1. Introducing our product

1.1. Product name and function

1.2. Brief description of our product

1.3. Research on the existing products

1.4. Identification of the weak points of the product design and of any harm and danger in case of malfunction or abuse

1. INTRODUCING OUR PRODUCT

1.1. Product name and function

The product chosen for this project is a clothing iron. Aclothing iron, also referred to as simply aniron, is asmall appliance: a handheld piece of equipment with a flat, roughly triangular surface that, when heated, is used to press clothes to removecreases. It is named for the metal the device is commonly made of, and the use of it is generally calledironing. Ironing works by loosening the ties between the long chains of molecules that exist inpolymerfibber materials. With the heat and the weight of the ironing plate, the fibbers are stretched and the fabric maintains its new shape when cool. Some materials such as cotton require the use of water to loosen the intermolecular bonds. Many materials developed in the twentieth century are advertised as needing little or no ironing.

1.2 Brief description of our product

The specific model we chose is a no name, likely a cheap electric iron which was probably designed disregarding concerns for the environment and with cost effective yet energy consuming technologies. There is therefore room for several improvements.

1.3 Research on existing products

Irons differ in a number of ways, including soleplate material, size, weight, and features. Virtually all of the irons we tested were equal to the task of removing wrinkles from a range of fabrics. And you don't have to spend a lot to get very good performance. All household irons are very similar in construction and function. They all use electricity supplied by mains via a cable to the iron unit which converts the electricity into heat.

Steam irons allow a small amount of hot steam to be applied to clothes when they are being ironed, making creases disappear faster and reducing the time spent ironing. Features like auto shutoff, self-cleaning, separate controls that let you set the amount of steaming, and vertical steaming capabilities that were once available only on fairly expensive irons are now standard on less-expensive models. Also, most new models can use water from the tap, thanks to an anti-calcium valve or a resin filters.

Familiar names such as Black & Decker, Hamilton Beach, and Sunbeam still sell a lot of irons but you can also find models from T-Fal, Panasonic, and Rowenta. These profiles will help you to compare steam irons by brand.

Black & Decker

The major brand in the category, Black & Decker offers a wide range of irons with varying types of sole plates, including stainless steel, nonstick, and the newly introduced ceramic. New technology from the brand is the availability of steam on all temperature settings, including at low temperatures. They are sold at department stores, Target, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and through online retailers. Prices range from $20 to $80.

Euro-Pro Shark

This is a mid-market brand whose products have a retro look or stainless-steel styling. Euro-Pro irons are sold at appliance stores, Sears, Target, Best Buy, Kohl's, and Macy's, and at online retailers. Prices range from $30 to $100.

GE

GE steam irons are a value brand with basic features. They're sold at Walmart, and cost $20 to $30.

Hamilton Beach

Hamilton Beach, a major brand, makes irons that are a bit more upscale and expensive than those from its sibling brand Proctor Silex. They are sold at department stores, Bed Bath & Beyond, appliance stores, and online retailers. Prices range from $30 to $80.

Panasonic

Panasonic irons are in the mid-market range. The brand offers models both with stainless-steel or ceramic soleplates. Cordless models are also available. Panasonic irons are sold at Walmart, Target, Sears, and appliance stores, and on Amazon.com and other online retailers. Prices range from $40 to $120.

Rowenta

This European brand is positioned as a premium brand. The models include either stainless-steel or nonstick soleplates. These irons have many features. They are sold at department stores, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears, Target, specialty stores, and online. Prices range from $50 to $150.

Sunbeam

This brand sells products in the lower to midrange category, both nonstick and stainless-steel soleplates. They are sold at a range of retailers, including department stores, Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Prices range from $20 to $60.

T-Fal

T-Fal irons have a nonstick soleplate, They're sold at most major retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Kohl's, and at Amazon.com and other online retailers. Prices range from $30 to $90.

1.4 Weak points in the products design

The major issue is that most of the plastic parts are made using injection moulding, a process which is very energy consuming. The conversion from electric energy to heat, in this particular model, is not really the most efficient and also heat loss due to materials nature does not allow optimization. Because the sole plate is made of iron, heating and cooling are both relatively slow processes.

Danger comes from the sole plate which is heated metal. On the sides of the base sheet, there is no protection and a less thermo-conductive isnt implemented to reduce risk of injury.

