Design of a capsule coffee machine integrating principles of reparability

Abstract

The "New Action Plan for the circular economy" presented by the European Commission promotes the sustainable and circular design of products, promoting their durability, reuse, updating and repairability, as strategies to extend their lifetime. In addition, the recent establishment of a 'right to repair' promotes the reuse and repair of energy-related products. Considering the “capsule coffee machine” product category, which so far lacks eco-design requirements, this study focuses on developing a redesign that integrates the repairability principle from the conceptual design stage. To do this, a preliminary disassembly analysis of two representative models of capsule coffee makers on the market is carried out, analyzing their design characteristics and evaluating their repairability, through the application of the AsMeR method (Assessment Matrix for ease of Repair). Based on the information obtained, a redesign of a capsule coffee machine is carried out that improves the reparability index, thus demonstrating that the integration of reparability principles from the conceptual phase allows obtaining products aligned with circular economy principles.