1996 Electronics Industry Environmental Roadmap - Civil and ...

Emerging Technologies
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have significant implications for cost and performance, and integration of DFE tools into
the overall design tool hierarchy is critical. In the process of mounting a concerted, crossindustry
effort to improve CAD technology, specific attention to DFE is essential.
Elsewhere in this roadmap is a detailed discussion of DFE tools currently available. In
this regard, a structured assessment effort can provide valuable information. Through a
collaborative effort, companies using DFE tools could join together to identify, test, and
evaluate tools that are currently available or in development. This kind of
characterization and evaluation project might also assess the compatibility of the tools
with other modules of integrated, hierarchical design tools, and define a common
framework, if required. These tools should address a variety of design for environment
issues, including chemical and material evaluation, alternative/substitute analysis, wastestream
impact analysis, energy use implications, and design for recyclability. In advanced
design for environment tools, automatic processes for minimizing harmful emissions, and
incorporation of end-use support systems to optimize environmentally appropriate end
use should also be included.
Integrated Modeling and Simulation: Tools that permit effective modeling and
simulation of processes and materials are also vital to the design process. Simulations
and supporting data, however, should extend beyond performance data and include
environmental characterization. Such simulations could enable informed trade-off
analyses when considering material or chemical substitutions or alternative processes.
Adoption and development of new or improved analytical tools should be a priority,
including mass balance tools to allow for identification of risks and improvements in
process, tool, and factory design; cost of ownership models that will drive toward lowcost
process, tool, factory, DFE solutions; and risk assessment tools to provide for
systematic data-driven ES&H decision-making. The infrastructure must be in place,
however, to enable the tool user (e.g., an engineer) to implement changes based on
results. The integration of environmental data into the model/ simulation would also
facilitate cost, performance, and manufacturability evaluation.
Information Systems Management and Process Integration: Each roadmap addresses the
importance of leveraging information systems for productivity enhancement and effective
factory/process integration. Again, the specific concerns relating to incorporation of environmental
data in the MIS system are marginally addressed. However, application of information
tools, such as network data access or real-time (in situ) environmental process
monitoring systems, have the potential to decrease costs and increase process efficiency.
The use of information networks can also facilitate supply chain management, integrating
external suppliers and other organizations with source reduction, design, process management,
and factory/process systems.
Materials and Chemistries: Across the spectrum of electronic components, certain
common challenges are faced in the areas of materials and chemicals used as raw
materials, in processes, or remaining in end products. Key environmental safety and
health issues include improved handling of hazardous materials, alternatives to hazardous
materials, waste stream minimization or abatement, selective deposition processes, point-