CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
3 November 2008
Implementation Investments
G‘Reee’n Chair Developed in SolidWorks Software Uses Recycled Video Game Plastic
A small U.K. company is using SolidWorks® 3D CAD and SolidWorks Simulation design validation software to develop a stackable chair made from video game consoles, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks) announced. Aiming to put a dent in the millions of tons of plastic waste generated every year, the Reee chair incorporates the plastic from nine video game consoles and is the first chair of its kind in the U.K. to use 100 percent recycled plastic from a single source. Every chair prevents 2.4 kilograms of plastic from entering the landfill.
Designed and manufactured in the U.K., the Reee chair is at the forefront of compliance with the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which makes proper disposal of WEEE materials the responsibility of manufacturers. The chair is the brainchild of Christopher Pett, founder of sustainable product development company Pli Design Ltd. in London. He came up with the idea at the Eden project in Cornwall while discussing the possibility of reusing plastic from waste electronics products with other manufacturers – including Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Pett contacted specialist sustainable design consultancy Sprout Design Ltd. to develop an eco-friendly chair that is ergonomic, affordable for commercial, education, and domestic markets, and made from 100 percent recycled plastic from PlayStation®2 games console casings. Pli expects to ship 3,000 chairs, representing 7.5 tons of recycled plastic, in the next year. Click here to listen to a podcast interview with Pett.
“The final design is quite complex, though each component by itself is fairly simple,” said Guy Robinson, engineer with Sprout. “There were a lot of details to get the geometry and ergonomics right, such as how the stiffness and flex of the ribs responded to the body, and how to make the clips tamperproof yet easy to disassemble, etc. SolidWorks allowed us to tweak the design of the individual components while showing how this affected the whole product to get it right. We would have abandoned this concept early on if we didn’t have that flexibility.”
Sprout used SolidWorks SimulationXpress to ensure the chair would be strong enough to support sitters without over-engineering the amount of plastic in the seat’s ribs, reinforcing the sustainable design theme. Both Pett and Robinson hope the Reee Chair sets a precedent for electronics manufacturers around the world.
“The Reee Chair is a great example of innovation and creative design thinking around sustainability issues. By combining quality, style, and affordability with low carbon footprint, the Reee chair project demonstrates that sustainable design also makes good business sense,” said Chris McManus, the U.K. and Ireland country manager for DS SolidWorks Corp. “DS SolidWorks is committed to helping manufacturers discover new ways to achieve sustainable design to reduce their environmental impact.”
Sprout Design and Pli rely on authorized SolidWorks reseller NT CADCAM for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
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