Proposal of a Model for Life Cycle Simulation and
Optimization of Industrial Equipment
Valerio Contaldo, Daniele Cerri, Marco Garetti
Department of Management, Economics and Industrial
Engineering
Politecnico di Milano
Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
valerio.contaldo@mail.polimi.it, daniele.cerri@polimi.it,
marco.garetti@polimi.it
Abstract The transformation of advanced industries from a
resource intensive to a sustainable knowledge-based industrial
environment is a focal objective of the Western countries and
institutions. If on the one hand Life Cycle Simulation (LCS) can
be seen as a new approach for supporting designers and engi-
neers in their work for creating optimized and sustainable solu-
tions, on the other hand an in-depth review of the state of the art
has revealed how LCS system developed so far have been specific
to particular research purposes and had limited functions. The
present paper proposes a model to simulate and optimize life
cycle costs and environmental impacts of industrial equipment:
simulation is implemented by means of Discrete Event Simulation
(DES), while a genetic algorithm performs optimization.
KeywordsLife Cycle Simulation; optimization; Discrete Event
Simulation; genetic algorithm
I. INTRODUCTION
The increased relevance of the life cycle perspective in
modern society calls for more sustainable approaches to de-
sign, engineer and construct everyday products [1]. To respond
to such a need, designers and engineers may have access to
new methods and tools that are able to integrate the life cycle
perspective in a proper way. In such a context, Life Cycle Si-
mulation (LCS) could play a relevant role for engineering the
life cycle of a product and for testing and anticipating the im-
pacts of designers' choices over the entire life cycle. LCS sys-
tems developed so far have been specific to particular research
purposes and had limited functions. In fact, considering the
industrial product as a consumer product (e.g. a car, a fridge, a
laptop, a mobile phone, etc.), those works are usually limited to
specific industrial sectors. Instead, when considering the indus-
trial product as an industrial equipment (e.g. a production line,
a chemical reactor, an assembly line, etc.) the life cycle man-
agement approach called Asset Life cycle Management
(ALM) is not yet supported by simulation environments
able to address that holistic point of view that should character-
ize the life cycle perspective.
In most application cases the ultimate aim of a life cycle
analysis is finding a particular set of input parameters (e.g. the
modular configuration of a product, the stations of a production
line, etc.) that allows to minimize/maximize a given objective
function (e.g. life cycle costs and/or environmental impacts). In
978-1-4799-4735-5/14/$31.00 2014IEEE.
Sergio Terzi
Department of Industrial Engineering
Universit degli Studi di Bergamo
Viale Marconi 5, 24044, Dalmine (Bergamo), Italy
sergio.terzi@unibg.it
such a context, it is easy to realize how this aim can be
achieved by making use of simulation-based optimization:
simulation permits to cover the whole life cycle perspective,
while optimization ensures that final results in terms of
input parameters denote the selection of best elements (with
regard to some criteria specified in the objective function) from
some set of available alternatives. Nevertheless, also consider-
ing those works that implement a combined simulation-
optimization approach, we can draw conclusions similar to the
ones regarding LCS systems developed so far: they are usually
limited to specific industrial sectors and mainly deal with the
optimization of the modular structure of a product, while indus-
trial equipment have not yet been studied from a combined
simulation-optimization perspective.
Hence, the research objective is to introduce a new ap-
proach hereafter called simulation and optimization ap-
proach for supporting product developers in their work for
creating optimized and sustainable solutions, by developing a
software simulation environment in which they can test and
anticipate the impacts of their choices over the entire life cycle
of a product. A combined simulation-optimization approach
will allow product developers to choose the best product alter-
native in the early design stages, providing them a long-term
view over all possible costs and environmental impacts that the
product will have to face during its life cycle. In particular, we
propose a model to simulate and optimize life cycle costs and
environmental impacts of industrial equipment: the life cycle
behavior of a station is simulated by means of Discrete Event
Simulation (DES). Then, allowing the user to replicate the
station model an arbitrary number of times, it is possible to
create the model of any industrial equipment (e.g. an assembly
line or a production line) and simulate its costs and environ-
mental impacts from a life cycle perspective. Optimization by
means of genetic algorithm is also implemented to identify the
values of each station's input parameters which permit to mi-
nimize a suitable objective function: processing simulation
outputs in an iterative way, the optimization method eventually
finds the optimal line configuration, i.e. the configuration
that allows to minimize life cycle costs and/or environmental
impacts. The implementation of this model is realized taking
advantage of the potentialities provided by MATLAB and
Simulink: in such a way it is possible to make use of one
single software tool Simulink is integrated with MATLAB
 to combine optimization with simulation. Such a tool is TABLE I. LCS AND OPTIMIZATION
expected to be used during the early stages of the detailed de- Author Optimization method LCS method
sign, i.e. when the overall system configuration and the plant Brunet [7] Simplex algorithm DES
layout have been already defined, while the detailed configu- Hasan [8] GenOpt DES
ration of each station forming the equipment is yet to be deter- Hong [9] Optimization by means of MCS MCS
mined. Komoto [10] Genetic algorithm DS
Nonomura [11] Genetic algorithm DS
The paper is organized as follows: Section II discusses a Sakai [12] Genetic algorithm n.s.
