Effects of design for disassembly on integrated disassembly and assembly processes

A growing concern about the environment has spurred research into the design of more environmentally benign products. Although the environmental considerations cover the entire product´s life cycle, one of the most pressing environmental problems the Western World is facing is waste and landfill. Under pressure by the European governments, global manufacturers are thinking more and more on how to dispose appropriately of their products. A trend can be seen towards increased product take back and subsequent automation, with special emphasis on automated disassembly and separation for product recycling and reuse (Ashley 1993). Nowadays, numerous design for disassembly (DFD) guidelines exist. However, little work has been done on studying the effects of implementing these guidelines. In this paper, the simulation and results of an integrated single-use camera disassembly/assembly process are presented with the goal of investigating trends in the effects of DFD design changes on disassembly and assembly efficiency