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 particularly evident for the management of end-of-life of mechatronic devices, since their diffusion is quickly increasing and they are largely composed of key-metals and rare earths that can 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 new de-manufacturing factories. Within this scope, this paper critically reviews past research in these areas and outlines future priorities.