Today in our studio class we conducted a product disassembly and lifecycle analysis. With Product durability, disassembly, recycling, repair and upgrade in mind, we were able to understand which components of the design could be modified to better encompass these design strategies.
My group looked specifically at the Breville Industrial sized sandwich toaster. It took us 40 minutes to disassemble, some of the pieces had to be broken to reveal the electronics, due to the fact that they had been fixed with one-way locking tabs. Obviously this creates a problem when looking at repair, along with several other features which we considered alternative design solutions for. The ultimate goal for todays activity was to generate ideas that could reduce the time taken for disassembly, while considering other factors within the lifecycle, including durability and recycling.
Some simple design modification suggestions included;
- The use of a uniform screw head to allow for faster disassembly.
- Reduce the number of different materials used to make it more efficient to recycle.
- Combine some components within the design to reduce the overall amount of components.
- Mould colour into the plastic pieces rather than spray with paint, to make it more recyclable.
- Change the screw location of the opening arm of the sandwich press, to allow for easier access for repair if the electronics fail.
- Create a modular layout for components within the electronics housed within, to allow for easier repair and upgrade.
