An optimization model for low-carbon product family design considering component reliability and warranty period

Abstract

Due to the considerations of the carbon footprint of the product, low-carbon product family design has attracted more and more attention. The existing low-carbon product family design methods do not adequately take into account the component reliability and warranty period. At present, providing warranty for key components of the product is an important marketing tool, and it is widely adopted by manufacturers. In fact, when component reliability and warranty period are considered in a low-carbon product family design, they affect not only the profit of the product family, but also the GHG emission. To this end, the article proposes an optimization model that optimizes product family design, supplier selection and component warranty period in parallel. The objective of the model is to maximize the profit of the product family and minimize GHG emission while satisfying various constraints. The developed model is solved using a genetic algorithm. The method’s effectiveness is verified through a case study, and a sensitivity analysis is performed. The method can assist manufacturers in simultaneously determining the product family configuration, supplier selection and the component warranty period based on their goal preferences.