Design For Environment
Environmental assessment during the concept stages of design
Meeting the needs of an increasingly eco-conscious marketplace, DFMA software from Boothroyd Dewhurst, Inc., now also allows product designers to conduct an environmental assessment during the concept stage of design, where they can evaluate the impact of material selection as well as account for the end-of-life status of their product.
Helping companies achieve compliance
The analysis prompts designers to select from the DFMA database the materials they prefer to use or avoid, then reveals the proportions (by weight) of those materials in the product. It also estimates and designates the proportions of product that go to different end-of-life destinations, including reuse, recycling, landfill and incineration. These measures help manufacturers meet such requirements as the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations or EPA banned substances list.
Design Teams use DFE to identify and rate materials for their compliance to changing standards regarding toxicity and end-of-life destinations. DFE responds to legislation such as the EU legislation on Waste from Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) directive and the Motor Vehicles directive, RoHS where manufacturers must demonstrate that their new products don’t contain certain banned materials and that a certain proportion of the product is reusable or recyclable at end-of-life.
DFMA software supports sustainability initiatives by raising awareness of recycling and remanufacturing options at the design level.
Design teams can now assess the environmental impact of their designs
The new DFE capability has been developed for easy use by the design engineer at his or her work station. No life-cycle data is currently generated by the software, so an LCA expert is not required at this level.
The goal is to allow product development teams to make quick, basic decisions about environmental impact issues early in the process of defining products. This approach recognizes the challenges design engineers face integrating numerous product requirements, and it promotes the creation of “greener” products.
The Link to DFA and DFM
Incorporated into DFA software and the materials and process library of DFM Concurrent Costing, the new DFE capability has been developed for easy use. The goal is to allow product development teams to make quick, basic decisions about environmental impact issues early in the process of defining products. This approach recognises the challenges design engineers face integrating numerous product requirements, and it promotes the creation of “greener” products.
DFMA product simplification with DFE capability helps compress greater performance into fewer parts—guiding design engineers to use the most sustainable and cost-effective materials and manufacturing processes. DFMA product evaluation opens numerous doors to sustainable, innovative design.
Contact us to learn how DFE can make your designs more green and eco-compliant.
Additional topics:
Design for Manufacture
Design for Assembly
Design for Environment
Supplier Costing
Target Costing
Concurrent Engineering
More info
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Click here to view a demo of DFE (external website)
Click here to view DFE brochure
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