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03 Oct Design for Environmental Sustainability at Key Tech

Posted at 13:54h in featured, Sustainability by

Foundation

Here at Key Tech we are aware of the fundamental role that we, as designers and engineers, play in impacting climate change and the challenges of following a linear economic model of make-take-waste. The shift to a circular economy requires re-education, time, and effort. Due to the nature of working in the med-tech and life sciences industry, we know we are limited with the tight regulations in this space, however with passion and determination we can make a difference.

Paul McDonough, author of Cradle to Cradle, discusses the concepts of mechanical and biological nutrients. He emphasizes that all materials should be categorized into one of two streams that feed back into a closed-loop system at the end of their usable life. Whilst we face barriers in the re-use of resources in the medical industry, this model is an ideal foundation to drive towards.

Case Studies

We have had the opportunity to perform environmental sustainability analyses on our projects to examine the key contributing factors for carbon emissions and explored how we can reduce them. This data has allowed us to create some of the material we now use as standard in our design and development process to guide us in making informed design choices, to lower the carbon footprint of a product and optimize for various end of life options.

Some of our learnings involved a small point of care device which is used with multiple patients a day and required heating. We discovered that the largest negative contribution to carbon footprint was the device power consumption through use, exceeding the production and end of life factors. Power consumption, along with waste from the single use portion of the system, were the dominating contributors to carbon footprint for a complex electromechanical diagnostic instrument we also evaluated.

Framework

Over the last few years, we have created a structure to promote sustainable thinking into our standard work process, to ensure that we optimize devices to reduce negative impacts on the environment. Our first feasible step was to focus on how we can reduce waste generated by single use disposables whilst prolonging the life of durable devices. This presents opportunities to increase value and revenue for business in multiple ways.

We established Key Tech’s 4 R’s as a foundation, which are listed in order of impact:

  1. Reduce / Refuse
  2. Reuse
  3. Renew
  4. Recycle

These feed into the following key areas which are assessed throughout multiple stages of our design process. These align with core aspects of Standard 60601-1-9: Requirements for environmentally conscious design for medical electrical equipment:

  1. Minimize Power Consumption
    • Besides identifying ways to minimize power consumptions for the instruments we design, we also want to be conscious of the design choices that may impact power consumptions elsewhere in the production ecosystem. For example, in the instance of cell therapy manufacturing, what design choices on the manufacturing equipment can we make that would lower the cleanroom classification needed for the therapy manufacturing?
  2. Minimize Material Use
    • Explore methods to minimize components and material volume without sacrificing performance and durability, both in use and in production. Identify manufacturers and vendors who are working to reduce waste and carbon footprint to lower emissions. Move components from the disposable to the durable where possible.
  3. Design for Reuse
    • Ensure that assemblies can easily be accessed and dismantled for repair and maintenance.
    • Address sterility concerns in re-usable or multi-use parts to prolong their usable life. Promote longevity or recycling though the design and life story of the product.
    • Understand and address the true wants and needs of the user at an early stage and throughout the development process, which improves the success and value of the product.
    • Design futureproof solutions. Ensure that assemblies can easily be accessed and dismantled for repair, maintenance and re-manufacture/recycle.
  4. Lower Impact Materials
    • Mindful material and component selection to reduce carbon footprint. Eliminate harmful substances used in material additives and paints. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
  5. Design for Renewal / Disposal
    • Consider end of life at the beginning – understand what waste processing options are available to the consumer/facility. Ensure materials are produced and assembled in a way that they can be easily separated and re-processed.

Another primary element we have identified to push forward is to educate ourselves, our clients and end users around the impact devices currently have and the benefits of creating change whilst being convenient and profitable. For example, we find that there is a mindset with single use disposables being most hygienic and convenient, but we are seeing a shift in this thinking and a desire for greener solutions from healthcare providers and end users.

All-round Benefits

Often by designing with Design for Environment (DfE) considerations, other benefits naturally arise as a result. Such as simplifying mechanics, reducing material volume and instrument size which reduces production and transportation costs, ensuring parts last longer and are easier to repair, therefore reducing servicing costs. When adoptability and longevity of a device is considered through usability, it can reduce investment required for training, reduce user error and provide the user with a more fulfilling user experience focused on their needs. Users’ perception of brand and product is improved when they are aware that they have selected an option which has considered its impact on the environment.

How can Key Tech help?

We have incorporated sustainability considerations at the core of our design and evaluation process, to ensure that our solutions have environmental considerations in mind.

We can adapt our framework to the needs of our clients, whether that’s to focus on minimizing material volume or supporting a take-back service to reclaim and reuse materials in a circular system or working with experts to produce full Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs).

We have in-house capabilities to provide for parts to provide insights into material, manufacture, use and transportation. This can help us choose materials with a lower carbon footprint while still fulfilling the design requirements or prompt us to find ways to reduce the energy consumed by the use of a device.

This is an exciting time to be a Design Engineer and embrace the opportunities to make positive change for the planet and ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vicky Rands
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