Exploiting integrated product' & 'life-phase' features

Increasing competition requires more and more effort in delivering new products with better prices, good quality and environment savings. In this scenario, since most of the cost and product characteristics are dependent on commitments taken at the early design stages, designers require tools supporting them at considering the consequences of their decisions on the whole product life-cycle, starting from the conceptual design stage to the disposal phase. The adoption of such tools may enforce the exploration of different alternatives thus increasing the possibility of identifying the most convenient and innovative solution. Form features have been recognized as shape-oriented elements for associating geometry with engineering meaning, thus helping in reasoning on products in functional terms. However as argued in this paper, information on shape alone is insufficient for meaningful evaluation and forecast of life-cycle product consequences. The paper presents an approach for considering 'life-cycle consequences' during the design decision process, by taking into account both artefact features and the characteristics of the involved life-cycle systems.