Chassis: The Frame of the Scooter
The structural components of an electric mobility scooter
The structural parts of the scooter that are manufactured and can be recycled to attain the circular economy, they are chassis, wheels, and suspensions and the seat assembly. Chassis is the physical frame of the automobile. It is the internal frame of the scooter and supports it in the use and construction. It is the underpart of the scooter where the body is mounted and if the gear like transmission and wheels are included the assembly is known as the rolling chassis. Chassis can be made sustainable by:
Collecting and sorting; the first step of recycling the chassis which is made up of the metal is the collection of the metals products and then sorting by removing any compound that may be attached to the chassis. The chassis is sorted to the rubbish skips, ready for the transportation to the scrap metal super collectors for the processing (Authority, 2015).
Shredding and crushing; the chassis parts are put into the processing plants to crush the metal parts into compactors and can be handled easily on the conveyor belts. The mill’s hammer then shreds the chassis into small pieces.
Separation; the chassis shredded is placed in the magnetic drum that separates the metals of ferrous and nonferrous ones. Materials that are not metal like the plastics are removed by blowing hot air through the metals shredded and sucking out the impurities like the vacuum (Beriatos, 2014).
Melting and purification; the chassis are then melted in the large furnaces and every metal have the furnace designed specially depending on their properties. The furnaces have burners of efficient fuel regeneration to reduce the amount of energy and the impact on the environment. They are made of jet stirrers making sure the composition and even temperature by promoting the circulation of metals within the furnace. The process of stirring ensures the highest quality of chassis while in the molten state. The chassis is purified by the eddy currents and electrolysis before pounded into dissimilar moulds depending on the metals type and cooled.
The benefits of circular economy of the scooter are that the energy and natural resources are being conserved, reducing the greenhouse gases, water pollution by reducing the dumping to landfill, recycling. It also saves the energy that could be used to manufacture a new chassis from the raw materials (Bompan, 2018).
Wheels are circular components that rotate an axle bearing. The wheels with axles allow the heavy materials to be easily moved facilitating transportation and movement supporting a load and labor machines. The circular economy of the wheels can starts with the collection where all the used wheel of the mobile electric scooter are assembled, sorted by removing the tires and rims. The metallic part that is rim is shredded, separated, melted and then purified to ensure that it does not contain impurities (Brebbia, 2017).
Circular Economy of the Chassis
Suspension; it the collection of shock absorbers and springs, it can be the rear and front suspension. The suspension of the electric scooter insulates the vehicle and the rider from the shock of the road and keeps the wheels in contact with the ground and gives the control of the vehicle to the rider. When designing the seat of the scooter, it is rotated forty-five degrees to outgress and ingress the rider. The foldable armrest is made by having rotated at ninety degrees. The suspension and seat assembly can be collected from the old scooters, assorted, melted and purified (Cavani, 2010).
Electrical parts of an electric mobility scooter
The electrical parts used to manufacture the electric and mobile scooters comprise the motors, circuit boards, wires and batteries. The electric motor of the scooter converts the electrical energy to mechanical energy. The electric generator can also be used to mechanical energy to electrical energy. The magnetic field and winding currents interact to give out force. When practising the circular economy of these motors of the electric mobility scooter, all the old scooters are collected, sorted then returned to the manufacturing industries to be recycled (Commons, 2010).
The battery of the scooter is broken up into pieces and then placed in the bay where the heavy materials and lead will be at the bottom whereas the plastics will float. At this point, the pieces of polyvinyl are scooped and liquid is taken out leaving the heavy metals and lead. The molten lead is poured into the moulds ingot and the impurities will float on the top of the molten lead. The impurities are scraped off and the molten lead is left to cool and removed from the molten sand sent to the manufacturers of the batteries where they will be remelted and used in the production of new batteries for the electric mobility scooter. The switches, wires and circuit board which are also very important in the scooters can be collected from the old and dumped scooter. They are sorted by removing unwanted materials and then send back to the manufacturers to recycle them back to the system to be used in the production of the new scooters (Dastbaz, 2016).
