Eco-material selection assisted with decision-making tools, guided by product's attributes; Functionality and manufacturability

This study proposes an eco-material selection approach assisted with decision-making tools namely; analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and quality function deployment (QFD). The study derives the material selection indices for an automobile's structural and closure panels based on each panel; manufacturability, functionality requirements (load bearing characteristics). Additionally, two constraints are mainly defined; the cost (economic aspect) and the environmental impact (using embodied energy and recyclability). The decision-making tools prioritise the derived metrics based on current original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) perspective. The developed approach is then applied to rank different lightweight material options for vehicular panels. This study has the potential to present a balanced scheme between technological, economic and ecological aspects of automotive body-in-white (BIW) design, and to be implemented in a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study.