Sustainability Task Pane - Assembly Process

To display the Task Pane, open an assembly and then do one of the following:

• Click Sustainability (Tools toolbar or Evaluate CommandManager tab).
• Click Tools > SOLIDWORKS Applications > Sustainability.

Typically, the Assembly Process Sustainability Task Pane opens. When you analyze an assembly for which a component has an unassigned or unsupported material, a Sustainability Task Pane containing the Task List opens.

Assembly Process

Region	Sets the region of manufacture, for example, Asia. Click the map to set the region. Available regions are North America, Europe, Asia, Japan, South America, Australia, and India. Data is not available for all regions. Regions that contain data are highlighted when you hover over them.
Built to last	Length of time the part will last. The numeric field and increments are editable.
Energy required for assembly process	Sets the Fuel type (Electricity or Natural Gas) and Amount required to manufacture the assembly.

Use

Region	Sets the region where the product is transported and used, for example, Asia. Select a region from the drop-down list or click a region in the map to set the region.
Energy Needs over lifespan	Specifies the Type of energy and Amount of energy that is used over the products's lifespan. Energy choices are: Electricity Natural Gas Diesel Gasoline Kerosene Light Fuel Oil

Transportation

Shows the default mode of transportation and distance traveled from the Manufacturing region to the Use region.

	Train			Boat
	Truck			Plane

To edit these values, click a transportation mode's button and type in the field that is enabled. When you add values for a transportation mode or modify the default mode, the field turns yellow and a Reset to Defaults button appears to let you discard your changes.

End of Life

Shows default percentages based on the value of the materials in the sustainability database. The values of all the components in the assembly are rolled up by weight.

	Recycled
	Incinerated
	Landfill

The total of the values always equals 100%. If you change the recycled or incinerated value, the landfill value updates. If you change the landfill value, the recycled value changes.

When you edit a value, the field turns yellow and a Reset to Defaults button appears to let you discard your changes.

Environmental Impact

The Environmental Impact dashboard provides real-time feedback about the environmental impact of the design. SOLIDWORKS Sustainability products let you select either the CML or TRACI environmental impact assessment methodology to calculate the environmental indicators (carbon footprint, energy consumption, water eutrophication, and air acidification).

	Impact Parameters	Display the impact for each parameter on the environment impact areas. Use is only calculated for assemblies.
	Duration of Use	Length of time the product will be used. This number is used with the Built to Last value in the Manufacturing section to calculate more accurate results. In SustainabilityXpress, this value defaults to 1 year. In full Sustainability, the numeric field and increments are editable.
	Environmental Impact Areas	Carbon Footprint A measure of carbon dioxide and equivalents, such as carbon monoxide and methane, that are released into the atmosphere primarily by burning fossil fuels. Energy Consumption All forms of nonrenewable energy consumed over the entire life cycle of the product. Air Acidification Acidic emissions, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides, which eventually lead to acid rain. Water Eutrophication Contamination of water ecosystems by waste water and fertilizers, resulting in algae blooms and the eventual death of plant and animal life. Pie charts show the percentage of impact of each parameter on the four environmental impact areas. Bars below each pie chart compare the effect of the current impact parameters to the effect of previous or baseline parameters. Green bars indicate the current parameters have a lower environmental impact than the previous parameters. Red bars indicate the current parameters have a higher environmental impact than the previous parameters. Mouse over the bars to see the current and baseline values. Arrows beside the pie charts emphasize the increase or decrease in environmental impact and the percentage of change.
	Material Financial Impact	Bars compare the financial impact of the Current and Previous materials you have selected. A green bar indicates that the current material has a lower financial impact. A red bar indicates a higher financial impact. Mouse over the bars to see the current and previous values. An arrow beside the bars indicates the percentage of change.
	Home	Returns you to the initial display of the Environmental Impact Dashboard.
	Calculation method	Calculation method used for environmental impact results. CML CML (default) is based on European regional conditions. For Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies outside of North America, the CML methodology is the most commonly-used set of environmental indicators used for LCA. TRACI TRACI is based on regional conditions of the United States and can be used to accurately model North American LCA studies.
	Save As	Opens the Sustainability Output dialog box, where you can choose to generate a: Report Generates a Sustainability report in .docx format. Spreadsheet Generates a spreadsheet of results and inputs in .csv format. GaBi input file Generates a file in .xml format that can be read into GaBi LCA software.
	Set Baseline	Sets the current selections in the Task Pane as the baseline against which you compare different selections. The Baseline bar is the bottom bar below the pie charts.
	Import Baseline	Lets you import an existing baseline to use in the current model.
	Online Info	Opens a Web site that provides additional information about Sustainability, including a calculator to help you understand the impact of your design.