state of the art review of existing solutions implementing a Shu [13] Genetic algorithm MCS
combined simulation and optimization approach; in Section III Umeda [14] Genetic algorithm DES
the model to simulate and optimize life cycle costs and envi- Yamada [15] Genetic algorithm n.s.
ronmental impacts of industrial equipment is described. Section
IV concludes the paper. In Table I, a list of papers providing an optimized LCS is pre-
sented n.s. stands for not specified. Brunet et al. [7] describe
II. STATE OF THE ART ANALYSIS a computational approach for the simultaneous minimization of
the total cost and environmental impact of thermodynamic
According to [1], product life cycle management and analy-
cycles. Their method combines process simulation, multi-
sis is a well-known concept in the relevant literature. Methods
objective optimization and life cycle assessment within a uni-
for measuring and assessing the life cycle dimension of a prod-
fied framework that identifies in a systematic manner optimal
uct were created years ago see [2] for Life Cycle Assess-
design and operating conditions according to several economic
ment (LCA) and [3] for Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis. These
and environmental issues. Optimization is performed by means
well-known methodologies are the basis of the life cycle design
of the Simplex algorithm. Hasan [8] achieves minimization of
approach; they are used for conducting deep analysis of the
life cycle costs for a single family detached house by combined
different stages of product life cycle, accumulating knowledge
simulation and optimization; the GenOpt [9] optimization
and defining different life cycle scenarios. Simulation has ac-
program is used to find optimized values of five selected de-
quired an important role along the life cycle design phase be-
sign variables in the building construction and HVAC (Heat-
cause it provides tools for evaluating the performances of a
ing, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system. Verification of
system in virtual environments. Business process simulations
the GenOpt results is made by comparison with results from
have been extensively studied in the past and many techniques
a brute-force search method, which indicates that GenOpt has
and tools currently exist. As already introduced, Life Cycle
found, or has come very close to, the global minimum in the
Simulation [4] is a method to evaluate the performances of life
current study. Hong et al. [10] develop an analytical model that
cycles (e.g. life cycle costs and environmental impacts) for
would allow assessment of the optimal life cycle cost of FRP
design and planning of life cycles based on simulation metho-
bride deck panels at different discount factors (interest rates)
dologies. The earliest versions of LCS were proposed by Shu et
through Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) using Crystal Ball.
al. [5] and Johansen et al. [6]. In the relevant literature there are
Komoto [11] proposes a method for OEMs (original equipment
many references directly related to LCS: in the remainder of
manufacturers) to model, simulate, and optimize their supply
this section we draw attention to those works that implement a
chain operations considering their end-of-life operations. The
combined simulation and optimization approach. The main
optimization program implemented on the system is based on
reason for conducting such classification is the added value of
the multi-objective genetic algorithm developed by Fonseca
an optimized processing of simulation outputs: in fact, in most
and Fleming [12]. Nonomura [13] introduces a methodology
application cases the ultimate aim of a life cycle analysis is
for configuring modular products and planning its product life
finding a particular set of input parameters (e.g. the modular
cycles at the conceptual design stage by simulating their life
configuration of a product, the stations of a production line,
cycle models. The authors also developed a life cycle optimizer
etc.) that allows to minimize/maximize a given objective func-
to optimize the modular structure of a product, by means of a
tion (e.g. life cycle costs and/or environmental impacts). In
genetic algorithm. Sakai et al. [14] describe a product life
such a context, it is easy to understand how this aim can be
cycle design approach based on product life control and a
achieved by making use of simulation-based optimization:
product life cycle design support system using LCS and opti-
simulation permits to cover the whole life cycle perspective,
mization; the life cycle optimizer optimizes both parameter
while optimization ensures that final results in terms of
values in the target life cycle model and modular structure of
input parameters denote the selection of best elements (with
the design object, by using the genetic algorithm technique.
