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Reducing material inputs

Improvement <- A: raw material intensive <-

Checklist for ECODESIGN analysis

Product
Is the product made of recycled material (secondary material reused for new products)?
  
  
What materials have been used for the product? Are these also available in the form of recycled material or could they be replaced by recycled material? What materials characteristics are required and have to be verified in this context?
Relevance (R) Fulfillment (F) Priority (P)
very important ( 10 )
less important ( 5 )
not relevant ( 0 ) 		yes ( 1 )
rather yes ( 2 )
rather no ( 3 )
no ( 4 )
P = R * F
Measure Prefer the use of recycled materials (secondary materials)
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Are the parts and components of the product made of one single material wherever possible?
  
  
How many different types of material have been used in the product? What is the reason for this variety? Is it possible to use a simpler design, to reduce the number of different types of material? How and under what conditions can this be implemented?
Relevance (R) Fulfillment (F) Priority (P)
very important ( 10 )
less important ( 5 )
not relevant ( 0 ) 		yes ( 1 )
rather yes ( 2 )
rather no ( 3 )
no ( 4 )
P = R * F
Measure Preferably use single material components and/or reduce number of different types of material
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Have measures been realized to optimize the product for strength and the required wear resistance and to minimize material input by a solution balancing strain and strength?
  
  
What stress and strain is the product exposed to? How intense are they? Where exactly do these loads occur in the individual components? How can they be absorbed, redirected, or neutralized by appropriate design? How can material input be reduced by design aiming at optimum strength?
Relevance (R) Fulfillment (F) Priority (P)
very important ( 10 )
less important ( 5 )
not relevant ( 0 ) 		yes ( 1 )
rather yes ( 2 )
rather no ( 3 )
no ( 4 )
P = R * F
Measure Reduce material input by design aiming at optimum strength
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Has material input for the product been minimized by integration of functions and by avoidance of an excessive number of connecting parts (integrated design, integration of structural parts)?
  
  
What functions does an individual part or the product have to fulfill? What functional parts are needed to meet these requirements? What functions can be combined in one individual structural part? Where can adequate design reduce material input?
Relevance (R) Fulfillment (F) Priority (P)
very important ( 10 )
less important ( 5 )
not relevant ( 0 ) 		yes ( 1 )
rather yes ( 2 )
rather no ( 3 )
no ( 4 )
P = R * F
Measure Reduce material input by integration of functions
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline


Approach to assessment:
  1. Relevance:
    Rate the relevance of the assessment question with a view to your product. (10...very important for my product; 5...less important for my product; 0...not relevant for my product).
  2. Fullfilment:
    Estimate the fulfilment of the assessment questions using one of the four possible answers (yes / rather yes / rather no / no); the additional questions support understanding of the assessment question and need not be answered.
  3. Priority:
    Select ECODESIGN tasks with high priority (P) and continue only with these.
  4. Idea for Realization:
    Find ideas to realize these ECODESIGN tasks. The content of the learning part with its examples shall assist you in doing that.
  5. Feasibility:
    Evaluate the feasibility of the suggested ideas (difficult / easy).
  6. Costs:
    Compare the costs of the new ideas with a reference situation (higher / same / lower) and give reason for that.
  7. Action:
    Decide when to carry out the ECODESIGN tasks (at once / later / never) and determine the person or department that shall be in charge of further steps in the realizing the product improvements and fix a deadline.
  8. Save:
    Save the checklist to document the ECODESIGN assessment.

 

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Prefer the use of recycled materials (secondary materials)

The use of recycled materials reduces the demand of primary materials and also minimizes the amount of waste in the production process. The total materials flow needed for the product can thus be reduced. In addition, the overall consumption of resources for the production of recycled material is usually considerably lower than in the production of the same quantity of primary material (e.g. copper, aluminum...). In order to ensure the required materials characteristics an appropriate proportion of new material may be added, if need be.


Preferably use single material components and/or reduce number of different types of material

If one succeeds to manufacture each of the individual components of a product of one single material this constitutes an essential contribution to closed materials cycles (recycling). This goal can certainly not be realized in all cases for reasons of function, strength, etc. Nevertheless, single material components should be preferred wherever possible.


Reduce material input by design aiming at optimum strength

The less material has to be used in a product the less resources will have to be consumed in the production process. Therefore, the objective must be to use as little material as possible. Of course, the requirements of strength and stability and service life have to be taken into account, too. A design aiming at optimum strength of individual parts and components contributes to a targeted utilization of materials.


Reduce material input by integration of functions

A critical review of the structural design with a view to the functions needed may result in a considerable simplification by integration of functions. Combining several functions in one component does not only reduce material input but also facilitates assembly and disassembly as there are fewer connecting parts.