Planned obsolescence, problem or opportunity?

Description

In the practical study of a washing machine, the defect in an electrical component weighing 0.000839 kg resulted in a pile of hardly recyclable scrap weighing over 60 kg. The practical investigation showed that this defect was not an isolated case: Either the service life had been deliberately shortened, or the ageing process and wear had not been taken into account in the design. The latter was the case. The practical work therefore involved analysing the factors that contribute to the wear and tear of washing machines and looking for possible solutions. It was important to come up with a concept and a design that companies could implement economically and that would make a real difference. The result is the M_ALPHA washing machine, designed for rental and shared use. Key aspects of the design work focused on the machine’s reparability, interchangeability of elements and components, separation of materials and recyclability.