2. Modeling the lifecycle of our product2.1. General qualitative description of the different life cycles stages of our product

Products vary on their effects to the environment greatly, this is due to the different stages of their life cycle. In order to understand the effects of a products life it has to be broken down into stages. The acquisition and processing of raw materials into workable materials, the processing of the material into shapes, the assembly of the parts which can often involve finishes such as de burring, paint and fixings, packaging the product involving more materials, transporting, the use (which could mean the product requires electricity to work) and the end of life, which can sometimes allow a product to be completely recycled or could mean being put in a landfill to leach chemical into the soil. These stages can be assessed and then re addressed by changing the process in any number of ways.

As our product is made from many different parts and materials it is highly likely that they were made by different factories and brought together for assembly and finishing. The greater distance a product has to travel from raw material to the consumer and finally its disposal the greater the negative impact the product will have on the environment.

The diagram bellow shows the stages of the irons life cycle:

Due to the intricacy and requirements of the product it has many stages of production involving different materials and processes all of which make it more energy and resource intensive to make and harder for disassembly at end of life.

2.2. Materials and technology for our product

Raw MaterialsIrons are made primarily of plastic and metal (aluminium/iron and steel). The materials often come to the factory in the form of plastic resins, aluminium or iron ingots, and steel sheets. The metal is used to make the sole plate, thermostat and other internal mechanisms. Plastics are used to make the exterior and handle, as well as the water tank. Certain components, like the spring for the thermostat, cord, plug, and related connections are usually outsourced by iron companies.Cast iron used in baseThe Manufacturing Process

Cast iron is used in this particular case for a part of the sole plate. A steel sheet is later applied by pressing.

Although cast iron is one of the oldest materials in engineering, it is seeing something of a rebirth of fortunes in the modern world with regards environmental impact and sustainability. This is based on the fact that Cast Iron does not rust in the traditional sense, it oxides very slowly. On a practical note, this slow oxidation makes iron very long lasting.

Cast ironuses 97% re-cycled material in the manufacture of gutters and rainwater systems, which in turn are 100% recyclable. Cast iron which has come to the end of its long life has a residual value by taking it to a scrap merchant. Cast iron can be re-melted and made into new.

The main drawbacks in the production stage of cast iron are the amount of energy used for heating and melting and the carbon dioxide emissions which are, on a big picture, harming the environment.

Polypropylene used in handle

Properties

Polypropylene is the fastest growing plastic in use with market shares increasing 6-7 percent a year exceeded only by polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene(1p1). It is one of the lightest thermal plastics 0.9g/cc, can be brittle in sub-ambient temperatures although has a melting point of 130-170c, and has excellent chemical resistance.(1p1).Excellent resistance to stress and has high resistance to cracking along with high operational temperatures and is not known to leech toxins. It can be manufactured using injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion, blown and cast and thermoforming. Material acquisition

The main issue with polypropylene, as like most plastics, is that it is made from a fossil fuel, oil. The process of extracting oil has many negative effects on the surrounding environment whether it be land or sea. It is not simply drilling for oil, the infrastructure that comes with it has detrimental impacts, requiring huge natural and technical resources. When an oil source is found they clear the area and level it, destroying biodiversity and agricultural land in some cases. They then build access roads with manoeuvring areas to allow the flow of large Lorries to transport machinery, supplies and oil, which uses large amounts of fossil fuels. The area is then filled with fuel intensive machinery run on combustion engines. In the case of shale oil, which are common due to low level of oil reservoirs, hydraulic fracturing is used. Shale is the hardest to obtain and therefore the highest level of resources is required. Fracturing fluids contain hazardous substances, and flow back in addition contains heavy metals, such as mercury and arsenic, and radioactive materials from the deposit (6p17). This water if improperly disposed of can get into ground water leading to contamination from methane and potassium chloride leading to salinization. The process also emits carcinogens into the air especially in tight knit drilling regions. Radioactive particles, particulates, NOx, NMVOC, CO2 hydrocarbons and benzene in some cases have also been found. Other effects are noise pollution, odours, vibrations, induce earthquakes, spills from accidents (especially in marine spills) , injuries to workers. Large resources of water are required for cooling, lubricating of drilling heads, removal of drilling mud and during hydraulic fracturing.

