ME240/106S: Product Dissection - Appliances
Single-Use Cameras
References:
1. http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/environment/performance/recycling/suc.shtml
2. http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/film/otuc.shtml
3. http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/consumer/products/cameras/singleUse/singleUseFacts.shtml
4. Wheelwright, S.C. and Clark, K.B. (1995) Leading Product Development, Free Press, New York.
5. Alexander, B. (1993) Kodak Fun Saver Camera Recycling, Society of Plastics Engineers Recycling Conference - Survival Tactics thru the '90's, Chicago, IL, June 14-16, pp. 207-212.
6. Scheuring, J. F., Bras, B. and Lee, K.-M. (1994) Effects of Design for Disassembly on Integrated Disassembly and Assembly Processes, Proceedings Fourth International Conference on Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Automation Technology, Troy, NY, October, pp. 53-59.
ME240/106S: Product Dissection - Appliances
First to Market
Fuji introduced QuickSnap 35mm single-use camera in the U.S. market in 1987.
Kodak, which did not have a single-use camera of its own, was caught unprepared.
The single-use camera market grew by more than 50 percent per year for the next 8 years:
• In 1988, 3 million single-use cameras were sold
• By 1994, over 43 million were sold
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Kodak’s Response to Fuji
Kodak introduced its first model over a year later
Fuji had already developed a second model, the QuickSnap Flash
Kodak had experimented with single-use cameras:• Early version introduced in mid-1980’s produced blurred pictures and
had many quality problems.
• Kodak prided itself on excellent film quality; putting film into an inexpensive, plastic, single-use camera could result in second-rate photographs and hurt Kodak.
• Feared single-use cameras would cannibalize film sales whose gross margins were very high (80%).
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Kodak’s Platform Approach
From April 1989 and July 1990, Kodak redesigned its base model and introduced three additional models
Because of their platform strategy, Kodak was able to develop its products faster and more cheaply, delivering twice as many products as Fuji
By 1994, Kodak had captured more than 70% of the U.S. market.
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Kodak Improves Recyclability
Initially called “Kodak Fling” cameras, single-use cameras viewed as “disposables” or “throwaways”
This upset many environmental groups, calling the cameras “ecologically offensive”.
In 1990-1991, a massive redesign effort began to facilitate recycling and part reuse
• Integrated design, development, manufacturing, business, and environmental personnel
New designs were easier to disassemble, inspect, reuse, and reload
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per (an Alum can takes ~60 days)
Single-Use Camera Recycling
Single-use cameras have since become the cornerstone in Kodak’s efforts in recycle, reuse, and remanufacture.
• 70% recycle rate in US
• 60% rate worldwide
A single-use camera can be returned to the shelf in 30 days after collected from a developer
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Single-Use Camera Recycling
Exchange partnerships have been established with Fuji, Konica, and other single-use camera manufacturers
By weight, 77-86% of a Kodak single use camera can be reused or recycled
Kodak now provides the best example of “closed-loop” recycling in the world.
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Single-Use Camera Lifecycle
Step 1• Camera is manufactured and loaded with unexposed film
which is pre-wound from the cartridge into a roll in the camera.
Step 2• Consumer purchases and uses camera, winding film back into
the cartridge one frame at a time as photographs are taken.
Step 3• Consumer returns entire camera to a photo-finisher for
processing.
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Single-Use Camera Lifecycle (cont.)
Step 4.• Photofinisher removes the battery and film cartridge and
develops the pictures.
• Camera body is returned to the manufacturer for reuse and recycling.
• Manufacturer pays photofinisher a small fee for each camera returned as incentive to recycle.
• Battery is reused by another industry since it still has over half of its useful life remaining.
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Single-Use Camera Lifecycle (cont.)
Step 5.• Manufacturer removes lenses and external enclosures for
regrind with to raw materials.
• Internal camera body and mechanism assembly is inspected and re-used, and new film, a battery, lenses and outer covers are added to make a “new” single use camera ready for sale.
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“Closed-Loop” Recycling Program
Step 1Step 1Step 2Step 2
Step 3Step 3
Step 4Step 4Step 5Step 5
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Covers: • The polystyrene covers of the Kodak Fun Saver pocket cameras
(both flash and daylight models) are ground up and recycled into covers for new cameras.
• The paperboard outer shell of Fun Saver 35, Fun Saver panoramic and Fun Saver telefoto 35 cameras is made of recycled material.
• The polycarbonate shell of the Fun Saver Weekend 35 camera models is ground up and sold to make non-photographic products.
Label: • On the Kodak Fun Saver models, the graphic label is ground up
during the recycling of the outer covers.
Component Recycling and Reuse
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Component Recycling and Reuse
Film: • After removing the Kodak film for processing, the photofinisher has
the option of returning the camera to Kodak for recycling and reuse. • Since retailers and photofinishers play a key role in this recycling
process, they are reimbursed for each camera returned and shipping costs.
Lens: • To ensure optical purity, the camera receives a new lens each time
it is recycled. • Used lenses are ground up and sold to outside companies as raw
materials for other products.
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Component Recycling and Reuse
Camera Mechanism: • The chassis, basic camera mechanism and electronic flash
system are tested, inspected and reused.
Viewfinder: • The viewfinder is re-ground and recycled into new internal
camera parts.
Battery: • Kodak donates any returned batteries to charity or the
photofinisher may reuse them.
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Component Recycling and Reuse
Parts of the cameras that don't pass inspection are simply ground up and fed into the raw material stream for molding into new cameras.
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Initial Kodak FunSaverTM Design
A
B
C
D
E
FG
H
I
J
K
L
M
IJL
A. Base B. View Box C. Shutter D. Number Gear E. Hair Spring F. Cantilever G. Square Hole Dial H. Movement Cam I. Swivel Piece J. Internal Spring K. Large Top Gear L. Sub-Assembly Body M. Top Cover
How do Kodak’s new cameras compare to the original design?
You will investigate this as part of the
in-class lab by dissecting an old
camera and one of the newer models
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Kodak Single-Use Cameras(http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/film/otuc.shtml)
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Kodak Single-Use Cameras
MAXWaterproof
MAXOutdoor
MAXFlash
MAXPanoramic
MAXSport
MAXWedding
Pack
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Fuji QuickSnap Colors (http://www.fujifilm.com/bridgepages/colors.html)