Feature: Sustainable electronics
Revolutionising automotive design with sustainable solutions for vehicle front shields By Neil Armstrong,
Group Managing Director, In2tec
T
he traditional automotive vehicle grille has had a fundamental purpose since its inception: It ventilates the front of the vehicle and provides cooling air to the engine. But, over the past 100 years, brand identity became an identifiable part of the buying experience, and
the grille became an important part of the aesthetic. Today, the conventional grille does less venting and is now finding alternative uses. Even its name is changing: We now know it as the “shield”, reflecting new opportunities and its uses. One trend today is to use the front shield to house sensors,
electronics and lighting systems. For example, Mercedes is integrating ADAS sensors into its front three-pointed star emblem and Hyundai has an innovative LED illumination in its front “lighting grille”. Polestar 3 is offering something called a “smart surface” front shield, with a homogenous integration of radar, camera and heating systems. The front shield market is now developing apace. It is
estimated that its compound annual growth rate is above 7%, with the current market valued at over $15bn per year. The integration of electronics is set to increase this value significantly.
Challenges to integration In printed circuit assemblies (PCBAs) today, multiple circuit boards are wire-harnessed together, and each unit must be individually sealed to protect it against the elements occurring at the front of the vehicle. This takes up space, with the added complexity of fitting several modules within it. This makes manufacture complex and difficult, frequently frought with reliability problems, since there are several interconnects and units to seal. Some systems require even more considerations: for
example, ADAS sensors need an unobstructed view, which means the sensing system must be as close as possible to the front of the shield, which interferes with the preferred production method – injection moulding.
Tackling e-waste A pressing need in the automotive industry today is for reduced CO2
e impact and increased recyclability at the end
of life. The market is expected to increase its sustainability efforts to meet government rules and customer expectations. However, the integration of electronics in vehicles is at odds with the lack of scaleable sustainable solutions to the electronic printed circuit assembly. The commercially- unviable recycling of printed circuit boards and assemblies means that a sizeable portion of these are shredded and then buried. Over 58 million tonnes of electronics are shredded and buried annually, making e-waste the fastest growing waste stream globally. This is a complete paradox to the focus on delivering highly-sustainable technologies, which the automotive industry is only now beginning to deal with. The more electronics are integrated into both the exterior
36 October 2023
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
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