Salom supports EcoDesign sustainability goals with innovative repairable PSU Designs

The environmental impact of the whole life cycle of consumer products from manufacture, through use to end of life disposal is under increasing scrutiny, often measured in terms of the overall Carbon Footprint according to ISO-14067.

As a consequence, the EU and UK have both implemented new Ecodesign regulations to increase producer responsibility to reduce energy usage and electrical waste. For instance, on 18 June 2021 the UK Government introduced the new ‘Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations’ 2021 (SI 2021 No. 745), sometimes referred to as the “Right to Repair Regulations”, following similar EU legislation in March 2021 as part of the broader EU Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP).

?In essence, these Regulations increase producer responsibility to reduce energy usage and electrical waste of certain household appliances (e.g., washing machines/washer dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and televisions), although other categories (such as laptops and smartphones) will doubtless follow.

The reduction of energy usage is achieved by more energy efficient designs and the reduction of electrical waste is driven by 3 key elements;

1. Designing products for repair. This in itself sounds straight forwards, although this often has an impact on the manufacturability of products so this cannot be considered in isolation.
2. Provision of spare parts for up to 10 years. This raises questions on spare parts access.
3. Access to a professional repair network supported by manufacturers to carry out the repairs. This raises questions on professional certification, especially when there are safety implications.

?As a leader in innovative PSU design with a focus on sustainability, Salom is already able to support our OEM customers with innovative high efficiency repairable psu designs!

We can collaborate closely on the required mechanical elements necessary to ensure the PSU passes Safety legislation whilst the PCB Assembly is still accessible for repair and retest at our in-house workshop facilities. Whilst this sounds straight forwards, this is far more complex than may be thought when considering the safety and reliability implications involved with this. For instance, the mechanical fixings have to be sufficient to ensure that only professional repair staff can access the PCB to address safety concerns, but that’s just the start. Once a PSU has failed, most likely due to an external electrical overstress and resulting component failure, the other components in the circuit may have gone through similar electrical overstress which then has an impact on the lifetime of those components. A simple analogy would be low oil level in a car resulting in the engine seizing. The oil level can be topped up, but the broader damage has now been done and it takes a specialised mechanic to rebuild the engine with certified new parts whilst also testing and recertifying the remaining parts to ensure reliability is maintained. This is why Salom can support our product repair at our own in-house workshop facilities to maintain full functionality, reliability and safety.

?However, the astute reader will doubtless question the commercial viability of this for a lower value consumer electronics product. This can partly be addressed by considering the product durability and lifetime. If a product has been designed for highest efficiency, it can also be designed for durability and long life. Whilst this will certainly also impact the product cost, this mitigates the need and associated costs with repair and may then be a more economical solution overall to minimise potential e-waste per the updated regulatory intent and optimise the consumer experience!

?In short, if you’re a leader in sustainable consumer electronics, come and talk to us about complementary sustainable power supplies so we can reduce e-waste together!

?Andy Richardson – CEng MIET ,?[email protected]? Vice President Business Development, Salom Europe Ltd

?About Salom: Salom is a leading global manufacturer of power supplies for consumer electronics products. As a manufacturing partner for global brands, Salom has produced in excess of 3Bn power suppliers since our formation. Salom products are trusted by some of the most successful electronics companies in the world, quietly and efficiently powering devices across the globe for more than 40 years.