Industry 4.0 in Remanufacturing

Analysis and evaluation of current research approaches

JournalIndustrie 4.0 Management
Issue Volume 37, 2021, Edition 4, Pages 37-40
Open Accesshttps://doi.org/10.30844/I40M_21-4_S37-40
Bibliography Share Cite Download

Abstract

Remanufacturing, previously characterized by manual and cost-intensive processes, is a critical step on the way to a resource-efficient circular economy. Industry and research agree that the introduction of Industry 4.0 technologies is the key to the development of automated and economical remanufacturing systems. Based on a systematic literature review, this paper is dedicated to the analysis of promising Industry 4.0 approaches with a focus on the overall process as well as the sub-processes of disassembly and inspection. The results suggest that there is a need for additional knowledge, experience and research in the development and real demonstration of the approaches and their transferability to broader application fields.

Keywords


Bibliography

[1] Chakraborty, K. u. a.: A Study on Remanufacturing Possibility of a Product. In: Microsystem Technologies 25 (5), S. 1765–1770 (2019).
[2] Steinhilper, R.: Remanufacturing: The Ultimate Form of Recycling. Stuttgart (1998).
[3] Ijomah, W. L. u. a.: Development of Robust Design-for-Remanufacturing Guidelines to Further the Aims of Sustainable Development. In: International Journal of Production Research 45 (18-19), S. 4513–4536 (2007).
[4] Huang, W. u. a.: Remanufacturing Scheme Design for Used Parts Based on Incomplete Information Reconstruction. In: Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering 33 (5), 41 (2020).
[5] Kerin, M.; Pham, D. T.: Smart Remanufacturing: A Review and Research Framework. In: Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management 31 (6), S. 1205–1235 (2020).
[6] Yang, S. u. a.: Opportunities for Industry 4.0 to Support Remanufacturing. In: Applied Sciences 8 (7), S. 1177 (2018).
[7] Pistorius, J.: Industrie 4.0 – Schlüsseltechnologien fur die Produktion: Grundlagen, Potenziale, Anwendungen. Berlin, Heidelberg (2020).
[8] Sundin, E. u. a.: Design for Automatic End-of-Life Processes. In: Assembly Automation 32 (4), S. 389–398 (2012).
[9] Wang, X. u. a.: From Cloud Manufacturing to Cloud Remanufacturing: A Cloud-based Approach for WEEE Recovery. In: Manufacturing Letters 2 (4), S. 91-95 (2014).
[10] Wang, X. V.; Wang, L.: WRCloud: A Novel WEEE Remanufacturing Cloud System. In: Conference: Procedia CIRP 29, S. 786–791 (2015).
[11] Wang, X. V.; Wang, L.: Digital Twin-based WEEE Recycling, Recovery and Remanufacturing in the Background of Industry 4.0. In: International Journal of Production Research 57 (12), S. 3892–3902 (2019).
[12] Fang, H. C. u. a.: Use of Embedded Smart Sensors in Products to Facilitate Remanufacturing. In: Handbook of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, S. 3265–3290 (2015).
[13] Zhou, W.; Piramuthu, S.: Remanufacturing with RFID Item-level Information: Optimization, Waste Reduction and Quality Improvement. In: International Journal of Production Economics 145 (2), S. 647–657 (2013).
[14] Zhang, Y. u. a.: The ‘Internet of Things’ Enabled Real-Time Scheduling for Remanufacturing of Automobile Engines. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 185, S. 562–575 (2018).
[15] Okorie, O. u. a.: Towards a Simulation-Based Understanding of Smart Remanufacturing Operations: A Comparative Analysis. In: Journal of Remanufacturing 14 (2), (2020).
[16] Ondemir, O.; Gupta, S. M.: Quality Management in Product Recovery Using the Internet of Things: An Optimization Approach. In: Computers in Industry 65 (3), S. 491–504 (2014).
