Development of a Green Design Camera Concept

Abstract

This report describes the development of a green design camera concept for Axis Communications AB. The problem description for this thesis stated that the concept should be developed by modifying one of Axis current products to achieve a decrease in environmental impact. Also, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) of the camera should not be increased and the concept should be able to fulfill the same mechanical requirements as the current model.

A lot of effort was put into the initial research of the project, for example green design was defined, the lifecycle of a network camera was explored, and information was gained on recycled plastics. It was concluded that the use of recycled (and recyclable) materials, design for recycling (through ease of disassembly), and minimizing the products boxed volume during transportation were three of the most important areas of improvement for the mechanical design of a product, and they came to be the main focus of the continued development.

It was decided that the final concept should be based on the AXIS M10 series, containing some of the smallest and cheapest cameras in Axis’ range, and that the new concept should be made completely out of recycled plastics. Consequently, the following synthesis phase came to focus on generating a concept that is easy to disassemble for recycling, has a design that enables low boxed volume, and can be manufactured completely out of recycled plastic.

The result of the project is a camera in recycled material with half as many parts as the original model, which needs no adhesives or screws to be assembled. The mounting design consists of snap joints on the top and bottom of the camera cover that eases assembling, and reduces assembling costs since no tools are needed. The construction also enables disassembling without any parts getting damaged, and consequently facilitates easy reparations with reduced reparation costs. The mounting solution for fixation of the camera only consists of three parts which are easily assembled and disassembled again, which enables it to be transported with a low boxed volume while still being easily installed.

Popular Abstract

Can the environmental impact of a product be decreased before it has even been produced? Involving aspects of environmental awareness in the product development has shown a reduction in environmental impact in all stages of the product’s lifecycle.

The request and demand for products with a lower environmental impact is constantly growing, and the perception of possible environmental improvement areas keeps getting larger. It is no longer enough for a product to use electricity from a renewable energy source, or have an exterior in unbleached carton, to be labeled as a green design product. Now changes needs to be applied even earlier, preferably before the product has even been invented.

So in what ways can green design be achieved today, and is it really possible to implement the necessary changes? To answer these questions, a master’s thesis has been commissioned by Axis Communications AB, a market leading Swedish company in the surveillance camera market. The aim of the thesis was to develop a green design surveillance camera by altering the mechanical design, and to investigate the possibilities of decreasing environmental impact throughout the product’s whole lifecycle, just by enabling aware design choices. Furthermore, it was desired to find out how green design influences the costs of a product.

Through extensive research, three areas of improvement came down as most important when developing a green design product: material choice, waste production and energy utilization. In each category, strategies were identified which should result in a green design product if followed.

The result of the project is indeed a green design product. It is a simple camera consisting of only five parts made completely out of recycled plastics, and all assembling is done with snap fits. So, in what way does this design fulfill the requirements for green design? The demands of the material choice area has been met by the use of recycled plastics throughout the whole construction, with no harmful additives or flame retardants added to the material. The use of a single, toxin free, material simplifies recycling and imposes minimal harm on the environment in the process. For the waste production area, all parts of the camera can be recycled correctly and efficiently through the snap fits disassembly solution. The quick and simple disassembling also encourages reparation, lessening the amount of waste overall. Lastly, the demands of the energy utilization area is met through the low number of parts, reducing energy needed during manufacturing. Also, the snap fits solution enables the product to be transported with a small boxed volume since the parts can be assembled easily at the final location of use.

To summarize, having environmental awareness in mind and making responsible choices along the design process has resulted in a surveillance camera that imposes less harm on the environment throughout its lifecycle, while maintaining the price range of similar camera models and being equally easily manufactured. Because, due to the low number of parts, ease of assembly and low transportation volume, the costs of the product can be reduced, which is an important statement that confirms the availability and importance of green design. Conclusively, it is possible to achieve green design, and it is not even that hard.

• author: Brehm, Sofia and Mattsson, Henrietta
• supervisor: Per Kristav
• organization: Innovation
• course: MMK920 20142
• year: 2015
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Green Design, Network Camera, Axis Communications AB, Product Development, Design for Disassembly
• other publication id: ISRN LUTMDN/TMKT 15/5517 SE
• language: English
• id: 5204383
• date added to LUP: 2015-03-31 09:33:21
• date last changed: 2015-04-01 11:18:34