Integration of product, process and supply chain design for the production of added-value products

Laburpena

The optimization in the design, production and distribution of valueadded products is a key issue in an increasingly competitive market, due to globalization. The most efficient way (economically, environmentally and socially) to design a production process is to consider simultaneously the design of the product, the process and the supply chain, since it allows taking advantage of the synergies of each stage, reducing costs and launching times and increasing the possibilities of customization. This integrated design system is also very useful in waste recovery due to the large number of multi-scale variables that affect recovery. Therefore, this thesis proposes different methodologies for the integrated design of products, processes, and supply chains applied to the production of formulated products and the valorization of different types of waste, from a multi-objective, multiperiod , and multi-scale approach. To find the optimal value of the analyzed variables, different procedures are used, such as reformulations, multistage optimization, as well as the development of linearization and decomposition algorithms. The results showed that, through integrated process, product and supply chain design, it is possible to find a detergent powder formulation that can reduce the environmental impact by up to 40% without reducing the economic benefit by more than 1.5%.Similarly, by applying this integration to animal feed design, meat and crop production can be integrated, using the circular economy of waste. These integrated systems can reduce the environmental impact by up to 62% compared to the decoupled system. The optimal size and location of these facilities was also established. Regarding waste valorization, the integrated design showed that determining the best technology depended on the waste composition, the amount to be treated, and the capital available to invest in its treatment. In the case of coffee valorization, the best treatment process consists of a extraction-filtration system, obtaining a caffeine and pigments. Regarding wine production waste, the most promising process was a hexane and ethanol extraction system, which allows obtaining essential oils, polyphenols and biochar. Finally, this integrated approach is also used to analyze how a country’s energy security can be increased through the treatment of its waste, determining that it is possible to cover a demand for natural gas of up to 43%