performed with various people at Thai organisations, an electronics manufacturer in Thailand, and experts from Swedish, Danish and Thai universities. The research method has yielded the following results:</p><p>The level of ecodesign awareness within the country is low, and so is the general level of environmental knowledge. The concept of Life Cycle thinking is mostly unknown, and at best used only to parts of its full potential. The ecodesign education is limited to basic courses at university level and much of the problems with the use of methods and tools for ecodesign can be traced to the lack of ecodesign knowledge amongst its presumptive users. Respondents of this research suggests that the ecodesign knowledge and awareness is significantly higher amongst larger companies with foreign connections than it is amongst Small and Medium sized Enterprises of Thailand, which often have no such contacts.</p><p>At present, efforts are being made to educate Thai companies in ecodesign through networking, seminars, workshops and student/expert internships. These endeavours have been arranged by various organizations with the aid from foreign experts and have resulted in successful ecodesign/redesign of products within Thailand.</p><p>Stakeholder demands such as cost-down or legislation compliance demands are the main driving forces for ecodesign in Thailand, and very few attempts at ecodesign for the pure benefit of the environment are being made.</p><p>Present trends suggest that the future of ecodesign in Thailand will include the finalisation of a Thai-RoHS directive and possibly further work on a Thai-WEEE directive as well.</p><p>As for Life Cycle thinking, practices of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are still basic, but some uses of such LCA tools as SimaPro and GaBi have been proven. Commercial LCA software licenses are considered expensive by most Thai companies and it has become common practice to utilize licenses bought by organisations instead of buying licenses for one’s own company. This results in high costs having to be carried by the organisations and diminishes investment possibilities in other ecodesign fields. At current, LCI data is being requested by companies and might lead to more work being made in this area in the future.</p><p>In conclusion, more effort needs to be put into education on all levels and the application of educational methods and tools is advised.</p><p> </p>
46

Investigation of the Use of Ecodesign Methods and Tools in the Electrical and Electronics Industries of Thailand

Samuelsson, Erik January 2008 (has links)
This investigation strives to determine the level of ecodesign awareness as well as to map the use of methods and tools for this concept in the electrical and electronics industries of Thailand. The foundation of the thesis is eight semi-structured qualitative research interviews performed with various people at Thai organisations, an electronics manufacturer in Thailand, and experts from Swedish, Danish and Thai universities. The research method has yielded the following results: The level of ecodesign awareness within the country is low, and so is the general level of environmental knowledge. The concept of Life Cycle thinking is mostly unknown, and at best used only to parts of its full potential. The ecodesign education is limited to basic courses at university level and much of the problems with the use of methods and tools for ecodesign can be traced to the lack of ecodesign knowledge amongst its presumptive users. Respondents of this research suggests that the ecodesign knowledge and awareness is significantly higher amongst larger companies with foreign connections than it is amongst Small and Medium sized Enterprises of Thailand, which often have no such contacts. At present, efforts are being made to educate Thai companies in ecodesign through networking, seminars, workshops and student/expert internships. These endeavours have been arranged by various organizations with the aid from foreign experts and have resulted in successful ecodesign/redesign of products within Thailand. Stakeholder demands such as cost-down or legislation compliance demands are the main driving forces for ecodesign in Thailand, and very few attempts at ecodesign for the pure benefit of the environment are being made. Present trends suggest that the future of ecodesign in Thailand will include the finalisation of a Thai-RoHS directive and possibly further work on a Thai-WEEE directive as well. As for Life Cycle thinking, practices of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are still basic, but some uses of such LCA tools as SimaPro and GaBi have been proven. Commercial LCA software licenses are considered expensive by most Thai companies and it has become common practice to utilize licenses bought by organisations instead of buying licenses for one’s own company. This results in high costs having to be carried by the organisations and diminishes investment possibilities in other ecodesign fields. At current, LCI data is being requested by companies and might lead to more work being made in this area in the future. In conclusion, more effort needs to be put into education on all levels and the application of educational methods and tools is advised.
47

從智慧財產權的觀點看台灣設計公司面臨的問題 / Challenges faced by Taiwan design houses: perspectives from intellectual property rights