regard to some criteria specified in the objective function) from
Shu [15] outlines and experimentally verifies a probability-
some set of available alternatives. This approach contrasts with
based reliability model that describes the effect of remanufac-
the trial and error method, characterized by repeated, varied
ture on the reliability of parts and systems; this model is com-
attempts which are continued until success, or until the design-
bined with other life cycle cost models so that manufacture and
er stops trying. In fact, being unsystematic by nature, this me-
assembly, remanufacture, maintenance, and scrap-material
thod is unsuitable to cope with the typical complexity of LCS
recycling costs can be considered simultaneously. The reliabili-
problem. Making use of computational optimization tech-
ty-based remanufacturing life cycle cost model was linked to a
niques, instead, allows to reduce calculation efforts and taking
genetic algorithm-based search methodology to optimize both
advantage of numerical analysis to search the best available
joint design for re-manufacturability and replacement policy
solution.
decisions subject to life cycle cost goals. Umeda et al. [4] pro-
pose a life cycle simulator able to virtually simulate stochastic
behavior of components' lifetime distribution, while an optimi-
zation method based on genetic algorithm helps to determine
design parameter values. Yamada [16] develops a method for
optimizing the operating conditions of industrial robots in order
to improve their reliability, as a part of facility life cycle man-
agement based on life cycle simulation of the robot. By means
of hybrid genetic algorithm which combines genetic algo-
rithm and simulated annealing a layout of the robot and
velocity patterns are optimized so as to minimize deterioration
of the joint gear, while maintaining a constant total execution
time for the operation.
III. PROPOSED MODEL
The proposed model allows to simulate and optimize life
cycle costs and environmental impacts of an industrial equip-
ment during the early stages of the detailed design. In particu-
lar, the life cycle behavior of a station is simulated by means of
DES. Therefore, allowing the user to replicate the station mod-
el an arbitrary number of times, it is possible to create the mod-
el of any industrial equipment (e.g. an assembly line or a pro-
duction line) and simulate its costs and environmental impacts
from a life cycle perspective. Optimization by means of genetic
algorithm is also implemented to identify the values of each
station's input parameters which permit to minimize a suitable
objective function: processing simulation outputs in an iterative
way, the optimization method eventually finds the optimal
line configuration. As already introduced, adopting simulation-
based optimization allows to get significant information during
the early design stages: simulation permits to cover the whole
life cycle perspective, while optimization ensures that final
results in terms of input parameters denote the selection
of best elements (with regard to some criteria specified in the
objective function) from some set of available alternatives.
Here we provide reasons for the choice of Simulink and
MATLAB as the reference tools for the implementation of
DES and optimization, respectively. In particular, we made use
Fig. 1. Station block and its mask: SimEvents block that implements the LCS of an industrial equipments station.
of SimEvents which provides a discrete event simulation
engine and component library for Simulink and of the
Global Optimization Toolbox which provides methods that
search for global solutions to problems that contain multiple
maxima or minima.
Existing tools: MATLAB makes available a huge
number of ready-to-use functions and toolboxes
from linear algebra and statistics to optimization and re-
sults visualization so that the user can really focus on
what he wants to program, not how to program it. Also
Simulink (i.e. MATLAB block diagram environment
for multi-domain simulation and Model-Based Design)
is provided with a set of toolboxes from event-based
modeling to signal processing and debugging that al-
low to effectively reproduce the behavior of the mod-
eled system.
Tools integration: Simulink thus SimEvents too
is totally integrated with MATLAB, enabling the user to
incorporate MATLAB algorithms into models and ex-
port simulation results to MATLAB for further analys-
es. It is possible to manipulate the inputs, analyze statis-
tics, create visualizations of the data or optimize the da-
ta easily by controlling and sending information from
the model to MATLAB.
Documentation and community: documentation is
easy to understand and very quick to access, so that it is
(almost) no effort for the user learning to properly use a
new toolbox and to integrate its functionality into the
model. Moreover, there is a large community of users
who share numerical codes and solutions of common
problems.
