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The objective of this paper is to present how the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and DfE (Design for Environment) methodologies are being used in the Design process of electrical & electronic products at Lear Automotive EEDS (LEED). In this paper are presented the major roadblocks found during the implementation of these methodologies and the solutions given by the European Technological Center (ETC) in order to solve them (e.g. development of a specific DfE checklist). Also there are presented the results obtained in the application of these methodologies to a real electronic device. The target product is a prototype of an Advanced Smart Junction Box (ASJB), placed in the engine compartment, which manages power and signal distribution for different car functions and loads. The new design and the improvements achieved show that the use of LCA and DfE in the design step is a powerful tool to reduce the life cycle environmental impact of the products that Lear provide to its customers.

SeaTTronics is a new automotive seat system including different mechatronic units connected by bus controlling the seat position, seat movement, seat heating and new devices like ventilation, and massage among others. SeaTTronics is based on a distributed control approach: one switch mechatronic module (gateway) connecting the seat to the rest of the car through CAN bus and mechatronic “smart nodes” with the actuator for each motor or other actuators interfaced through LIN-bus. This distributed architecture based on LIN-bus allows the whole system to be more flexible and modular. This modularity allows differentiation across vehicle platforms and allows options to be added in all moment of the design with a good improvement of time to market.

All the electrical based systems and equipment of a vehicle depends, in last case, of a small but important device called battery. Understand and predict battery behaviour is one old target of the automotive manufacturers for different reasons like safety, comfort, fuel economy, etc… The paper will show the working-line and tests results of Lear, Seat and UB to achieve a method for monitoring the state of health and state of charge of battery life. There are some difficulties for in-vehicle battery monitoring: wide range of current levels, interference due to loads powered on, hard climatic conditions, high tolerances in battery manufacturing, among others.

OEM's and car manufacturers suppliers have agreed to increase the electrical system operation voltage up to 42VDC -36VDC battery voltage- in order to save electricity and to enable near future vehicles, characterized by a high demand for power consumption, mainly because current mechanical operated systems - valves, air conditioning - are expected to be replaced by electrically powered systems. However, this transition towards a pure 42VDC network is going to be gradual, in a first step combining the current 14VDC -12VDC battery voltage -and the new 42VDC operating voltages, the so called “Dual Voltage architecture”. Electrical and Electronic Distribution Systems (EEDS) are the keystone of energy optimisation strategies that will successfully fulfil the new requirements and the following electrical systems' aspects must be taken into consideration for a Dual Voltage power network: protection, switching, conversion, control signal management and distribution.

The objective of this paper is to show the results and real benefits and limitations obtained from the application of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Design for Environment (DfE) methodologies in the design of new UT Automotive (UTA) products (electronic and electrical distribution systems for automotive industry). The results from three LCA case studies will be shown: two electrical distribution systems (EDS) and one printed circuit board (PCB) junction box. Some of the major problems encountered during the LCA studies were, among others, the lack of environmental data about some products and gathering necessary information about components from suppliers. The results of a DfE study for another PCB junction box will also be described. The objective of this study is to draft and deploy generic and specific DfE guidelines in order to help design engineers.