Analysis and optimisation of disassembly depth distribution: an application in electronic device redesign to reduce environmental impact at end-of-life

Abstract

The present paper proposes the application of a structured method for the analysis and reconfiguration of the disassembly depth distribution of components making up an electronic device with the aim of obtaining a generalised improvement in ease of disassembly, in relation to the necessity of reducing their environmental impact at end-of-life. As evidenced by the results from the case study, by means of an appropriate metric to assess the effectiveness of the distribution, the method provide information regarding the criticality of a system and make it possible to direct an intervention modifying the principal design parameters in a way that improves the overall efficiency of disassembly.