Multi-criteria decision support for sustainability assessment of manufacturing system reuse

A common practice in developing countries is to import used manufacturing systems, and reuse them for further production periods. Sustainability assessment of manufacturing system reuse is the research focus of this paper. A multi criteria decision approach is developed to assess the benefits of reusing a manufacturing system in a developing country from the point of view of the three pillars of sustainability; namely economical, environmental, and societal. Low cost of labour and energy in developing countries makes reuse of manufacturing systems more feasible from a sustainability point of view. A survey conducted to this end shows that economic sustainability is the main focus of decision makers in these regions, while environment has the least significance. These findings warn legislators and policy makers and should be taken as a warning signal to put more pressure and stricter regulations to promote environmental sustainability. The proposed model was verified through a case study; decision arrived at using the model agrees with common industrial practice in the region. © 2012 CIRP.