A. Model description
In Fig. 1 the outward appearance of the station block is
presented, i.e. the SimEvents block that implements the simula-
tion of the life cycle behavior of a manufacturing plant's sta-
tion. In the right side of the block it is possible to recognize the
output ports that allow to extract the signals generated within
the block. In such a way these output signals are made availa-
ble for visualization and post-processing analysis. This custom
block, once put in a library, can be replicated an arbitrary num-
ber of times in a new Simulink model, allowing to create a
model for any industrial equipment. Particular attention has
been paid to realize an in depth modeling of the station's main-
tainability: as explained in [17], at equipment and system level,
maintainability has a great influence on reliability and availa-
bility; it is thus an important parameter in the optimization of
availability and life cycle costs. Therefore, it comes
straightforward that one of the main purposes this LCS model
is aiming at is providing a tool for easy assessment of the im-
pacts of choices taken early in the design phase in particular
the user is allowed to choose between different maintenance
strategies and to simulate the resulting station's reliability be-
havior, getting a long-term view over their implications in
terms of both reliability and costs.
B. Modeling reliability behavior and maintenance strategies
Making reference to Fig.2, two Time-Based Entity
Generator blocks generate entities i.e. failures and re-
quests for preventive maintenance, respectively using inter-
generation times that satisfy criteria specified by the user. The
intergeneration time is the time interval between two succes-
sive generation events: failures generation is implemented
using intergeneration times from a Weibull or exponential dis-
tribution depending on what part of the bathtub curve has
been modeled, e.g. exponential distribution is used to represent
the useful life of components. Thus, making reference to
basic concepts and definitions used in reliability engineering,
each intergeneration time represents TTF (time to failure) or
TBF (time between failures) when considering as-good-as new
after repair repairable items. Requests for preventive mainten-
ance follow a constant distribution i.e. the block generates a
request for preventive maintenance making use of a constant
intergeneration time, equal to Tprev.
Fig. 2. Logical scheme on which the SimEvents has been based. The dashed lines represent the information flow between blocks.
Failures and requests for preventive maintenance are
processed by two Single Server blocks: each of these
blocks serves its respective entity for a period of time, and then
attempts to output the entity through the out port. Service
times, which represent the duration of service, are here as-
sumed to come from a lognormal distribution, therefore they
represent TTR (time to repair) and TTPM (time to preventive
maintenance), respectively. A series of Enabled Gate
blocks has been positioned between each entity generator block
and its corresponding server block. We made use of gates to
create periods of unavailability of the Single Server
blocks, so that an entity (a failure or a request for preventive
maintenance) cannot be generated while another entity (a fail-
ure or a request for preventive maintenance) is being processed
by one of the two servers. This allows to couple corrective
and preventive maintenance (they are carried out on the same
item) and reflects the behavior of any real equipment. Making
use of such a device guarantees that the processing of failures
and requests for preventive maintenance is correctly modeled.
By properly setting the Enabled Gate blocks and defin-
ing two flag variables it is possible to simulate the execution of
different preventive maintenance strategies:
Age-based preventive maintenance: preventive main-
tenance is carried out only if a time interval equal to
Tprev has passed since the completion of the last main-
tenance action (corrective or preventive);
Date-based preventive maintenance: preventive ac-
tions are scheduled to be performed at a constant prede-
termined interval, equal to Tprev, even if a corrective ac-
tion has been just completed.
Preventive maintenance can be scheduled during available time
or when the equipment is not supposed to be available for pro-
duction.
C. Modeling life cycle costs
The following expression concisely summarizes how costs
incurred during the station's life cycle can be taken into account
when addressing the LCS approach:
where it should be firstly noticed that the calculation has been
made with consideration for the time value of money i.e.
summarizing LCC results in net present value (NPV) format,
considering depreciation, taxes and the opportunity cost of
capital; N is the total number of simulation years i.e. the
LCS horizon and br is the discount rate that allows to eva-
luate the opportunity cost of capital, i.e. the rate of return that
could be earned on an investment in the financial markets with
a similar risk. The terms of the equation represent, respectively,
acquisition cost, corrective maintenance cost, preventive main-
tenance cost, electric energy cost, air cost, labor cost, spare
parts cost, labor cost, consumables cost, and decommissioning
cost. These cost items have been defined distinguishing be-
tween static life cycle costs Cin, Clab, Ccon, Cdec and dy-
namic life cycle costs: static costs represent the sum of those
items not affected by DES, while dynamic costs can be consi-
dered as the value added by addressing a LCS approach. In fact
Cmc, Cmp, Cen, Cair, and Csp i.e. dynamic cost items are
evaluated making use of the output signals generated by the
simulation: in such a way their value effectively takes into
account a life cycle perspective, since those signals directly
come from the analysis of the station's reliability behavior over
its entire life cycle.
