Design of experiments framework for performance and environmental assessment in automotive context

Environmental sustainability is a crucial topic in the mobility industry, where manufacturers face severe legislative requirements to reduce cars' environmental impacts. To address this, the paper presents a novel assessment approach for life-cycle emissions that aids designers in developing environmentally sustainable automotive products without compromising performance. The method compares different alternatives regarding materials, processes, and geometric parameters from both the performance and environmental perspectives. A Design of Experiments study is conducted to calculate specific objective indicators that indicate improvements or worsening in the design alternative. The Finite Element Method is used to simulate mechanical performance, the Life Cycle Assessment methodology is applied to evaluate the environmental impact of alternatives. An exterior roof component is used as exemplary study, and the most promising alternatives are classified using an aggregated score combining performance and environmental objectives. Additional load cases are used to ensure the suitability of these solutions.