LOOP: An assessment framework for circular-oriented maintenance in product lifecycle management

Despite major advancements in digitally enhanced maintenance, the potentials of maintenance as a key driver for generating positive ecological and economic impacts in product lifecycle management remain unexhausted. This paper intends to address this gap by adopting the state of the art maintenance management to objectives of circular economy, i.e. circular-oriented maintenance. Two ultimate objectives are, therefore, resource optimization and improving compounded ecological and economic sustainability (i.e. reducing environmental emissions while ensuring profitability). The paper introduces an assessment framework, LOOP, by combining Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCC and LCA measures are evaluated against state of the art maintenance approaches in manufacturing. Universally applicable input and output parameters, namely ‘CO₂ backpack’ and direct/indirect cost parameters, have been selected to ensure comparability of results. The proposed framework facilitates informed decision-making to enhance the circularity and economic performance of industrial systems, tailored to effective selection and implementation of maintenance strategies. A practical case study demonstrates LOOP’s application and its decision support capabilities. The paper underscores the importance of transitioning to circular-oriented maintenance to support sustainable production and resource conservation, highlighting maintenance’s essential role in achieving these objectives.