Advantech, the global industrial computer (IPC) and automation equipment leader, today announced that its PPC-L128T Panel PC has received a ‘Product Carbon Footprint Certification Statement’ from the China Environmental Certification Center, Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEPCEC). Received in April, the certification marks a continued push toward energy-saving and environmental protection in manufacturing. PPC products will gradually adopt green design concepts throughout the product line, furthering Advantech’s commitment as an industry leader in the practice of corporate social responsibility, and fulfilling its mission to manufacture and deliver energy-saving designs.

Product Carbon Footprint Certification
Advantech agreed to perform a carbon footprint verification for one of it’s products based on an invitation from China’s local government. The project began last November at Advantech’s Kunshan manufacturing center where a team was organized to coordinate efforts. From making supplier arrangements to holding a PAS 2050 carbon standard training program, the team called hundreds of vendors and asked for them to provide details about carbon footprint data. Within a few months, Advantech completed the investigation for its PPC-L128 panel PC, including raw materials and manufacturing production and successfully obtained the product certification from MEPCEC.

Fully Promoting Green Design
Gaining the carbon footprint certification for PPC-L128T is Advantech’s first step in promoting environmental protection. Green design concepts will be incorporated into the panel PC product line starting with the very early stages of design development. Advantech’s green design concept promotes energy savings in industrial touch computers by introducing LED backlight modules , low-power CPUs and chipsets, energy-saving power ICs, and simplified exterior design. Backlight brightness is automatically adjusted using a light sensor.

The Green Concept Component List
When it comes to the design of a panel PC, the LCD display is the most power-hungry part. Advantech will use LED backlight modules for all its PPC products. Light sensors in the front frame detect ambient light changes and automate backlight adjustment, providing comfortable reading and enhanced energy efficiency. During idle time, the system will automatically change backlight settings to the lowest level. To meet the needs of harsh industrial environments, a low-power CPU and chipset will be used to help with system cooling and reduce system power. To further reduce heat and power consumption, a fanless option will be available. European environmental standards call for power consumption of lessthan 1W during system standby. Accordingly, Advantech will introduce energy-saving ICs enabling more accurate power control while reducing power consumption in sleep mode.

Green Product Design
Based on the principle of “reduce, reuse, and recycle,” Advantech plans to eliminate composite materials to simplify its PPC mechanical design. Circuit board optimization by experienced electronic, EMI, and layout engineers, has resulted in changes to the position of high-frequency components such as power IC, choke, and crystals, as well as bringing high speed traces into the inner layer. This new approach reduces the impact of electromagnetic interference (EMI) from various components and eliminates the need to internally coat PPCs with a conductive paint or plate with a metal layer. The result is decreased cost and use of composite materials. This also benefits recycling operations and reduces waste.

Advantech believes that efficientdesign, phasing-out older products, and implementing new energy-saving technologies is the right and responsible position it should pursue to truly meet goals in carbon reduction.