Life cycle simulation system as an evaluation platform for multitiered circular manufacturing systems

A life cycle simulation (LCS) is a powerful tool for evaluating the life cycle scenarios of circular manufacturing. Although many LCSs have been developed so far, they were specific to particular scenarios and products. Therefore, we developed a general-purpose LCS system that can be used to evaluate various life cycle scenarios including multiple circulation paths such as closed-loop and cascade reuse and recycling. This system is useful for developing effective circular manufacturing systems with proper life cycle options. We applied it to a closed-loop and cascade reuse of lithium-ion batteries of electric vehicles in order to demonstrate its effectiveness. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of CIRP.