Ecoprofile studies of fabrication methods for IBM computers: sheet metal computer cover

In the design of a business machine, each of the materials, fabrication and finishing alternatives available to an engineer can affect key factors such as performance, reliability, safety, cost and the environmental burdens associated with a product over its life. This paper discusses an approach to the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on a business machine using the fabrication of a sheet steel computer housing as an example. The alternatives to be examined include surface protection treatments for the sheet steel and decorative finish options. This method allows for a quantitative accounting of significant environmental inputs and outputs (i.e. “environmental burdens”) comprising the ecoprofile for each of the fabrication, finishing and disposal alternatives. Using ecoprofile tables produced for this and other common computer components, design engineers can quickly identify the environmental consequences of their choices and optimize the environmental performance of the products as well as the performance and reliability, safety and the cost of the machine. In principle, this ecoprofile accounting approach can be extended to include the entire computer product system, however, the complexity of a complete system LCA is daunting