Life cycle assessment and environmental impact reduction strategies of an electronic control unit

Abstract

The electronics industry faces many challenges when it comes to sustainability. This study is therefore aimed at identifying the environmental hotspots in the cradle-to-gate life cycle of one of CPAC system’s (CPAC) electronic control units (ECUs), the Hydra. The life cycle assessment (LCA) conducted on the Hydra showed that the main environmental impact of the product is related to the aluminium housing covering the assembled printed circuit board (PCBA), as well as the main PCBA itself. This is due to the energy intensive aluminium production and the amount of geochemically rare minerals, such as gold, used in the components on the PCBA. To help CPAC make informed decisions about possible emission reductions of the Hydra, a scenario analysis aiming at lowering the environmental impact of the product was conducted. Three scenarios were included in the analysis, which all focused on the aluminium housing, as it was an environmental hotspot as well as a component possible to change. First, the electricity mix for the aluminium production was changed from Chinese to Norwegian. Second, the primary aluminium ingots were entirely replaced by recycled aluminium scrap. Third, the material of the housing was changed to glass fibre reinforced plastic. All three scenarios resulted in impact reductions and provided knowledge that enabled the formulation of emission reduction strategies to minimize the overall environmental impact related to the Hydra. The following strategies can be of use for reducing the environmental impact of the Hydra: either a combination of increasing the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix for aluminium production and using recycled aluminium in the housing of the Hydra, or changing the material of the housing from aluminium to glass fibre reinforced plastic.