葉咨甫, Yeh, Tzu Fu Unknown Date (has links)
「設計」應該是一種創造高附加價值的觀念,不過很可惜的是,在台灣的環境之下,很多的設計業者卻不得不和現實妥協、低頭,放棄當初投入設計的理想和初衷,來從事設計代工或接單(B TO B)等高度競爭的工作,儘管台灣的設計,在國際比賽中,贏得非常多的大獎,擁有很強的設計能力,和受到國際高度的肯定。不過,設計業者在環境的限制之下,仍然沒有辦法利用「設計」來創作高附加價值的作品,或賺取超額的收益及名聲。以拿下美國2009年Gen Art時裝大獎的設計師古又文曾經感慨得說:「我是被台灣這個產業,逼著我一定得出走,因為在這個環境中,如果我想要做我自己,想要做一個有創意,而不是拷貝人家創意的設計師,那幾乎是不可能的 。」 台灣的設計產業究竟出了什麼問題?智慧財產權的制度,又扮演著什麼樣的角色呢?本研究將從設計產業、智慧財產權以及集體管理組織的概念,來討論台灣設計產業所遭遇到的問題與困難,並試圖找尋出一個解決的方案。 在經過一連串的分析以及資料的統整之後,本研究認為台灣設計產業最大的問題有3項,第一,台灣的設計產業以中小型企業為主,競爭激烈,缺乏資金和資源,也無力拓展海外市場和經營品牌;第二,在台灣的設計產業之中,創新的價值,很難轉換到品牌或者商標之上,因此消費者不易分辨原創作品與仿冒商品之差異;第三,市場上缺乏穩健而且可靠的通路系統,設計業者很難將創作商品,在市場上換取收益,並獲得充足的資金來支持其後續的開發和創作。 本研究提出「設計品牌經紀商」的概念,希望能夠解決目前設計產業面臨的交易成本過高,以及中小型設計業者面臨「心有餘而力不足」的問題,如果依照智慧財產權整合的概念,這種類似集體管理團體的組織在達到一定的規模後,可以發揮類似保險公司分散風險的經濟模式,同時也具備了提高談判和議價能力,以及達到降低買賣雙方搜尋成本的好處。 / Design should be a concept of creating value added. However, in Taiwan, many designers are forced to compromise with the reality, doing high competitive jobs like B to B(business-to-business) instead of following their aspirations. Despite the fact that Taiwanese designers have won many international prizes and that their designing abilities have been highly recognized in the world, they are still unable to use “design” to create high value added works, make profits, and gain popularity out of it. Ku Yu-Wen, the designer who won the 2009 Gen Art Prize in the U.S., once said, “I was forced to leave because of this industry in Taiwan. In this environment, it’s almost impossible to be myself, be a creative designer who doesn’t copy.” What problems are we facing in Taiwan’s design industry? What role should the IP policy take? In this research, we will go through the concepts of design industry, intellectual property and collective management organizations, discuss the problems and difficulties faced in Taiwan, and work on a possible solution. After a series of data analysis, the research concludes that Taiwan’s design industry are facing three main problems: First, Taiwan’s design industry is composed of small companies, which are constantly competitive, lack capital and resources, and are unable to expand markets oversea or invest in brand management. Second, in Taiwan’s design industry, it’s difficult to transfer the value of innovation into the brand or the trade mark; therefore, customers are often unable to distinguish the genuine products from the couterfeits. Third, the market lacks stable and reliable marketing channels. It’s difficult for designers to make profits from their works and gain sufficient capital to support their following works. To solve these problems, the research proposes the concept of “designer brands broker” in hopes of lowering the transaction cost and helping those willing but unable designers. Like the integration of intellectual property, when reaching a certain scale, this kind of collective management organizations can help to diversification risk like an insurance company. Furthermore, it can help to increase designers’ negotiating ability and decrease the search cost for both the seller and the buyer.
48

A plan-do-check-act framework for WEEE and RoHS : a model for implementing WEEE and RoHS by integrating eco-design factors and activities into business operation and strategy.

El-Gomla, Randa A.M. January 2011 (has links)
Eco-design is relatively new and fast growing field of research due to its vital importance to the manufacturing industry and its related environmental issues such as reducing waste, and CO2 emission. A major EU programme relating to the environment is the waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. The (WEEE) directive specifies ten categories and a voltage range which is up to 1.000 volts AC or 1.500volts DC. The developed framework came for the implementation of Eco-design principles that helps to take into account the adaption of the (WEEE) directive and the restriction of hazard substances (RoHS) used in electrical and electronic equipments. As a result of identify gaps and needs such as a lack of a comprehensive Eco-design framework and the need to integrate it to the normal business operation. In this research the PDCA framework for Eco-design and WEEE directive will be discussed. The framework will encompass all of the Eco-design¿s implementation and integration factors and activities such as WEEE and RoHS directives, Eco-design management, Environmental legislations, Eco-design tools and considerations. The literature review covers the topic of Eco-design¿s related issues, and WEEE and RoHS directives rules. Based on comprehensive questionnaire survey of Eco-design, WEEE and RoHS issues and activities among a sample of environmentally aware companies, statistical analysis is carried out using SPSS software. Then the findings of the survey triangulated with the findings of the literature review formed the basis of the design and implementation plan of the proposed framework

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