Checklist for optimized design for re-use of printed wire boards and components

Nowadays printed wire boards (PWB) appear in nearly every electr(on)ic appliance. Together with the fast pace of technological innovation and the consequent shortening of the product lifetime, this leads to a rapidly growing waste stream of electronic products. Therefore, solutions for what to do at the end-of-life are urgently required. The intention of this paper and the elaborated design guidelines for PWBs is to maximize the recovery rate of components at the highest possible level of quality. The guidelines address the layout of PWBs, important properties of components and integrated circuits, connection technologies and etc. The checklist will help product designers to identify the most important aspects in terms Of reusability and environmentally conscious design of PWBs.