INDAR debonding innovation by RESCOLL to enhance repairability index

Major steps for durability and right to repair have been taken in France.

Since January, 1 2021, smartphones, tablets, televisions, and computers sold in France must be labelled with a repairability index. This information has become mandatory for electronic devices, as well as washing machines and electric lawnmowers. A second step would be to extend the index in the near future to non-electronic products such as bikes and furniture.

The score on the label will take the form of a rating system ranging from 1 to 10, based on criteria such as: ease of disassembly, price and availability of spare parts, and access to repair information.

Manufacturers must determine the score of their products using the repairability scoring grid. Penalties should be applied from 2022.

To give the repairability index on 10, the final score is firstly calculated on 100 (20 points for each of the following criteria):

• Availability of the technical documentation and maintenance instructions
• Ease of disassembly parts
• Availability over time of spare parts
• Ratio between price of parts to the price of the product
• Specific criterion for the product family

The French repairability index is expected to set an example for other European countries, as illustrated by the result of the recent European Parliament vote for the Right to Repair. France is not the only EU nation taking proactive measures in favour of more sustainable consumption and design. Austria will also reduce taxes on repair services and offer subsidies for consumer repairs, in particular for bikes, clothing and shoes.

Adhesives are widely used in these devices for many reasons such as design needs, easy processing, weight or cost savings. A strong effort has been achieved so far to enhance the level of adherence in structural assemblies and a new challenge appears now: how to dismantle easily these assemblies for maintenance or recycling purposes ?

Dismantling of cured adhesives is often impossible without using invasive methods (heat, solvents), with risks of substrate damages and Health and Safety issues.

INDAR is a debonding technology patented by Rescoll, which allows to fully answer the 2^nd criterion of the repairability index (ease of dismantling). INDAR debonding primer is compatible with all adhesives without any effect on the high mechanical properties of the adhesives during service life, but once thermally triggered on-demand, the primer activation allows an easy and clean disassembly.

Want to design more durable and repairable products?

More info: cedric.dauga@rescoll.fr

adhesiveassembly • circulareconomy • debonding • ecodesign • indicedereparabilite • repair • repairabilityindex