In this Case Study, we'll delve into the integration of LCA into a PDM system using PTC Windchill at Vienna University, providing an education in both product development PDM systems and an education in the field of eco design.

1. PTC.comPage 1 of 3 | Vienna University of Technology
PTC Academic Program
Vienna University of Technology
Implementing product lifecyle learning for
students to understand environmental impacts
of their engineering designs
Engineering jobs have changed. The globalization of the design process, increased
product complexity, and increased regulatory pressure has made understanding
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), the importance of collaboration, and
environmental impacts a necessary skill for graduates.
The Vienna University of Technology is on the forefront of the evolution of
engineering education, and has created a Product Data Management platform (PDM)
using PTC Windchill®
as a solution for designing projects for their collaborative
Peter Haas

2. PTC.comPage 2 of 3 | Vienna University of Technology
PTC Academic Program
Mechatronic Product Development program. This program allows students to focus
on the how to reduce to the environmental impacts of their designs over the entire
lifecycle of a product while collaborating with schools across Austria.
The Vienna University of Technology is one of the major universities in Austria,
providing an advanced education for its 26,000 students through the eight faculties
that focus mainly on engineering and natural science. Faced with the challenge of a
lack of interdisciplinary collaboration in design projects between the technical and
vocational schools in Austria, the university decided to develop a PDM platform in
order to foster cohesive design participation among several national technical and
vocational schools.
Five Higher Technical Institutes (HTBLA Linz-Litec, HTBLVA Graz-Bulme, HTBLA
Zeltweg, HTBLA Eisenstadt, and HTBLA Steyr) are involved in a collaborative project
to test the PDM platform by creating an electric screwdriver under the coordination
of the project director, Univ. Dr.-Ing. Detlef Gerhard. Each high school has to create
collaborative components to the final project. The screwdriver itself is grouped into
four main assemblies: Housing, drill chuck, gear, and power unit.
The four main assemblies were designed in different computer-aided design (CAD)
systems, including PTC Creo®
, and all design data was managed inside of PTC
Windchill for the creation of a single product structure and product visualization.
The students were then required to define each environmental parameter queried
through PTC Windchill and to generate an environmental report.
“ The collaboration solution based on PTC Windchill
provided the students with an excellent platform
to work under real conditions of professional life,
especially since the area of product development
with international collaboration is essential in the
engineering industry today.“
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Andreas Probst MSc,
HTL Linz Litec
Throughout the project, students have the opportunity to conduct a Lifecycle
Assessment (LCA) to understand the entire impact of their design. In PTC Windchill,
they are able to report on inventory data, impact category results, integrate
their results into the PDM platform, and develop environmental assessments of
product parts and assemblies. By doing so, they can edit their designs to reduce
environmental impact as needed.

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PTC Academic Program
“ With PTC Windchill, we can enable students to
perform eco-design engineering. This is very
valuable for engineering education as a whole.“
Ing. Paul Fürli,
HTL BULME Graz
The Vienna University of Technology’s program provides engineering students with
real-world challenges and solutions that are currently faced within the industry. By
providing them with the knowledge around the environmental impact of their designs
and the practice of global collaboration, these students will be better prepared to
become the engineers of the future.
The students were shown a basic insight in eco-design, which led to the demand for
a tool that enables sustainable product development. PTC Windchill facilitated the
integration of LCA into the PDM system, which had a twofold advantage: Education
in the use of a cooperative mechatronic product development PDM systems and
education in the field of eco-design.
To learn more about implementing collaboration into your engineering curriculum,
please contact an academic advisor.
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J3596–Vienna University of Technology–EN–0314