LAUSR

Abstract The global demand for raw materials is increasing consistently in the modern world such that a resource efficient handling becomes more and more important in today’s manufacturing processes. Therefore, re-manufacturing of degraded products and components is a major step within a sustainable manufacturing strategy. This paper shows an approach to evaluate and to compare the sustainability of two manufacturing processes using life-cycle assessment on the one hand and efficiency analysis methods on the other. In a first step, the two processes were analysed regarding their environmental impact in 13 different effect categories using the life-cycle assessment software GaBi. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) as well as TOPSIS were utilized to evaluate and to compare these results regarding sustainable efficiency in a second step. The analysis is done within the case study “Recycling of lead anode”. The evaluation of a new developed concept for an automated process, in comparison to a manual process, to recycle lead anodes, which were subjected to heavy wear during the electrowinning process of non-ferrous metals like copper, nickel or zinc, is in focus.