Page 232 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

Pr oduct Life-Cycle Management 209

• Consideration of potential marketing opportunities based
on a product’s environmental, health, or safety benefits may
include increased energy efficiency, reduced toxicity, re duced
global warming potential, reduced energy use, recyclability,
and reduced worker health and/or safety concerns.

The LCM process represents a DFE approach that has been inte-
grated into 3M’s New Product Introduction process, which is used
by all business units for product development. In addition, 3M has
integrated LCM into its Design for Six Sigma process, which includes
tools for Voice of Customer as well as other tools for the early stages
of product concept development and design.

Examples of Product Applications
One example of how 3M applied the Life Cycle Management process
can be found in the wood adhesives business. Furniture companies
turned to 3M for an environmentally improved, fast drying adhesive
that would bond well with various materials used in the manufacture
of their goods. 3M’s Engineered Adhesives Division formed an inter-
national team to develop an easy-to-use, water-based adhesive that
provides effective foam bonding and environmental advantages.
3M™ Fastbond™ Foam Adhesive 100, an entirely new product using
new technology, was introduced. It eliminated an estimated 30,000 to
40,000 gallons of solvents in the first year following introduction and
reduced waste disposal due to high coverage. One gallon of Fastbond
foam adhesive provides about the same coverage as 3 to 4 gallons of
a typical flammable foam adhesive.
Another example of LCM occurred in the fire protection market.
When production of halons was banned in the early 1990s because of
their high ozone depletion potential, several replacement products
were rushed to the market in order to fill a void. Concerns continue,
however, about the toxicity, regulatory restrictions, and impact on the
environment of these “first generation” halon replacements. Specifi-
cally, most of them are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that have high
global warming potentials. 3M recognized that, as global climate-
change policy continues to develop, these halon replacements would
not be sustainable and that there would be a significant market oppor-
tunity for a sustainable halon alternative.
In fire protection, a “sustainable” technology can be defined as one
that: extinguishes fires effectively; is economical to install and main-
tain; and, perhaps most important in today’s business climate, offers
a favorable EHS profile—allowing it to be used both today and in the
foreseeable future with little or no regulatory restriction. Because fire
protection systems are typically built into an infrastructure intended
to last for years, there should certainly be a monetary value placed on
the choice of a sustainable technology.