Repairability testing

In Europe, the disposal of defective appliances and devices generates 35 million tons of avoidable waste every year. For a more efficient circular economy, consumers need products that are easier to repair and can therefore be used longer. Companies and institutions too are increasingly opting for sustainable products in their tenders and procurement. The legislature is supporting this development by introducing different regulations such as the "Right to Repair" and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

Manufacturers of technical devices who are mindful of a repairable design have good chances to stand out from the competition with a sustainable design of their products – regardless of whether their product already falls under a legal regulation or not. By optimizing and testing their devices for repairability and assigning them a repairability index at an early stage, manufacturers can attract the growing target group of environmentally conscious and cost-conscious consumers and buyers. A better repairability through a sustainable product design not only conserves natural resources, but also enables straightforward and therefore inexpensive repairs that extend the product life.

You want to gain a major competitive advantage with repairability testing? TÜV Rheinland will support you.

With the Ecodesign Directive, the European Union has already laid the foundation for a sustainable product design for many energy-powered product groups and bolstered the development of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products. The EU is now taking the next steps with the initiatives for the new Ecodesign Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the "Right to Repair" Directive: New appliances must be designed to allow for an easier repair, and it must be possible to repair defective appliances within a reasonable period of time, even after the minimum warranty period has ended.

Specifically, the legislation regarding the right to repair applies to appliances and devices for which repairability requirements are specified in the relevant EU Ecodesign Regulations. These currently include washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, smartphones, and tablets. Other product groups will follow. But what exactly does "repairability" mean?

To answer this question, it is helpful to look at the definition of "repair" (DIN EN 45554), as "a process of returning a faulty product to a condition where it can fulfill its intended use."

It is thus directly a matter of extending the service life of a product.

To this effect, France established the "Indice de Réparabilité” in 2021, a mandatory repairability index for the product groups of washing machines, lawnmowers, smartphones, laptops, TVs, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and high-pressure washers. This index uses a rating scale of 1 to 10 to indicate how easily an appliance can be repaired, what tools and instructions are needed for the repair, and how quickly and at what cost the necessary spare parts can be procured.

As a manufacturer of technical products, you can use the "right to repair" to your advantage: Have TÜV Rheinland analyze and test the repairability of your appliances already now. Use the results to optimize the design of your products and demonstrate transparency and sustainability to your customers.

Testing is carried out in accordance with existing product regulations and standards published by the EU or France, such as the European standard EN 45554:2020 or Article L. 541-9-2 of the French Environmental Code.

Testing involves 4 steps:

1. Assembly and commissioning of the product, study of the product design and the product use by experts including review of the provided documentation
2. Product analysis with identification of priority repair parts and review of the documentation plus creation of the assessment scheme for calculating the repairability
3. Disassembly testing and repair testing with detailed documentation of the repair steps, photo documentation, and analytical assessments and evaluations
4. Final review of the documentation and test report on the repairability of the product