Quality Life Cycle Assessment in Sustainable Product Development

This groundbreaking book introduces the Quality Life Cycle Assessment (QLCA) model - a novel approach that integrates product quality assessment and life cycle assessment (LCA) in sustainable manufacturing.

By incorporating environmental criteria alongside quality considerations during the virtual prototyping phase, the QLCA model revolutionizes decision-making for sustainable product development. This bookbridges the gap between product improvement and LCA application, addressing the critical need for sustainability in modern manufacturing. Leveraging digital technologies such as Big Data, Data Analytics, and Digital Twin, thisbook demonstrates how to construct virtual product models with comprehensive LCA integration. The QLCA model, particularly suited for smart factories, supports innovation and informed decision-making in sustainable product development.

Aimed at students, research and development managers, and engineers, this volume offers practical guidance on balancing customer satisfaction with environmental impact throughout a product’s life cycle. By elucidating the application of LCA in product life cycle assessment and its combination with quality considerations during prototyping, this book provides invaluable insights for practitioners navigating the complexities of sustainable manufacturing in the digital age.

Bożena Gajdzik is an associate professor at the Department of Industrial Informatics at the Silesian University of Technology, Poland. For over 20 years she has been dealing with the economics of business entities, including market and its participants. She is on the list of Stanford - ranking World’s Top 2% Scientists.

Radoslaw Wolniak is a full professor at the Department of Economics and Informatics at the Silesian University of Technology (Poland). For over two decades he has been dealing with the issues of quality management, including Industry 4.0.

Remigiusz Gawlik is Associate Professor at the Institute of Public Policy and Administration, Krakow University of Economics (Krakow, Poland) and Extraordinary Associate Professor at North-West University Business School (Potchefstroom, South Africa). He was a member of the Editorial Team of the scientific journal Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review (2013-2021).

Dominika Siwiec has a PhD in Machine Construction and Operation at the Faculty of Machine Construction and Aviation of the Rzeszów University of Technology, where she is part of the faculty in the Department of Machine Technology and Production Engineering.

Andrzej Pacana is Professor of the Rzeszów University of Technology and vice-dean for education at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Aviation of the Rzeszów University of Technology.