Polymerisation

Crude oil is a complex mix of thousands of compounds so it needs to be processed, refined. Crude oil is distilled into fractions, naphtha is crucial element for plastic production. There are two major steps, polymerisation and polycondensation. (2) Polypropylene is prepared by polymerizing propylene, a gaseous by product of petroleum refining, in the presence of a catalyst under carefully controlled heat and pressure(1p2). This process requires energy intensive machinery and produces harmful emissions and waste.Process- Injection moulding

Injection moulding is one of the preferred methods of moulding as it allows high detail at fast speeds. Unfortunately this type of manufacture is energy intensive due to heating of material and injection process. The moulds themselves also require a great deal of machine time and energy to be produced perfectly. Energy is required in the form electricity, natural gas, diesel and gasoline. This produces green house emissions such as CO2, methane, nitrous oxide and sulphuric oxide. Water is required constantly to cool the moulds to allow the product to set solid and lubricating oil is needed to allow machines to run effectively. Before the moulding can take place, behind the scenes there is a lot of solid waste production such as contaminated resin, hydraulic oil and packaging from incoming deliveries of supplies which also requires fuel for the vehicles. One positive is that material left in the moulds that is wasted can be ground back down and reused on-site.(7)

Recyclability

Although a recyclable material the rate for bottle recycling has settled at 25%(3) due to poor information and infrastructure. Cannot decompose into the environment at a comparable rate to waste generation(3). As it is used in many containers and disposable products is can be found on beaches, road sides, public areas and must be collected for disposal creating visual pollution and danger to wildlife. It accounts for 60-80 percent of marine debris accumulated on ocean shores(3) This is critical to marine life due to ingestion of particles , entanglement which can lead to reduced reproduction abilities and death(3) The release of hazardous emissions from incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) also creates negative externalities, gases released from decomposition processes from plastics present in MSW include cyclic chlorinated hydrocarbons, hydrogen chloride and dioxins from PVC incineration can be very toxic to animal species. The corrosive fumes released from plastic combustion can also increase acidity levels in the atmosphere leading to acid rain.(3)ABS

Its the name given to a thermoplastic family. Its called engineering plastic, due to the elaboration and processing being more complex than for the common plastic.

For the molding of the ABS the principal process that is used is the injection molding. We will show a short description of the process in four steps:

The principal problem related with the ABS and the process of injection moldings is that there are some smelly materials out there that can be harmful to you. As far as the final product, if improperly disposed of such as NOT recycling the products after usage, it will stay in the landfills for years. Is important recycling the ABS, in this way the ABS can be used over and over again saving the landfills from becoming contaminated with these items. The ABS is friendly with natural resources. It can be made from natural gas. Nowadays the effort is focusing in use less raw material to make the products. Generally the injection molding has low environmental impact.

2.3 Transport, Distribution and Use scenariosTransport

Transport has a varying impact on the environment depending on the distance travelled and the efficiency of packing and weight of product. Less developed countries are usually exploited for cheap labour and materials which generally involves a large distance for the product to travel to reach consumers. This has high environmental impact as requires a lot of fuel to carry a product long distance. Impacts such as greenhouse gasses, particulates from tyres, land degradation in areas where Lorries travel on dirt roads, biodiversity loss through new roads to improve transport time. Our product was likely mass produced in an area where cheap labour could be exploited and shipped to consumer areas often thousands of miles away. This has great impacts due to the large amount of energy required, often by fossil fuel burning vehicles, to transport the goods across those distances.

Distribution

Once the product has arrived at the distributor the journey hasnt ended. It then needs to be transported to shops and stored which will then require consumers to travel to the shops potentially using fossil fuel burning cars and then return home where the product can be used.

Use

Modern irons are run off mains electricity supply via a cable. This electricity varies in environmental impact depending on where the electricity is sourced. For instance electricity from Denmark where they make great efforts into renewable energy, such as wind, would have less effect than using electricity from china where they produce a lot of electricity using coal, a non-renewable fossil fuel. It is hard to estimate how long each consumer will use the product but assumptions can be made to build a product that will live up to the life expectancy expected by the consumer.

2.4 End of life- options

The construction of the components is not designed to be removed easily this means that although many of the parts contained in the product such as the plastics and the metals could be recycled they are unable to be attained easily and therefore will be disposed of intact in a landfill. At the end of life the iron and steel components, as well as some of the plastics could be recycled.3. Product analysis by using Eco IT 99 software3.1 What Eco IT 99 Software isECO-it allows you to model a complex product and most of its life cycle in a few minutes. ECO-it calculates the environmental load, and shows which parts of the product's life cycle contribute most. With this information you can target your creativity to improve the environmental performance of your product (9)

Eco-it makes the figures very visual by comparing results in graphs, this allows even a viewer with very little knowledge of a products impact can see how the different aspects compare to one another, often with surprising results.

