An Approach to Analytically Evaluate the Product Disassemblability during the Design Process

In order to favor the implementation of closed-loop scenarios at the product End of Life (EoL), it is essential to consider the disassembly phase during the design process. In this context, the paper presents a design for disassembly approach to quantitatively estimate the product disassemblability. The methodology is based on a knowledge database about liaisons, which have been classified and characterized with different properties, in order to take into account the liaison specificity and real conditions in the moment of the disassembly. Starting from the product structure and liaisons between components, the methodology allows to analytically calculate the disassembly time and cost of components/sub-assemblies. The case study (combination oven) demonstrates the usefulness of the proposed approach in identifying the product criticalities which is necessary to consider during the redesign phase in order to improve the product disassemblability performances.