Integrated De-Manufacturing Systems as New Approach To End-Of-Life Management Of Mechatronic Devices

Nowadays De-manufacturing, the processes finalized to the re-manufacturing, re-use and recycling of products and components, is still considered as a minor industry reflecting no-engineered approaches. The unsustainability of actual business models is outstandingly evident for the management of end-of-life of mechatronic devices: their diffusion is quickly increasing and they are largely composed of key-metals and rare earths that could be recovered and re-cycled. Only a new paradigm, where De-manufacturing is considered and practiced by industrial companies at the same extent of manufacturing, should allow a sustainable product life-cycle. This wide challenging target needs a novel multidisciplinary perspective where De-manufacturing business models, system engineering, product design, IT-enabled plant management methods and tools, intelligent automation, process technologies for disassembly, remanufacturing and materials recycling are integrated as the constitutive elements of a new De-manufacturing Factory. Within this scope, this paper critically reviews past research in these areas and outlines future priorities