resource efficiency through modular design · manhart 2012: andreas manhart, thomas riewe, eva...

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16.05.2018 Marina Proske, Environmental & Reliability Engineering

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY THROUGH MODULAR DESIGN- THE EXAMPLE OF SMARTPHONES

Marina Proske

Munich, 16.05.2018

Seite 1

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Mobile ICT – Smartphones as the most prominent example

2015: 59 Mio Smartphones in Germany

2017:

23.6 Mio devices sold in Germany

1.46 billion devices sold worldwide

Seite 2

[Stobbe 2015, Bitkom 2018, IDC 2018]

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Resource consumption by smartphones

Main materials per weight are aluminum, copper and plastics

But also a precious metals, rare earth metals, etc.

Seite 3

[Öko-Institut 2016]

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Resources in the Apple iPhone

Seite 4

[Apple 2018]

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Carbon footprint of smartphones

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

iPh

on

e X

iPh

on

e 8

iPh

on

e 8

Plu

s

iPh

on

e 7

iPh

on

e 7

Plu

s

iPh

on

e 6

s

iPh

on

e 6

s P

lus

iPh

on

e SE

iPh

on

e 6

iPh

on

e 6

plu

s

iPh

on

e 5

s

iPh

on

e 5

c

iPh

on

e 4

s

iPh

on

e 4

iPh

on

e 3

Gs

iPh

on

e 3

G

Lum

ia 9

20

HT

C O

ne

Hu

awe

i U8

652

Son

y W

890

Fair

ph

on

e 1

Fair

ph

on

e 2

Bla

ckb

erry

Bo

ld 9

90

0

Bla

ckb

erry

Z10

Xp

eri

a T

(Sw

ed

en)

Xp

eri

a T

(gl

ob

al)

Son

y Z5

Car

bo

n F

oo

tpri

nt i

n k

g C

O2

e

EoL

Transport

Use

Manufacturing

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Why lifetime matters…

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

iPh

on

e X

iPh

on

e 8

iPh

on

e 8

Plu

s

iPh

on

e 7

iPh

on

e 7

Plu

s

iPh

on

e 6

s

iPh

on

e 6

s P

lus

iPh

on

e SE

iPh

on

e 6

iPh

on

e 6

plu

s

iPh

on

e 5

s

iPh

on

e 5

c

iPh

on

e 4

s

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on

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on

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Gs

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on

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Lum

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20

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y W

890

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ph

on

e 1

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ph

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e 2

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ld 9

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0

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(Sw

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(gl

ob

al)

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Dis

trib

uti

on

of

Car

bo

n F

oo

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Transport

Use

Manufacturing

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Environmental aspects

Carbon footprint of producing a Fairphone 2

Seite 7

[Proske 2016]

Assembly; 13,4%

Battery

module; 5,4%

Display

module; 7,5%

Packaging; 0,6%Camera

module; 5,4% Top module;

3,6%

Back cover;

0,2%Bottom

module; 1,5%

Core module;

62,5%

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Production EoL Use Transport

GW

P [

kg C

O2

e]

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Assembly; 0,0%

Battery

module; 4,3%

Display

module; 1,9%

Packaging;

0,1%

Camera

module; 0,7%

Top module; 3,3%

Back cover; 0,0%

Bottom module;

2,9%Core module; 86,8%


Abiotic resource depletion of producing a Fairphone 2

Key message: Don‘t let the battery or the display determine product lifetime!

Seite 8

[Proske 2016]-1,0E-03

-5,0E-04

0,0E+00

5,0E-04

1,0E-03

1,5E-03

2,0E-03

Production EoL Use Transport

AD

P e

lem

en

ts [

kg S

b-e]

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Usetime of smartphones (1/2)

Usetime:

Correlates with typical duration of service contracts

~ 2 years

Usetime of new and second-hand devices is nearly the same

Only about 10% of the consumers use second-hand devices

[Wieser 2015, Manhart 2012, OHA 2017]

21

9

7

27

8

13

3

7

6

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

1-6 months

7-12 months

13-18 months

19-24 months

25-30 months

31-36 months

27-42 months

43-48 motnhs

48 months+

%

Usetime of the last smartphone

64%

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Replacement reasons [1/3]

Replacement reasons are mostly connected to functional and symbolic obsolescence

More/new features

„something new“

Technical limitations:

Limited storage and memory

Decreasing battery capacity

Devices are seldom replaced due two one single reason or defect

[Wieser 2015, OHA 2017, test 2013]

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Replacement reasons for smartphones [2/3]

[test 2013]

