Demontering och återtillverkning av en elektronikprodukt : Konstruktionsändring för ökad hållbarhet

Sammanfattning: This report presents a product development project as a part of the course Examensarbete för högskoleingenjörsprogrammet i innovationsteknik och design (MSGC36) during spring of 2022 at Karlstad university. The project has been done by the student Linnéa Karlhager Liss, supervisor was Kent Evermark and examinator was Leo de Vin. The project was carried out of mission by the consulting firm Semcon and the product development has been performed regarding one of their client’s products. The client wants to investigate in which ways their consumer electronics product could be more climate neutral. Nowadays the consumer electronics product consists of electronics enclosed in two covers of plastic polycarbonate as well as an input and an output cable. On the surface of the plastic, there is a glued-on sticker that enables communication between product and user. The aim with this project was to clarify what can be done to make the product more environmentally friendly, to then undergo a product development process and give a suggestion of final concept. The project has consisted of the phases project planning, pre-studying, problematization, idea generation and delivery. For the electronics product to become more environmentally friendly, the product should climb the waste hierarchy from energy recovery to material recycling, reusing and remanufacturing. The project resulted in a final concept where the electronics product is divided into smaller modules to make it easier to replace the parts when they break. The previously welded plastic covers have been given snap fasteners, which enables non-destructive disassembly and remanufacturing. The decal has been eliminated and thus no glue is needed. Instead, the user communicates with the product through an app in the mobile. As no other materials are judged to be able to achieve the product requirements without additives, the material remains polycarbonate.