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Improving reparability

Improvement <- ( A: raw material intensive, B: manufacture intensive, E: disposal intensive ) <-

Checklist for ECODESIGN analysis

Product
Does the product have a self-explanatory structure for disassembly or is there an instruction for disassembly?
  
  
What steps are necessary for disassembly of the product? Is there a prescribed sequence of steps that has to be adhered to? How is the relevant information conveyed?
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 Ensure self-explanatory structure or provide for instruction for repair on product
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Are the individual parts of the product easily accessible and easily replaceable?
  
  
What parts of the product are most probably in need of repair? Where are these parts located in the product? Are they easily accessible? What disassembly work is necessary for replacement of parts? Can access to these parts be made easier?
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 Ensure easy access to components for repair and replacement
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Are the spare parts needed for repair of the product easily available?
  
  
What parts are most probably subject to repair? What parts may break, fail or wear out? Are spare parts available for these components?
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 Ensure availability of spare parts
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Does the product consist of standardized parts or parts that can be used in different variants of the product?
  
  
What components are equivalent as to their function but have different measurements? What is the reason for these differences? What design measures could contribute to a standardization of components?
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 Standardize components and/or use identical structural components for different variants of product
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Does the product have sufficient overmeasure of material for refurbishing and repair of individual components and does it provide for means that facilitate clamping, measuring, and adjustment?
  
  
What parts have to be reworked when the product is refurbished? How can refurbishing be taken into account at the design stage already? What prerequisites for refurbishing have to be taken into account at the design level already?
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 Ensure reworkability of worn components
Idea for
Realization
Costs
more
same
less		 because
Feasibility
difficult
easy		 because
Action
at once
later
never		 Responsibility
Deadline

Are refurbished parts used in the manufacture of the product?
  
  
What structural parts of the product are particularly valuable? What parts may/should be reused? What measures are necessary to facilitate reuse of parts?
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 refurbished components as spare parts
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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Ensure self-explanatory structure or provide for instruction for repair on product

Ease of repair is one prerequisite to ensure a long service life. For this purpose it is necessary to realize a self-explanatory structure for disassembly. This will contribute to correct and simple disassembly. If necessary, an instruction providing information on the sequence of disassembly steps will be helpful. The main objective is to describe disassembly involved in repair work as clearly and as simply as possible.


Ensure easy access to components for repair and replacement

Ease of repair with a view to prolonging product life requires easy access to components for repair and replacement. In many cases, designers concentrate on simple assembly – disassembly as reverse procedure is often neglected. This results in excessive expenditure if a component has to be replaced. Easy access to all components (see example washing machine) facilitates removal and replacement of worn parts.


Ensure availability of spare parts

Successful repair work presupposes that spare parts are readily available. Special parts that are difficult to procure make basically simple repair work impossible. Therefore, it is important to provide for a sufficient stock of spare parts for the product.


Standardize components and/or use identical structural components for different variants of product

In order to simplify sorting of parts of the product after disassembly these parts should be standardized. Parts, components, and assemblies with a similar function should be equivalent as to their structure, measurements, and material. Standardization of fitting dimensions and connecting systems contributes to easy handling (reduction of the number of different tools) in assembly and disassembly work. This also applies to components used for different variants of a product (availability of spare parts and reuse of parts).


Ensure reworkability of worn components

With a view to refurbishing and reusing the product or parts of it design should provide for sufficient overmeasure and means that facilitate clamping, measuring and adjustment. A similar approach is known from combustion engines, which are refurbished by honing the cylinders, a process that also requires an overmeasure of material. This facilitates repair work but also reuse of products (see example retreaded car tires).


Preferably use refurbished components as spare parts

Reuse of parts in a product either as spare parts needed for of repair work (quite common) or as refurbished parts in the manufacture of new products is an important measure with a view to closing cycles and optimizing the efficiency of resources. Structural parts designed for a long service life can survive two or three product life cycles and contribute to a reduction of the overall environmental impact of a product.