Explaining how Design for the Environment (DFE) and Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) processes may be integrated into business and manufacturing practices, this reference/text examines major environmental laws and regulations in the U.S. and Europe, qualitative and quantitative analyses of "green design" decision variables, and heuristic search programs for a proactive future in ecological improvement.

Contains real results from companies that have implemented environmental approaches to product and packaging materials, development, and waste prevention!

Assessing numerous proposals for ecodesign from industry, academia, and the government, by authors from the U.S., The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden, the Mechanical Life Cycle Handbook

• emphasizes the minimization of life cycle costs, including end-of-life costs
• evaluates products using Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and the Threshold Inventory Interpretation Method (TIIM)
• reviews environmentally friendly design options for the automobile industry, consumer electronics, appliances, and packaging design
• considers materials, processes, marketing needs, and computer support, as well as ISO 14000 standards
• and more!

Offering over 900 key references, drawings, photographs, and tables, the Mechanical Life Cycle Handbook is a broad-based, on-the-job guide for mechanical, cost, electrical, electronics, biomedical, chemical, aeronautical, industrial, materials, automotive, design, project, and manufacturing engineers; product designers, planners, and managers; and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in these disciplines.