Ecodesign brings sustainability concept into Datwyler's elastomer product design process

As one of the world’s leading manufacturer of elastomer parts for the mobility sector, Datwyler has a strong sense of responsibility for the environment. We understand that our actions today will have an influence on climate change. Whatever we can do to minimise our impact and the impact of the automotive industry on the environment will improve the lives of billions around the world for generations to come.

At Datwyler, we take sustainability extremely seriously, which is why we established 12 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) focus topics that outline our commitment to the environment and our customers, with measurable objectives and quantifiable key figures for effective monitoring. While the Social group of topics describes our responsibilities to our employees, our customers, and local communities, Governance details our transparency of reporting, compliance and ethics, and corporate commitment.

However, it is the topics within the Environmental group that have the most influence on climate change, topics that include our commitment to be climate neutral by 2030, as well as resource-friendly production, sustainable procurement, and Eco-design.

What is Eco-design?

Eco-design is a unique sustainability approach that ensures that we consider the impact of our products on the environment at every stage of the development process. This involves looking closely at our three core competencies material know-how, solution design and operational excellence: everything from how raw materials are processed and transported to the efficiency of the manufacturing process and long-term reliability of the final product. Only by assessing the environmental impact of each stage can we gain a true picture of the sustainability of an individual product –information that we can pass on to our customers and suppliers to support with their environmental reporting and improve the sustainability of the whole supply chain.

One of the key stages in the life cycle of a product is design, and it is here that many of the key decisions are made that directly influence sustainability. Whether it is the choice of material, reducing the amount of waste, cutting energy consumption, or recycling scrap material for other uses, our design teams are constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency of the entire production process.

It is this constant attention to detail and deep knowledge of materials and processes that is at the heart of the Eco-design principle. Investing such large amounts of time and resources into the design stage of all our parts results in high levels of efficiency at every other stage, reducing energy and waste while improving reliability.

Building sustainability into design

But rather than just focusing on our own processes, Datwyler’s design teams also look at the long-term sustainability of our products – in particular, how they can reduce the environmental impact of the component they eventually become a part of. A good example is Datwyler’s Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) used in battery systems to support the thermal management of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). They are designed to keep the optimal operating temperature for long-lifetime of the battery and to prevent thermal runaway.

Currently most of TIMs solutions in the market are processed as form-in-place solutions (resins, foams), making it impossible to disassemble the battery pack and recycle the battery parts. Datwyler has been focusing on developing lightweight stand-alone solutions that have the benefit of enabling battery disassembly to improve the overall environmental impact.

Another key aspect of Eco-design is the development of the Eco-design checkboxes for product development. Developed for build-to-print and co-engineering projects, this series of criteria offers greater flexibility in applying the Eco-design approaches at every stage of development, resulting in a final product that has the lowest possible impact on the environment.

Focus on the future

As the mobility sector continues its transition to electrification, the need for sustainability in every aspect of vehicle production and the recycling of parts will increase, with all companies in the supply chain having their environmental credentials examined more closely. With Eco-design, Datwyler is staying one step ahead of the environmental challenge, looking at every aspect of our parts portfolio and assessing how it can be more sustainable.

Electrification will create a huge amount of opportunities for everyone in the automotive industry, but it will also create a huge amount of challenges. By facing these challenges now, Datwyler will be in the ideal position to not only be ready for any regulation changes, but also help our customers assess and reduce their own impact on the environment.