As an example of dynamic cost, the corrective maintenance
cost can be evaluated making use of the output signals generat-
ed by those blocks that analyze the reliability behavior of the
station:
(2)
where Nf is the total number of corrective actions performed
during the k-th simulation year, TTRi is the time to repair of the
i-th corrective action, hmc is the hourly maintainer cost and np
is the average number of maintainers involved in corrective
actions.
D. Modeling Environmental impacts
The following equation allows to evaluate the stations en-
vironmental impacts (EI):
(3)
where EIst provides information about the environmental im-
pacts directly related to the physical production of the sta-
tion, i.e. it allows to estimate what impacts the manufacturing
of station's components had on the environment. In a way simi-
lar to how we defined the station's acquisition cost, EIst is eva-
luated once and for all at the beginning of the life cycle, thus its
value is not affected by simulation. In determining the indicator
for the production of materials all the processes are included
from the extraction of the raw materials up to and including the
last production stage, resulting in bulk material; in particular
we made reference to the framework developed within the Eco-
indicator99 method [18].
EIen allows to take into account environmental impacts
caused by electric energy consumption. Following the same
approach adopted to evaluate the electric energy cost, EIen is
here evaluated making use of the output signals generated by
the simulation.
It must be said that the model here proposed does not claim
to be complete: we simply provide a framework for the easy
evaluation of station's environmental impacts, making the best
use of simulation outputs. Combining the practicality of the
Eco-99 system and the potentialities of reliability behavior's
simulation, it is possible to create a LCA model that allows to
properly evaluate different consumption thus different envi-
ronmental impacts occurred during different station's func-
tioning states (i.e. during normal operational functioning or
during maintenance).
E. Optimization of simulation outputs
The genetic algorithm can be applied to solve a variety of
optimization problems that are not well suited for standard
optimization algorithms. In particular, the genetic algorithm of
the MATLAB Global Optimization Toolbox can address prob-
lems of mixed integer programming, where some components
are restricted to be integer-valued. Since in our model the op-
timization aims to identify the optimal line configuration and
each station forming the equipment is provided with a set of
finite alternatives (i.e. an integer-valued number of alterna-
tives), the genetic algorithm particularly fits the implementa-
tion of the proposed simulation and optimization approach.
The algorithm solves optimization problems by repeatedly
modifying a population of individual points: in our case each
individual represents one specific line configuration, i.e. the
selection of one alternative for each station forming the equip-
ment. Fig.3 illustrates how simulation is integrated with opti-
mization, allowing to understand how the simulation and op-
timization approach is implemented:
1. The genetic algorithm creates a new individual by set-
ting values for its variables. Making reference to our
model, these values represent the number of the se-
lected alternative of each station forming the line. For
instance, denoting with X the vector whose length is
the number of variables in the problem (i.e. the number
of stations), X = (3,1, , 7) is an individual: the first
station is identified by the third corresponding alterna-
tive, the second station by the first alternative and so
on.
 Fig. 3. Framework of the simulation and optimization approach.
2. Actually, the algorithm handles each of these values as
an array index, i.e. an integer pointer that identifies an
element of an array data structure. In our case, the in-
dex allows to extract data from an input database (e.g.
an Excel spreadsheet), where numerical values of the
input parameters of all available station alternatives are
stored this database represents the connection be-
tween the Maintenance Information System and the
simulation environment
3. Once the input variables of each station block are de-
fined, the algorithm runs simulation.
4. The genetic algorithm then processes simulation out-
puts LCC and environmental impacts of each sta-
tion and scores the current individual by computing
its fitness function (i.e. its objective function).
The simulation will be repeated over and over, using differ-
ent alternatives for each station (i.e. generating new individu-
als) until the algorithm converges to an optimal solution. The
optimal solution is defined as the one which minimizes a suita-
ble objective function.
Fig. 4. Station code and corresponding station alternatives.
