Is it possible to evaluate the recovery potential earlier in the design process? Proposal of a qualitative evaluation tool

Abstract

Further to the French Framework Agreement (1993) and to the EC Directive (2002) concerning the recovery of vehicles, PSA Peugeot Citroën has developed a design for recovery methodology. In 1999, we also developed a successful quantitative evaluation tool (recovery potential of a function [RPF]) and a base of rules (Precorec) that allow one to improve the recycling rate of parts or subassemblies of the vehicle. However, this RPF tool needs detailed and complete information: thus, it could only be used near the end of the design process when the improvement potential is low. This study has shown the necessity to create another tool allowing us to evaluate the capacity of a function to be recovered (recycling, reuse, energy recovery, etc.) from the first design step of a new vehicle. This article presents the definition, development and validation of this qualitative evaluation tool for the recovery potential of an element.