40

28

10

3

6

5

8

23

5

18

5

13

11

24

The old device was still functioning,but the new one is better

I regularly get a new mobile by mycontract

The old device was broken (technicaldefect)

The battery of the old device wasdefect

The battery of the old device wasweak

The old device was broken (self-inflicted)

Other reasons

values in %

within 3 years

after more than 3 years

User changing their mobile device

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Replacement reasons for smartphones [3/3]

31

23

22

17

15

14

11

10

5

4

0 10 20 30 40

limited operability (defects)

I thought my new phone is better (capacity, quality, etc.)

the phone didn't match my requirements anymore

I got a new phone (present, for work)

I thought my new phone is more attractive (design, comfort)

I got a new phone from my provider (upgrade)

limited memory capacity

new model was released

it was recommended from a family member/friend

new/different living conditions

%

Reasons to replace a smartphone

[Wieser 2015]

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Technical failures and defects

Most common technical failures and defects:

Weak or defect battery

Broken displays

Water damage

(Limited memory and storage)

Not all defects lead to repair or replacement

DIY repair is important

Assuming that repair is too cost-intensive, consumers do not even ask for repair prices

[Wieser 2015, handyreparatur123.de, ZAGG 2014]

52

10

10

8

6

5

5

2

20 10 20 30 40 50 60

display damange

software issues

other damages

water damages

defective battery

damaged backside

defective speaker

defective keyboard

defective microphone

%

Most frequent types of damage of mobile phones

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Desired features and purchase criteria

Seite 14

[OHA2017, Bitkom 2018]

53

27

25

45

25

19

2

13

8

6

5

3

2

8

6

3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Longer battery life

Fast charging

Wireless charging

More storage capacity

Better camera

More computing power

Faster Bluetooth

3D functionality

Water proof

Dual SIM

Finger print sensor

Face recognition

NFC

Bigger display

Better display quality

Curved/bendable display

Bat

tery

Pe

rfo

rma

nce

Fea

ture

sD

isp

lay

%

Expected features for the new smartphone

91

89

83

80

71

70

67

57

53

52

45

430 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Long lasting battery

Robust and long-living

Good camera

State-of-the-art

Positive results in product testings

Low price

By well-known manufacturer

Easy to repair

Combined with good services

Changeable battery

Specific design

Water proof

%

Relevance of product criteria

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Modular Devices

Strategies of modular devices

Easy repair

Adapt to technical progress by upgrades

Increase use time and product attachment through individualization and customization of products

Recovery of spare parts from old products and modules, (cascade) reuse of components and modules

Easy disassembly for recycling

Problem:

Not all modular designs address all of these strategies

Especially upgrades are difficult to realize in miniaturized system as the smartphone

Seite 15

[Schischke 2016]

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User perspective

Seite 16

93

91

71

53

51

46

30

29

26

16

14

0 20 40 60 80 100

It is important that products last long to save money

It is important to use products for a long time to protect the environment

It is exhausting that there are always so many new models

It is a great feeling to have a new device

It is important to me to have state-of-the-art technology

New devices mean a high quality of life for me

I don't have enough time for product maintenance

I like to discuss new smartphones

I like to show when I have somenting new

I don't mind when somenting is broken, because than I buy something new

I think it is normal to have a new smartphone every year

%

Agreement with statements

Could be addressed by upgrades

[OHA 2017]

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Modular Devices

Risks:

Higher material input for connectors and module housing

Reduced reliability through easy-to-open housings

Water tightness might be more difficult

Overprovisioning of modules and spare parts

Rebounds through more modules than actually needed

Customization/individualization might require technical understanding by the user

Continuous software support becomes even more important for long-lasting products, can be difficult to realize with new hardware upgrades

Seite 17

[Schischke 2016]

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Modularity concepts

Modularity Focus Examples

Add-on modularity Individualization through additional features

LG G5, Thuraya’s SatSleeve, Moto Mods for Moto Z (Play)

Material modularity Easy disassembly for recycling Fairphone 1 and many more

Platform modularity Individual configuration Click ARM tablet, RePhone

Repair modularity Easy repair and refurbishment Fairphone 2, Shift 6m

Mix & match modularity

Upgrades and individualization Puzzlephone, Google ARA (2015, spiral 2)

[Schischke 2016]

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Fairphone 2

Focus of modularity:

DIY repair

One upgrade module (camera) available

Modularity increases production impact by 5% (GWP)

Mainly gold in connectors and additional PCB area

Seite 20

[Fairphone 2018]

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Fairphone 2


DIY repair

One upgrade module (camera) available

Modularity increases production impact by 5% (GWP)

Mainly gold in connectors and additional PCB area

Assumption:

5 years instead of 3 years use due to easy repair

Modularity pays of, GWP reduces by ~30%

Seite 21

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Baseline Repair (w/refurbishment)

Repair (w/orefurbishment)

GW

P [

kg C

O2

e/y

ea

r o

f u

se]

Transport

Use

EoL

Production

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Puzzle Phone


Long life

Upgrades

Upgrades - especially of computing part – have the potential to increase use time significantly

3 Modules contain quite a big amount of functionality each

Increased prize for repair

Seite 22

[Circular Devices 2018]

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Google ARA

Focus of modularity

Individualization and upgrades


Gold contacts endo/modules

Mechanical holding force realized through magnets (NdFeB, AlNiCo, Hiperco-50 alloys)

Risks:

Over-supply of modules

Seite 23

[MDK 2015]

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Conclusion

Modular devices have the potential to increase use time and thereby resource efficiency of devices

require a sound modularity strategy

support environmentally benign use patterns

There is the risk of significant rebounds due to over-provisioning of modules.

Will the consumer really embrace modular products?

Seite 24

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Sources

Apple: Environmental Responsibility Report - 2018 Progress Report, Covering Fiscal Year 2017, online: https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Responsibility_Report_2018.pdf

Bitkom 2018: Markus Haas: Smartphone-Markt: Konjunktur und Trends, Bitkom-Präsidium, online: https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Anhaenge-an-PIs/2018/Bitkom-Pressekonferenz-Smartphone-Markt-22-02-2018-Praesentation-final.pdf, Februar 2018

IDC 2018: Smartphone Vendor, online: https://www.idc.com/promo/smartphone-market-share/vendor

Manhart 2012: Andreas Manhart, Thomas Riewe, Eva Brommer: PROSA Smartphones – Entwicklung der Vergabekriterien für ein klimaschutzbezogenes Umweltzeichen Studie im Rahmen des Projekts „Top 100 – Umweltzeichen für klimarelevante Produkte“, 2012

MDK 2015: Project Ara, Module Developers Kit (MDK), 2015

OHA 2017: Jaeger-Erben, Melanie und Hipp, Tamina/ Nachwuchsgruppe Obsoleszenz (Hrsg., 2017). Letzter Schrei oder langer Atem? - Erwartungen und Erfahrungen im Kontext von Langlebigkeit bei Elektronikgeräten. Deskriptive Auswertung einer repräsentativen Online-Befragung in Deutschland. OHA-Texte 1/2017. Online: https://challengeobsolescence.info/aktuelles/letzter-schrei-oder-langer-atem

Öko-Institut 2016: Andreas Manhart; Markus Blepp; Corinna Fischer; Kathrin Graulich; Siddharth Prakash; Rasmus Priess; Tobias Schleicher; Maria Tür: Resource Efficiency in the ICT Sector, Final Report, November 2016

Proske 2016: Marina Proske, Christian Clemm, Nikolai Richter: Life Cycle Assessment of the Fairphone 2, November 2016

Schischke 2016: Schischke, K.; Proske, M.; Nissen, N. F.; Lang, K.-D. (2016): Modular Products: Smartphone Design from a Circular Economy Perspective, EGG 2016+

Stiftung Warentest: Schon kaputt?, September 2013

Stobbe 2015: Stobbe, L.; Proske, M.; Zedel, H.; Hintemann, R.; Clausen, J.; Beucker, s. (2015): Entwicklung des IKT-bedingten Strombedarfs in Deutschland, BMWi

Wieser 2015: Harald Wieser, Nina Tröger: Die Nutzungsdauer und Obsoleszenz von Gebrauchsgütern im Zeitalter der Beschleunigung – Eine empirische Untersuchung in österreichischen Haushalten, Vienna, 2015

ZAGG 2014: ifrogz. ZAGG Device Damage Study, June 2014, online: http://s3.amazonaws.com/zagg-iMktg/images/pr-media/2014/smartphone-and-tablet-damage-study.pdf

Seite 26

https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Responsibility_Report_2018.pdf

https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Anhaenge-an-PIs/2018/Bitkom-Pressekonferenz-Smartphone-Markt-22-02-2018-Praesentation-final.pdf

https://www.idc.com/promo/smartphone-market-share/vendor

https://challengeobsolescence.info/aktuelles/letzter-schrei-oder-langer-atem

http://s3.amazonaws.com/zagg-iMktg/images/pr-media/2014/smartphone-and-tablet-damage-study.pdf

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SHIFT 6m


DIY repair

Modules do not have individual housings and spacious connectors

Connections with screws

Seite 27

[SHIFTPHONE 2018]

resource efficiency through modular design · manhart 2012: andreas manhart, thomas riewe, eva...

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