Miscellaneous parts of an electric mobility scooter
The tires are used to support the whole scooter and can be recycled when wear or damage. The damaged tires can be collected and sorted then moved to another stage to be shredded to be used as landfill replacing the materials for construction and to cover the sites of the landfill. Pyrolysis is used to reprocess the old and damaged tires into gas fuels, and low-grade black carbon to be used in manufacturing the new tire. The old tires can also be used to manufacture the cement and rubber. Transmission is found in the scooters and acts as a lubricant to keep the moving parts stable making the gear shift smoothly (Dastbaz, 2016). The dirty transmission fluids can be replaced by the fresh ones and should not be disposed into the landfill or mixed with other materials because of it dangerous. The used ones can be reused as the lubricants to the electric mobility scooter to ensure that the movable parts are effective. Upholstery provides the scooter seats with the padding, and leather cover, they are to be collected, sported and transferred the manufactures to recycle (Everett, 2012).
Wheels: Circular Components that Rotate an Axle Bearing
The life circle of the electric mobility scooter after the materials and energy flow have been made circular can be described by the processes explained below:
Composition
The electric mobility scooter is composed of the electric parts that are manufactured by the suppliers and assembled in the factory like motors, wire, switches, batteries and circuit boards. The ones manufactured in the factories include; chassis, wheel, suspension, transmission, seat assembly, bodywork, tire and upholstery. The mobile scooter for disabling has three to five and the flat area for the feet and the handlebars in front to turn the steerable wheels. The seat may swivel to allow access when the handlebars blocked the front. The scooters are powered by the battery, they have batteries are on the scooter and are charged onboard or the separate battery charger unit from the standard power of electricity (Walker, 2018).
The tiller reverse direction and controls the speed is the column for steering placed in the front of the scooter. The tiller may also have other parts like speed limiter, lightning controls when they are used at night the signals are turned. The switch is used to control the reverse and forward direction. The electric mobility scooters assist people with the problem of mobility around the world. The wheels with axles allow the heavy materials to be easily moved facilitating transportation and movement supporting a load and labour machines (Silberstein, 2017).
The process of manufacturing the electric mobility scooters
Chassis; the scooter is made from the ground and the frame forms the base where the body rests and other components follow. The frame is put on the assembly line to prevent the shifting when moving down the line. The components like the suspensions, gearbox, wheel drums, braking systems, rear axles and the components of steering box are installed substantially (Michae, 2016).
Body; the pan floor is the largest part where many braces and panels will be bolted and welded. The scooter shell is built as the body moves the assembly line. The front and the pillars of the rear door and the panels are assembled in the same manner.
Paints; the body must pass serious inspections and the scooter shell passes through the white and brightly lit room to be wiped by the inspectors using the soaked cloths in the oil. The inspectors are able to see the defects in the metal sheet body panel because of the oil. The shell also passes through the cleaning station where the residual of oil and contaminants are cleaned. The scooter then proceeds to the drying station and through the electronically charged bath of the undercoat paint that covers the body shell and the coats acts as the surface of the substrate where the top coat paint attaches (MacArthur, 2012).
Circular Economy of the Wheels
Interior assembly; after painting, the scooter passes to the assembly area where the workers assemble all the systems of wiring, seat, wheel, motor, tires and brakes. After this, the mating process occurs where the workers will get the final trim of the battery, anti-freeze and tyres. The scooter then is stated, the motor is edited, the tires balanced and the charging systems examined.
Environmental impacts of electrical mobility scooter
The electric mobility scooters are environmentally friendly since the electricity don’t require the burning of the fossils fuels which pollutes the environment. The scooter should be used effectively to lengthen its lifespan. Some of the parts of the electric mobility scooters should be disposed of safely since they can pollute the environment where they are many like tires. The process of recycling most of the parts being pyrolysis is effective since the parts are burnt with the presence of little or no oxygen hence little pollution. Some of the processes of recycling are also dangerous since gas of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide can be produced which can cause global warming, climate change and ozone layer depletion (Manna, 2011).
Uses of mobility scooter
They mobility scooters are used by the persons with disability for movement though some do not protect the users from the adverse weather conditions. The scooters have optimized seats for the disabled and provide greater comfort making it comfortable to ride.
Sustainability of mobility scooter
Most of the parts of the electric mobility scooters can be recycled to manufacture new artefacts. The tire can be melted to the molten state and used to manufacture other things like rubber. The old rim can be collected, recycled, and used to manufacture other new electric mobility scooters. Other parts of the scooters can be reused in the company by selling as a second hand to the physically disabled people without dismantling the whole scooter. The parts of the electric scooter that cannot be recycled and are non-bio degradable should be replaced with the biodegradable materials that are friendly to the environment to reduce the negative impacts and enhancing sustainable development (Brebbia, 2017).
