Cell Phone Dissection

1: Back Housing

            polycarbonate, silver coloring

            injection molding

2: Front Housing

            polycarbonate, glass, silver coloring

            injection molding

3: Keypad and Lens Housing

            polycarbonate, glass, silver coloring

            injection molding

4: LCD Display Screen

LCD back lights, flex ribbon cable, speakers, liquid crystal display, glass, mercury

5: Interior Protecting Bumpers

            dyed rubber

            injection Molding

6: Back Housing Cover

            polycarbonate

            injection molding

7: Front Keybad

            polycarbonate, printed coloring

            injection molding

8: Circuit Board

computer chip, printed circuit board, copper, adhesive, epoxy resin, gold plating, arsenic, antimony, beryllium, brominated flame retardants, calcium, lad, nickel, silver, tantalum, and zinc

9: SD card (Secure Digital card):

            polycarbonate, gold plating

10: Lithium Battery:

            aluminum, lithium ion cell

11: Buttons (Sound, Power, etc.)

            polycarbonate

            injection Molding

12: Hardware (screws):

            steel

13: Inside battery and circuit board cover:

            steel

            injection molding

            

For this project in Materials and Processes, we were to find a cell phone, or even a regular telephone, take it apart, and dissect it.  We were then assigned to research the materials and processes involved to fabricate the phone.  I chose my dad's old at&t Samsung Ruby II.  Taking the phone apart was a fairly enjoyable process.  It was like a hide and seek game finding the screws, which were all hidden under small pieces of plastic attached with adhesive.  Researching the raw materials and processes of the phone was a whole different, and frustrating process.  Each website only had a minimal amount of information about one certain part of the phone.  With what I could find, and with what I have learned, I matched the names to the materials and processes involved. On the above diagram, I have marked the different significant parts of the cell phone.  Below are matching numbers, and a list of the materials the part may have consisted of, and what processes might have taken place.  Learning about the life sequence of our electronic devices in the few videos we watched in class were great connectors in this project.  Some of these phones contain dangerous materials and chemicals that can't just be thrown away.  Designers today should focus on making products out of materials that can be easily reused or recycled.