• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2003

In the early phases of the product life cycle, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is recently used to support the decision-making fer the conceptual product design and the best alternative can be selected based on its estimated LCA and its benefits. Both the lack of detailed information and time for a full LCA fur a various range of design concepts need the new approach fer the environmental analysis. This paper suggests a novel approximate LCA methodology for the conceptual design stage by grouping products according to their environmental characteristics and by mapping product attributes into impact driver index. The relationship is statistically verified by exploring the correlation between total impact indicator and energy impact category. Then a neural network approach is developed to predict an approximate LCA of grouping products in conceptual design. Trained learning algorithms for the known characteristics of existing products will quickly give the result of LCA for new design products. The training is generalized by using product attributes for an ID in a group as well as another product attributes for another IDs in other groups. The neural network model with back propagation algorithm is used and the results are compared with those of multiple regression analysis. The proposed approach does not replace the full LCA but it would give some useful guidelines fer the design of environmentally conscious products in conceptual design phase.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2013

To compete global marketplace, many firms are adopting product families to increase variety, satisfy customer requirements, shorten lead-times and reduce costs. The key to a successful product family is the platform from which it is derived. When designing product families, it is important to resolve the tradeoff between product commonality and distinctiveness. To measure the commonality within a product family, it is necessary to develop the commonality index. It utilizes different parameters such as the number of common components, their cost, their manufacturing processes and so on. This paper present a new product family assessment index using the benchmarking method and considering environmental performance called green product family index(GPFI). Through the comparison analysis between some previous developed commonality indices and GPFI, we verify the suitability and effectiveness. Eventually, the proposed a new green product family assessment index can be helpful to design and develop the environmentally conscious product families.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.239-246
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• 2015

Enforced environmental regulations call for extending the domain of manufacturers' responsibility to the entire product life cycle. To comply with the environmental regulations, manufacturers have constructed reverse logistics networks to re-collect their leftover waste for recycling consumed resources. However, the operational activities associated with storage, loading and transportation processes within the networks inevitably impose environmental burdens. Particularly, the transportation process largely influences environmental performance due to perpetual uses of transportation vehicles. Therefore, there is a need to develop an environmentally-conscious transportation model that can efficiently manage the uses of transportation vehicles. Additionally, it is vital to analyze its significances of environmental performance to compare quantitatively it with existing models. This paper proposes a transportation model for improving environmental performance in a reverse logistics network. This paper also presents a case study to perform its comparative analysis using Life Cycle Assessment that evaluates potential environmental impacts of a product system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.353-358
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• 2015

Energy consumption reduction has become an important key word in manufacturing that can be achieved through the efficient and optimal use of raw materials and natural resources, and minimization of the harmful effects on nature or human society. The successful implementation of this concept can only be possible by considering a product's entire life cycle and even its disposal from the early design stage. To accomplish this idea with milling, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) strategies and cutting conditions are analyzed through process modeling and experiments. In this study, a model to predict the cutting energy in the milling process is used to find the cutting conditions, which minimize the cutting energy through a Kriging meta-modeling process. The MQL scheme is developed first to reduce the amount of cutting oil and costs used in the cutting process, which is then employed for the entire modeling and experiments.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.419-428
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• 2023

This study examines customer reviews from online stores of Korean vegan fashion brands to determine the qualities that customers value in vegan fashion items. For this purpose, we conducted a case study of online reviews-2,285 reviews were collected and analyzed. The results are as follows: The clothing evaluation criteria for vegan fashion products can be divided into four categories: aesthetics, material characteristics, affordability, and characteristics. This suggests that evaluation standards for vegan fashion items operate at multiple levels. The animal welfare aspect of the product was the most important factor, followed closely by how well the clothes fit. High-quality vegan materials and the use of recycled materials that are environmentally friendly were emphasized. The findings of this study suggest that even for vegan products, stylistic features remain an essential component of fashion items. To understand the main aspects of clothing evaluation criteria in the current vegan fashion market, this study differs from other studies in that it examined online reviews of vegan fashion brands. This comprehensive analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of customer preferences and highlights the importance of ethical considerations alongside style in the evaluation of vegan fashion items, providing valuable insights for the industry. Moving forward, this study is significant in suggesting that vegan fashion brands should develop their products as well as their brands, capitalizing on the demand for ethically conscious and stylish options.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.568-577
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• 2023

This study examined how middle-aged female consumers' environmental consciousness influences their attitudes and ethical purchasing behavior toward RUR (recycling, upcycling, and reuse) knit products. The research employs a survey method, targeting 30-40 year old women residing in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province. On-line and off-line data collection were conducted. The following conclusions emerged through statistical analyses, including factor analysis, cluster analysis, t-test, and regression analysis. Firstly, respondents' environmental consciousness variables were classified into two factors, delineating high and low environmental consciousness clusters, demonstrating significant differences between them. Secondly, the high environmental consciousness cluster exhibited more positive consumer attitudes and ethical purchasing behavior towards RUR knit products. Moreover, it was established that environmental pollution consciousness and eco-friendly product purchase consciousness influenced environmental consciousness on consumer attitudes and ethical purchasing behavior. Lastly, the study confirmed that consumer attitudes mediated environmental consciousness and ethical purchasing behavior. In conclusion, this research establishes a meaningful link between environmental consciousness, consumer attitudes, and ethical purchasing behavior in 30-40 year old women. Environmentally conscious groups positively influence attitudes toward RUR knitted fashion and promote ethical purchasing behavior. Consequently, it is recommended that knit fashion companies prioritize environmental consciousness and eco-friendly products in their marketing strategies. Furthermore, diversifying the application of RUR knit products, coupled with eco-friendly production techniques, can amplify their appeal and utility, ensuring a positive impact on consumer behavior.