Flexible automation systems for de- and remanufacturing

The main objective of the Phd is to develop innovative automated processes and systems for the de- and remanufacturing industry. These systems aim at improving the reuse, repair and remanufacturing of waste of electric and electronic equipment, as well as the recycling of critical and precious metals and plastics. Due to the high variation of discarded products, flexibility of the de- and remanufacturing systems is extremely challenging and goes far beyond the state-of-the-art manufacturing solutions. Therefore, innovative automated techniques and systems for product handling, product and material identification, and disassembly and dismantling techniques, as well as methods for reliable sample taking and for identification of (im)purities, size distribution and material downgrading will be investigated. In parallel, methods for lifecycle costing and environmental analysis will be developed and applied to a number of case studies to guide the design process and to quantify the potential for industrial implementation. These analyses will be based on the result of practical experiments performed in close collaboration with the industry