5 Essential design strategies engineers needs to realise.

Today, there are increasing demands on design engineers to prioritise sustainability and product lifecycle into the design process. This trend is complex, motivated by several factors including environmental regulations, corporate social responsibility (CSR), economic, social, and ethical views, and the drive for innovation.

Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are implementing stricter environmental regulations, resulting in the need to adhere to certain standards and use sustainable materials and methods to minimise environmental impact. Companies are committing to CSR practises that if realised, they hope will enhance their reputation. Design engineers are expected to align with these commitments and CSR goals for environmentally and ethically sourced products. In turn, consumers are much more aware, preferring eco-friendly products as they demand sustainability, which is driving innovation in materials and processes, requiring engineers to be adept at integrating these solutions, to give a competitive edge.

Engineers: don't just build it, know your product lifecycle

The DesignSpark Product Design Centre

Imagine you’re at the early concept stage of a design. Balancing sustainability and product lifecycle objectives to make a considered product choice requires a comprehensive approach, integrating technical skills with strategic thinking to ensure that the designs not only meet current demands but are adaptable to future challenges and innovations.

For a design engineer, understanding and incorporating factors like Lifecycle Risk, Environmental Risk, RoHS, and REACH compliance information into the design process are crucial strategies.

1. Innovation, problem solving, and competitiveness: Engineers who are adept at integrating sustainable practices are often at the forefront of their field, leading to competitive advantages in the marketplace. Staying current with the latest technologies, materials, and industry trends lead to innovative solutions to engineering problems, improvements to existing designs, and designs which are optimised for performance, efficiency, cost, and manufacturability.
2. Lifecycle assessment (LCA): There is an increasing emphasis on lifecycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of a product from start-to-finish, to minimise negative environmental impacts such as end-of-life disposal or product recycling. Understanding the product lifecycle can mitigate maintenance, repairs, and replacements which can lead to cost savings, reduced energy consumption, lower material costs, and improved efficiency. Designing with products that can easily and efficiently be manufactured, ensure the availability and reliability of products that meet the design requirements, with long operational life expectancy. It can also ensure certain environmental regulatory compliance, applicable in many regions, is met to reduce the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties or recalls.
3. Sustainability certifications and ethical considerations: It’s essential to evaluate the environmental impact of a design such as pollution and resource depletion by using sustainable materials, reducing waste, and considering the social impacts. Various certifications (e.g., LEED, BREEAM) and eco-labels (e.g., Energy Star) require adherence to sustainable practices. Achieving these certifications can be crucial for market acceptance and competitiveness. Sustainable design can lead to cost savings over a product’s lifecycle through reduced energy consumption, lower material costs, and improved efficiency.
4. RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and import/export compliance: Legal Compliance (RoHS) is mandatory in many markets, particularly within the European Union. Compliance with RoHS is often a prerequisite for entering or maintaining a presence in many global markets, ensuring broader market access. Non-compliance can lead to fines and the inability to sell products in these markets. RoHS restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electronic equipment, protecting human health and the environment from toxic waste. RoHS compliance ensures that products are safe for users and contribute to reducing electronic waste, aligning with broader environmental and public health goals. HTS, ECCN and Schedule B status/codes are important information to ensure compliance with a nation's trade regulations around export and import compliance. This critical knowledge is needed prior to placing an order for a product, especially where it is imported from overseas.
5. REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals): Regulatory Compliance (REACH) is stringent, and non-compliance can result in severe penalties, including market bans. Understanding and meeting REACH requirements can drive innovation by encouraging the development of safer, alternative substances and materials, potentially giving a competitive advantage in the market. Ensuring compliance is critical for legal operation within the EU. This includes Chemical Safety (REACH) compliance which focuses on improving the protection of human health and the environment through better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. Supply Chain Management (REACH) compliance which requires detailed knowledge of the chemical substances used in products which demands a well-managed supply chain to ensure that all materials comply with REACH requirements.

The Product Design Centre from DesignSpark - a powerful tool to aid informed product decision-making.

Our evolving landscape requires design engineers to be proactive in adopting sustainable practises and to continually update their knowledge and skills in this area. Incorporating Lifecycle Risk, Environmental Risk, RoHS, import / export compliance, and REACH compliance information ensures the products within their designs are safe, environmentally friendly, legally compliant, ethically sourced, and meet market demands. Understanding and keeping well-informed about these strategies can seem daunting and may lead any discerning designer asking, ‘where do I go from here?’

The DesignSpark Product Design Centre is the perfect companion tool that can help design engineers to be proactive in adopting sustainable practises, making conscious product choices, and continually updating their knowledge and skills in this area. With data on over a billion parts, it brings all this information together in one place to streamline the decision-making process, ensuring the products engineers choose in the design process are both environmentally sustainable and legally compliant, saving time and reducing the risks and costs associated with non-compliance and environmental harm.

The Product Design Centre is just one of the comprehensive features in our free, and low-cost DesignSpark plans, which provide members with CAD software, design services, and training and support worth over £1000.