F. Case study
The model developed and described in the previous para-
graph has been applied to a real case study: we have per-
formed the LCS of an engine assembly line. In particular, we
have considered a fraction of the line composed by five sta-
tions. As shown in Fig.4, each station forming the analyzed
assembly line has been actually provided with a set of availa-
ble alternatives: we have considered 16 station alternatives (2
alternatives for the first station, 4 alternatives for the second
station, and so on, where aut, saut and man stand for
automatic, semi-automatic and manual, respectively), but the
set of available alternatives to be evaluated during the optimi-
zation can be easily extended. Taking up the definitions of
Cartesian product and cardinality, since the line is formed by
5 stations and the number of alternatives each station is pro-
vided with is known, the number of available line alternatives
can be evaluated as follows:
(4)
 The aim of the analysis has been finding the optimal line
configuration or line alternative, i.e. the one that minimizes
life cycle costs or environmental impacts. In Fig.5 results are
presented. From an economical point of view, the optimal
line configuration is the one that minimizes life cycle costs,
therefore we have performed a single-objective optimization:
(5)
where LCCs represents the LCC of each of the 5 stations form-
ing the analyzed line see (1). The first graph of Fig.5 shows
the convergence of the genetic algorithm to the optimal solu-
tion; the algorithm stopped according to the selected stopping
condition, i.e. on the basis of the evaluation of the weighted
average relative change in the fitness function value. The
second graph provides the vector entries of the individual with
the best fitness function value, i.e. the number of the selected
alternative of each station forming the line.
Results have been validated and the model has been re-
garded as an interesting support tool during the early stages of
the detailed design.
Fig. 5. Results of the simulation and optimization approach.
IV. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
A. Overview
The increased relevance of the life cycle perspective in
modern society calls for more sustainable approaches to de-
sign, engineer and construct everyday products and related
services. To respond to such a need, designers and engineers
may have access to new methods and tools that are able to
integrate the life cycle perspective in a proper way. In this
work LCS and optimization are implemented together, thus
providing a new approach called simulation and optimiza-
tion approach for supporting product developers in the
early design stages.
In particular, when considering the industrial product as an
industrial equipment (e.g. a production line, a chemical reactor,
an assembly line, etc.) the life cycle management approach
often called Asset Lifecycle Management is not yet sup-
ported by simulation environments able to address that holistic
point of view that should characterize the life cycle perspec-
tive. Thus, this research seeks to cover this gap in the state of
the art, providing a tool that, by analyzing the virtual behavior
of an asset during its life cycle, could help product developers
and service designers in their work for creating optimized and
sustainable solutions.
 Given this background, it can be understood how the devel-
oped simulation environment represents a contribution to the
current state of the art, in fact:
1. The simulation module allows to simulate the life
cycle behavior of any industrial equipment, providing
information about its life cycle costs and environmen-
tal impacts.
2. The optimization module is responsible for finding the
best solution from some set of available design alter-
natives. Simulation is integrated with optimization,
thus allowing to select the optimal line configura-
tion, i.e. the configuration that minimizes life cycle
costs and/or environmental impacts.
3. The solution here proposed takes advantage of the po-
tentialities provided by MATLAB and Simulink: in
such a way it is possible to make use of one single
software tool Simulink is integrated with
MATLAB to combine optimization with simula-
tion. This approach allows to fill another gap in the
state of the art, where, given the great span and com-
plexity of the overall problem, the task has been sel-
dom undertaken using a single software. In fact, much
more frequently, the authors used specific simulation
tools, simplifying the modeling phase to the detriment
of scalability and flexibility properties.
On the other hand, it should be said that the simulation
tool is supposed to be used by acquainted and conscious
designers: the problem definition can be properly tackled
only when the analyst has a good knowledge of the
processes and phenomena he/she is modeling e.g. relia-
bility behavior, maintenance strategies, etc. Moreover, as
already explained, it must be remarked that the model for
the evaluation of environmental impacts does not claim to
be complete, thus there is space for further improvements.
B. Future work
Eventually we list some proposal for further developments
and future applications of the model previously described:
Implementing a maintenance strategy optimization
module that would allow the user to identify the optimal
preventive interval Tprev, i.e. the optimal replacement in-
terval which minimizes the total expected maintenance
cost or maximizes the availability of the equipment.
The proposed simulation environment is supposed to be
applied during the early stages of the detailed design,
i.e. when the overall system configuration and the plant
layout have been already defined during the preliminary
design. It could be worthwhile trying to integrate this
combined simulation-optimization tool with other soft-
ware used to define the early equipment configuration.
This research work aims to develop a combined simula-
tion-optimization environment for supporting engineers
during the early design stages of an industrial equip-
ment. Nevertheless, given the way itself the model was
conceived and built, there is scope to apply it to the
analysis of consumer products too e.g. a car, a
fridge, a laptop, a mobile phone, etc. In particular, the
station block could be easily adjusted to implement
the LCS of modular products.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was partly funded by the European Commission
through the Linked Design Project (FP7-2011-NMP-ICT-FoF,
http://www.linkeddesign.eu/). The authors wish to acknowl-
edge their gratitude and appreciation to the rest of the project
partners for their contributions during the development of vari-
ous ideas and concepts presented in this paper.
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