1 eco point is the equivalent of the average Europeans impact over a year.

In order to give a simple, visual look at the different impacts certain aspects were left out such as the electronics components as these are complex to calculate and as the same electronics will likely have to be used in our redesign. Assumptions also had to be made regarding the use of the product. We have calculated our result on the basis that the iron will be used for 1 hour per week over a lifespan of 5 years. We also made the assumption all the pieces are manufactured in the same factory, in China, and assembled on site ready for transportation stage via lorry to Romania. Although the body of our product is made from ABS, Eco-it didnt have it in its data base, so we chose a similar material HDPE. This was also the case with the base cover, for which we had to choose chromium steel as stainless steel wasnt available. The intricate nature of this product required 9 different injection moulds, some very small some very large. The injection mouled parts from each material were added up and the mean value of the mass was used across each injection mould process to give an easier to read result and a good interpretation. Due to the type construction, the product is not designed to be disassembled, therefore on the disposal stage it will go straight into a landfill intact. The graphs below give a visual representation of the different impacts in relation to one another, with a description of the results below them.3.2 Introducing the production stage data of the chosen productProduction of the Handle ( Polypropylene )

This table highlights that the impact of Polypropylene is over double than all of is processing added together. Therefore the material would be first to be reevaluated. Although there is less than half the amount of polypropylene to HDPE they have a similar impact, polypropylene 8.4 and HDPE 10. This also suggests that polypropylene should be changed for a greener material.

Production of the body ( HDPE )

This highlights the same that the material, in this case HDPE is over double the impact of its processing.Production of base (cast iron)

The impact of producing the base greatly over-shadows the use of plastics. The properties of cast iron are ideal for use in an iron but we will address possible alternatives.

Production of base cover (Chromium steel)

Impact of the material greatly out weighs its production therefore the same process could be used with a more responsible material.Production of the Iron in total

This graph shows the difference that the transport has over the rest of production. If changes were made to the manufacturing and processing of the product it would not have that big an impact on the reduction of points due to the weight of the transports impacts. The transport stage is our key area.

3.3 Introducing Use stage data

In Use

This shows the amount of points used during the products 5 year lifetime based on 1 hours use per week using electricity from Romania. This impact changes with the source, electricity solely produced from wind farms would show a great reduction.Transport by lorry from China to Romania

Transport accounts for 4 times as much as the use of the product during its entire life span. Clearly this is one of the first issues to reasses.

3.4 Introducing End of Life stage dataEnd of life

This graph would be dramatically different if the product could be dissasembled, avoiding the landfill and allowing materials to be recycled, reducing impact from future products.

3.5 Conclusions regarding the environmental impact of the analyzed product

Almost all of the points in the green production stage is from transport, threfore in order to reduce the points it will need to use cleaner transport or move the factory closer to the consumer. The Use stage can be reduced by increasing the efficiency of the products convertion of electricity into heat.

4. Improvement strategies for the chosen product

4.1 Strategies to improve the product in the raw materials stage

Although PP and ABS both have high eco points they are the best material for the job due to density to strength ratio and machinability. However the manufacturing process can be replaced.The iron on the sole plate needs to be replaced. Aluminum alloys, or just plain aluminum may be the solution.4.2 Strategies to improve the product in the manufacturing stage

The number of injection moulds can be reduced, if not entirely replaced with parts made by vacuum forming.Unfortunately theres nothing to be done for the base, which needs to be cast. However, like mentioned before, the iron can be replaced with a more abundant metal which does not require that much energy to melt and cast.4.3 Strategies to improve the product in the transport and distribution stage

Transported in pieces tightly packed and assembled by consumer or store. Clean fuel, sustainable biodiesel. Move closer

4.4 Strategies to improve the product in the use stage

The efficiency can be increased by the use of cast aluminum, because the time required to heat and cool the iron decreases.Also a sensor can be implemented, to prevent the energy consumption in case the iron is forgotten plugged in.4.5 Strategies to improve the product in the end of life stage

Designed to be disassembled easily, electronics separate easily from recyclable materials and materials clearly labeled as recyclable.

5. Eco Re-Design

5.1 Thermal Forming ABSFor the final design of the plastic parts, thermal forming replaces injection molding due to the multiple advantages:

Within the product development cycle the combination of tooling and production time provides a measure of comparison. For pressure forming, the typical tooling time is 0-8 weeks, and first production typically happens within 2 weeks of that. With injection molding, tooling usually takes 12-16 weeks with up to four more weeks for production.

