How can I establish LCA?

For LCA there are no fixed rules, since in Japan the method is not described as such in concrete terms and its scope is generally unknown. The tendency to simplify processes and utilities is taken for granted, since to the Japanese a belief in the basic simplicity of things is common sense. Nonetheless, on visiting Japan many times, I have found a certain standardization within enterprises. However different the enterprises or branches may be, certain priorities are shared by all factories:

Simple

• Avoidance of complicated motion sequences, functions and structures
• Rotational and linear motions, which are carried out by simple mechanical elements
• Use of basic physical laws (gravitation, force-parallelograms and so on)

Economic

• Use of simple and commercially available materials and components (for instance Creform model kits)
• Frequent reuse of dismantled utilities

Easily put together and taken to pieces

• Use of model kit systems able to make many different products

Modular structure

• Low degree of complexity
• Not too many processing steps in a module
• Can be swiftly changed: modules are set up anew according to the product i.e. cells are continually changed. Hence the modules are mostly equipped with wheels and a flexible maintenance structure.

Internal development and production

• Compact and lean

Since appliances and resources are often integrated in cells in which workers see to various processes and have to move from module to module, attention is paid to width for the sake of shortening the distances. Efforts are also made to match the size of utilities to the width of work-pieces.