What is it about?
This paper introduces an automated, CAD-integrated computational framework developed using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) that establishes real-time interoperability between Microsoft Excel and SolidWorks 2025. The tool automates the creation of an "Extended Bill of Materials" (BOM) directly from 3D CAD assemblies by extracting physical and geometrical attributes (such as masses, materials, and dimensions) through recursive feature tree traversal. Using heuristic classification logic, the framework categorizes components into predefined manufacturing processes, including sheet metal forming, polymer additive manufacturing, subtractive machining, and welding, to calculate production costs and environmental impact metrics simultaneously. It evaluates the life cycle carbon footprint (cradle-to-gate Global Warming Potential - GWP100) using the EU-recommended LCIA EF v3.1 methodology and performs End-of-Life (EoL) recyclability and recoverability calculations in compliance with ISO 22628 and ISO 21106 standards.
Featured Image
Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash
Why is it important?
With strict environmental regulations, upcoming obligations for Digital Product Passports (DPPs), and the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, integrating sustainability and cost metrics early into the design phase has become an engineering necessity. Up to 80% of a product's lifecycle costs and environmental impacts are determined during early design stages. However, traditional Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and cost estimations are typically performed sequentially in late development as verification activities, restricting design flexibility and making adjustments extremely expensive. Existing commercial software packages often function as standalone "black boxes" with closed algorithms and broad regional databases. This framework addresses these barriers by providing design engineers with immediate, transparent, and highly localized feedback directly within their 3D CAD environment. This ensures digital continuity and traceability without requiring complex high-performance computing systems, helping companies design sustainable products from day one.
Perspectives
Designing eco-friendly and affordable industrial products, such as next-generation electric vehicles, is highly challenging because calculating their carbon footprint and manufacturing costs is usually a slow, manual process that happens too late, after the design is already finished. To solve this, we developed a free, automated computer tool that connects standard 3D design software (SolidWorks) with Microsoft Excel. As engineers model parts on their screens, our tool instantly extracts the shape, dimensions, and material data to predict manufacturing costs, carbon footprints, and recycling rates on the spot. We successfully tested this system on two racing car assemblies (the chassis and the steering system), proving it cuts technical estimation time by over 90%, taking less than 10 minutes instead of hours. This allows designers to easily compare options and choose the cleanest, most cost-effective designs right from the start of the project.
Maurizio Guadagno
Universita degli Studi di Firenze
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Automated Design Sustainability Evaluation Framework: A CAD-Integrated Tool for Real-Time Costing and LCA in Automotive Engineering, June 2026, SAE International,
DOI: 10.4271/2026-37-0044.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