So, thermoforming clearly is the preferred manufacturing technology when time-to-market is an important consideration

Part Cost Comparison

The cost comparison chart uses the total aggregate cost of parts and tooling for a large plastic part. With annual quantities of up to about 3000 parts, thermoforming is a better choice based solely on the economics.

Mold (Tooling) Cost Comparison

The size of the plastic part is also a consideration in the tooling cost. As the size of the part increases, so does the disparity in tooling costs between thermoforming and injection molding. For a 20" x 30" part, the injection molding tooling is about twice the cost of thermoforming. With a 50" x 60" part, injection molding is more than three times the cost. So as the size of the part increases, the economics of thermoforming are better.

5.2 Aluminum soleplate

For the iron soleplate, cast aluminum will replace the cast iron. While Aluminum has an atomic number of 13 and an atomic weight of 26.981539 g mol, Iron has an atomic number of 26 and an atomic weight of 55.845 g mol. When comparing the prices, Aluminum is more expensive than Iron. This is because extraction of Aluminum from its ore is quite expensive than extraction of Iron from its ore. However, Aluminum is the most abundant metal available in the earth. On the other hand, when comparing the melting point, cast iron comes with a higher melting point of 1175 - 1290 Celsius, Aluminum has a melting point of 660.37 Celsius, so a lot of the extra cost can be recovered by just the energy saved for its processing. Al is also more ductile than iron. In terms of malleability, Aluminum is second among metals. It is also placed sixth in terms of ductility.

Well, another difference that can be seen is that Iron is magnetic and Aluminum is nonmagnetic and will not interfere with the electronic parts. Aluminum is a better conductor of electricity and heat so it will heat up faster, and after the iron is unplugged, it will also release that heat to the surrounding air faster, decreasing by a small amount the danger of a household fire.

5.3 Transportation

The fuel consuming transportation can be dramatically improved by manufacturing the components of the clothing iron in-country, since the market for the product will be the national one. Therefore, the only transportation needed is along the national railways between the manufacturing factories of some of the components to the main company where only the assembly is made.

5.4 Presenting the new product

The sole plate is made of tow components: the sole plates body made of cast aluminum and the sole plate coating made of a stainless steel sheet.

The plates body needs to be cast because it needs to have an inside housing where the steam forms. This manufacturing process, although not the most environmentally friendly, is still less energy consuming and less pollutant than the casting of iron. Like mention at chapter 5.2, aluminum has a lower melting point than iron, and is more thermo-conductive. It heats up faster, and cools down faster and its more abundant.

The plates coating is made out of a thin sheet of stainless steel which is cut at sharp angles like in the figure below, to avoid material loss.

The plastic base of the clothing iron is made of an ABS thermoforming sheet, which is later machined to remove the cap, and to provide fixation elements and screw holes. The shape of the plastic base is very simple, to reduce even the energy on making the mould, and at the same time to provide appropriate angles for an effective and precise thermoforming process.

The upper casing of the clothing iron is also made by thermoforming but the material this time is polypropylene, because its higher away from the tank and the heating base of the iron. Again the shape is designed to be very simple and effective for both mould and the casing itself. Close attention was given not to allow inward surfaces or angles at which the vacuum process would not stick the plastic to the moulded form.

While the shapes of the parts in the new design for the clothing iron are all simple, attention was also given to the aesthetic part. The blocky look is in fact sufficiently aerodynamic not to stall the movement while ironing. Also the look is in fact futuristic as it is simple, and because no other clothing iron had this approach, the customers will surely appreciate the change.

The handle is made by thermoforming as well as the plastic buttons and adjusters on the clothing iron. Because these are all small pieces, a single mould will be made for them and they all can be manufactured from the same ABS sheet.

References

1. http://books.google.ro/books?id=AWaSJd9Non8C&pg=PA14&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false2. http://www.plasticseurope.org/what-is-plastic/how-plastic-is-made.aspx3. http://www.lurj.org/article.php/vol3n2/plastic.xml4. http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/dangers-of-plastic5. http://www1.american.edu/ted/projects/tedcross/xoilpr15.htm6. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/activities/cont/201107/20110715ATT24183/20110715ATT24183EN.pdf7. http://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Education-Resources/Publications/LCI-of-Plastic-Fabrication-Processes-Injection-Molding-and-Thermoforming.pdf8. http://www.willsmith.org/climatechange/domestic.html9. http://www.pre-sustainability.com/eco-it