Green design opportunities in three robot cell investment case studies

Paper i proceeding, 2026

Sustainability in the production value chain needs to address also the design of the production system and the value chain of the equipment in the production system. This paper presents results from green design of one of the most common pieces of equipment used in production, robot cells. Three case studies of robot investment projects, one lab-robot for additive manufacturing, one glueing robot and one painting robot application were studied. The research evaluated the existing investment through workshops and a Green Design Event (GDE) method to simulate a process to find potential for further advances in eco-design, or green design, of production equipment. The findings suggest that several eco-design intentions are already incorporated into policies and general design guidelines at companies but may not be fully implemented in practice. With a structure and learning process for all parties on how to implement green design principles, there exists potential to realise more of the intended eco-design in the production system equipment value chain. Further research is suggested for other production investments where the green design process is followed to enhance learning.