EETimes India - September 16-30, 2008 - (Page 8) News Innovations clean up design from start to finish continued from page the exposure of employees and users to chemicals released during manufacturing and during life-time operation. Moving from “flying components and wires” to a single side ceramic substrate and thick-film technology was done to simplify manufacturing, optimising for higher yield, reducing fall-out and guaranteeing higher reliability and longer lifetime (22 years later, these equipment are still operating without any sign of failure). Higher reliability means reduced failure rates but also reduced maintenance, which besides its direct costs, also generates travelling, re-work and associated environmental impact, especially when (as is often the case) systems are located in remote places as extreme as the top of a mountain or in the middle of low-population areas. To continue using the conventional packaging methods that were in practice in the early eighties would have resulted in consuming huge amounts of plastics and other chemicals. Instead, Ericsson used bentformed cardboard that resulted in a packaging that avoided transportation damage and used environmental resources. Figure 3: CO2 emissions per user for GSM systems decreased from 90kg per year in 1990 to 24kg in 2006. System level To further contribute in optimising energy consumed at system and infrastructure level, having an efficient DC/DC power-module is not enough—more is required. Co nsi d e r i n g t h e w h o l e picture, systems architects no longer consider efficiency at standalone product level, but to consider energy management at system level, and how to optimise energy consumed while delivering high performance. The development of DC/DC converter modules having flat efficiency at any point of their operation, combined with the possibility to integrate such a module into a digital chain, opens new room for energy optimisation, bringing further system efficiency. Improving energy efficiency is the sum of small and big initiatives, in which the implementation of digital power control and management will contribute even further. In GSM and W-CDMA mobile networks, Ericsson’s largest volume products are radio base Discuss Can DfE break into the mainstream? Most companies are only going as far as ROHS and WEEE compliance, but design-for-environment is yet to become normal practice. Is there any benefit in DfE, from the business standpoint, that could push its widespread adoption? roughly two-thirds of the total CO2 emissions in the use phase, and this product has been the primary focus for Ericsson’s energy improvement activities. Ericsson has implemented a three-step process to achieve energy-efficient communications for products, sites and networks, which include energy-optimised networks, site optimisation and alternative energy sources. The results of Ericsson’s research into reducing environmental impact in its radio base stations show that the level of CO2 emissions per user for GSM system decreased from 90kg CO2 per year in 1990 to 24kg CO2 in the year 2006. stations. It is these products in operations that consume the most energy in a mobile network, and thus are the highest contributors to CO2 emissions. Radio base stations account for Making improvements Though improving efficiency is a strong driving factor for technical innovation to reduce energy consumption, DfE includes more than that. It also means constantly tracking for room for improvement. DfE is a permanent development process and it is an ongoing concern to improve and optimise the whole chain to further reduce environmental impact. Taking the whole chain into consideration means that when a new project starts, how the final product will be handled when leaving our facility through to its end-of-life is also considered. One example to illustrate this is the new technology known as “board-to-board” introduced this year by Ericsson. The board-to-board technique results from a complete analysis of reducing other side effects that impact the environment such as unnecessary mass that adds fuel cost during transportation. Reducing energy consumed during assembling processes when Ericsson manufactures the product and when assembled on-board by the final customer, and optimising the product for end-of-life recycling should also be considered. Online Take back time: Indian brands lead in green initiatives DfE: Minimising electronic waste ‘Cleantech is going mainstream’ EE Times-India | September 16-30, 2008 | www.eetindia.com http://forum.eetindia.co.in/FORUM_POST_1000039193_1200087752_0.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_080916 http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800544118_1800008_NT_a924d63f.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_080916 http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800540575_1800007_NT_7512e7fe.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_080916 http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800540826_1800008_NT_cbe4ee60.HTM?ClickFromNewsletter_080916 http://www.eetindia.com
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