Dell Concept Luna: The notebook can be dismantled into individual parts without screws

Under the name Concept Luna, Dell is driving the development of a more sustainable notebook, which was first shown at CES in early 2022. In the current version for CES 2023, the company goes one step further and enables dismantling into individual components without screws and with just one tool.

The first Concept Luna, presented at the beginning of this year, had the goal of a notebook with as few screws as possible, easily replaceable components, a longer-lasting battery and the use of new materials that can be recycled with less effort. The carbon footprint should also be reduced via components such as a 75 percent smaller motherboard with 20 percent fewer components. Around 50 percent of the CO2 balance can be saved in this way for these components, Dell explained last January.

Dell Concept Luna (Image: Dell)

In the first Concept Luna, the components were arranged in such a way that their heat development was better decoupled from one another in order to promote the longevity of the components and to be able to do without active ventilation. This in turn reduced energy consumption, which enabled a smaller battery, which in turn was equipped with battery cells specially optimized for deep discharge. The aluminum used for Concept Luna was also produced by hydropower and pressed for the chassis instead of being milled with a lot of energy.

Concept Luna gives ideas, but remains a concept

Three weeks before the start of CES 2023 Dell is now showing the next generation of the Concept Luna in Las Vegas, which is still just a concept notebook that is supposed to give ideas for implementation in Dell's series production in the long term, but not as shown will be released.

Notebook comes without screws, cables and adhesives

While Dell had reduced the Concept Luna to just four screws for disassembling the notebook in the first generation, the current iteration does not require any screws at all. An enclosed tool is inserted into the chassis on the right, whereupon a strip above the keyboard can be removed and then all components can be removed from the case as plugged-in modules. Dell can also completely dispense with adhesives and cables with the new model. With the Concept Luna, Dell only takes a few minutes out of hours of disassembling a classic notebook.

The matching micro-factory is also available

The device was also designed to be easily disassembled by a comparatively compact robot. Dell has also presented the appropriate “micro factory” for this. The associated robot can also diagnose the individual components and assess their condition. For this purpose, Concept Luna was equipped with the appropriate telemetry, explains Dell, in order to determine, for example, which components can still be used and which are no longer operable and can be recycled. For example, if you often work with an external mouse and keyboard, you will probably recycle the Concept Luna with new input devices, while the mainboard may be defective. You don't throw away a car just because it needs new tires or brakes, argues Dell.

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Dell Concept Luna (Image: Dell)

ComputerBase has received information about this article from Dell under NDA. The only requirement was the earliest possible publication date.