The principle of circular economy aims at removing and eliminating the disposal of the materials that can be used again or recycled for sustainability. The product can be returned to the company to be dismantled for the reuse or recycled and after dismantling the whole electric mobility scooters the electric parts like switches should be returned to the manufactures
Suspension and Seat Assembly
Short-term and Long-term steps towards a sustainable system
For the sustainability of the system to be known, the company should know the long term and short terms steps for the miscellaneous, electrical and structural parts used to manufacture the electronic mobility scooters for the disabled. The sustainable systems are the management and coordination of the social, financial and concerns of the environment to ensure the responsible and ethical success (Michae, 2016). The short term and long term steps that can be taken for every component used in the electric mobility scooters to ensure sustainable systems of the company are:
The short-term steps can be the strategic communication for sustainability both internally and externally. Raising awareness about the sustainability of the scooter components, both structural, electrical and miscellaneous is very important. Raising awareness will include educating the people on how they can dispose the damaged scooters and the importance of their actions. The buyers of the scooters can also be urged to return the scooters when they are old so that they can be dismantled and remanufactured or reuse the parts. The people can be awarded according to the number of the damaged scooters they returned to the company, hence many of them will tend to collect the parts, scraps so that they can get the reward and this enhance sustainability and circular economy (living, 2016).
The company should also choose the team leader which is a short term step to accompany the ongoing process of promoting sustainability of the electric scooter. The leader can be setting the regular meeting and also giving the reports regularly on the process is going. The incentive system will be then be established to reward the performers of sustainability of the team or single employees. The policies should also be set and the penalties are given to anyone found mismanaging the damaged electrical mobility scooters. There should be specific companies manufacturing and recycling the scooters to reduce the pollution (Paul, 2013)
The implementation of the strategies which is the long term step is also important to enhance the sustainability of the electric mobility scooter components. It begins with the elaboration of the new policies and regulation, codes of the conducts, signs and the posters with the information regarding the sustainability of the electric mobility scooters. The implementation process continues with the revised screening and contracts with the supplies and the employees and also training them so that everyone is familiar with the subject (Lacy, 2016). The company should have precise objectives and after the implementation, monitoring and evaluation is a very important long term step. People should travel to see if really the scooter parts are disposed of safely and if the people are complying with policies. Some of the long-term steps that can be used by the company include the innovation of the technologies to make their work easier collaboration with other green building economies promoting sustainability systems, and also greening the chain of supply (Haggar, 2010).
Circular Economy of Suspension and Seat Assembly
Conclusion:
The electrical mobility scooters are good since they help the disabled people who are unable to walk. The circular economy is very important since it ensures that nothing goes at wastes by ensuring that the components of the electric mobility scooter are in the endless flow from the manufacturers to the users and again back to the manufacturers for recycling. A circular economy is an approach to the environmental sustainability characterized by the economic model’s creation where no negative impact on the environment is seen. The sustainable system is also discussed and the short term and long term steps of ensuring sustainability of the electric mobility scooter like education, creating the awareness, collaboration, implementation and process improvement.
This research paper is about the sustainability of mobile electric scooters. It explains how the concept of circular economy could be applied to the company and the products. Electric scooters are electric vehicles with two to three wheels powered by electricity. The electricity is kept on the rechargeable batteries that drives many electric motor. Circular economy aims to redefine the services and products to design the wastes out and reduce the negative impacts. The circular economy is the environmental sustainability approach known for the creation of economic models that generate no negative impacts on the environment. To achieve the models that are environmentally and economically sustainable the circular economy focuses on system thinking, design thinking, recycling and product life extension.
They mobility scooters are used by the persons with disability for movement though some do not protect the users from the adverse weather conditions. The scooters have optimized seats for the disabled and provide greater comfort making it comfortable to ride. The components used in the scooters can also be made in circular economy where the scooter parts don’t become wasted but are recycled and returned back to the system. Some of the components are manufactured by the suppliers like the electric parts and others manufactured by the company. The main types of the scooter components are electrical components, structural parts, and miscellaneous parts (Agency, 2010).
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