Eco-social LCA of the aerospace manufacturing supply chain: A case study on commercial aircraft wing skin

Abstract

This research paper presents a combined environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) of aerospace manufacturing supply chains to address the insufficient attention given to social performance in sustainability issues. The study aims to evaluate the environmental and socioeconomic performance of aerospace manufacturing supply chains and highlight the interactions between environmental and social evaluation results to produce strategic suggestions for sustainable implementation of aerospace products. The research is based on a case study conducted on the wing skin manufacturing factory, which demonstrated that environmental and social life cycle assessments are essential tools for identifying the areas that have a significant impact on the environment and society.

The results of the study showed that Machine HT fabrication and the acquiring of raw materials had the highest impact on global warming, freshwater ecotoxicity, and terrestrial acidification. Conversely, processes such as FSW and Perform saturation peening had a relatively lower impact on the environment. Therefore, to reduce the environmental impact of the factory, it is crucial to reduce electricity consumption during Machine HT fabrication, source raw materials from local suppliers or use more sustainable transportation methods and address the use and release of toxins.

The case study's results provide valuable insights for decision-makers in the wing skin manufacturing industry to develop sustainable strategies and make informed decisions to reduce the environmental and social impacts of their operations.