[17] Gros, S. u. a.: Agentbased, Hybrid Control Architecture for Optimized and Flexible Production Scheduling and Control in Remanufacturing. In: Journal of Remanufacturing 14 (2), (2020).
[18] French, R. u. a.: Intelligent Sensing for Robotic Re-Manufacturing in Aerospace: An Industry 4.0 Design-Based Prototype. In: 2017 IEEE International Symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Sensors (IRIS), S. 272–277 (2017).
[19] Ruggeri, S. u. a.: Micro-Robotic Handling Solutions for PCB (Re-)Manufacturing. In: Procedia Manufacturing 11, S. 441–448 (2017).
[20] Huang, J. u. a.: A Strategy for Human-Robot Collaboration in Taking Products Apart for Remanufacture. In: FME Transactions 47 (4), S. 731–738 (2019).
[21] Li, R. u. a.: Unfastening of Hexagonal Headed Screws by a Collaborative Robot. In: IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, S. 1-14 (2020).
[22] Gerbers, R. u. a.: Safe, Flexible and Productive Human-Robot-Collaboration for Disassembly of Lithium-Ion Batteries. In: Sustainable Production, Life Cycle Engineering and Management, Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries, S. 99-126 (2018).
[23] Bdiwi, M. u. a.: Autonomous Disassembly of Electric Vehicle Motors Based on Robot Cognition. In: 2016 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), S. 2500–2505 (2016).
[24] Jungbluth, J. u. a.: Demontage von Elektroantrieben mit Assistenzrobotern zum wirtschaftlichen Recycling. In: Tagungsband AALE 2016, S. 10 (2016).
[25] Vongbunyong, S. u. a.: Basic Behaviour Control of the Vision-Based Cognitive Robotic Disassembly Automation. In: Assembly Automation 33 (1), S. 38–56 (2013).
[26] Vongbunyong, S. u. a.: Learning and Revision in Cognitive Robotics Disassembly Automation. In: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 34, S. 79–94 (2015).
[27] Vongbunyong, S. u. a.: A Process Demonstration Platform for Product Disassembly Skills Transfer. In: Procedia CIRP 61, S. 281–286 (2017).
[28] Ries, S. u. a.: Demontageeffektor für Schraubverbindungen mit ungewissem Zustand. In: ZWF Zeitschrift fuer Wirtschaftlichen Fabrikbetrieb 115 (10), S. 711-714 (2020).
[29] Chang, M. u. a.: Interactive AR-Assisted Product Disassembly Sequence Planning (ARDIS). In: International Journal of Production Research 58 (16), S. 4916–4931 (2020).
[30] Chang, M. u. a.: AR-Guided Product Disassembly for Maintenance and Remanufacturing. In: Procedia CIRP 61, S. 299–304 (2017).
[31] Mircheski, I.; Rizov, T.: Improved Nondestructive Disassembly Process Using Augmented Reality and RFID Product/Part Tracking. In: TEM Journal 6 (4), S. 671–676 (2017).
[32] Bentaha, M. L. u. a.: Profit-Oriented Partial Disassembly Line Design: Dealing with Hazardous Parts and Task Processing Times Uncertainty. In: International Journal of Production Research 56 (24), S. 7220–7242 (2018).
[33] Liu, M. u. a.: Robust Disassembly Line Balancing with Ambiguous Task Processing Times. In: International Journal of Production Research 58 (19), S. 5806–5835 (2020).
[34] Meng, W.; Zhang, X.: Optimization of Remanufacturing Disassembly Line Balance Considering Multiple Failures and Material Hazards. In: Sustainability 12 (18), S. 7318 (2020).
[35] Tian, G. u. a.: Disassembly Sequence Planning Considering Fuzzy Component Quality and Varying Operational Cost. In: IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 15 (2), S. 748–760 (2018).
[36] Li, S. u. a.: Multi-Objective Disassembly Sequence Optimization Aiming at Quality Uncertainty of End-of-Life Product. In: IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 631 (3), S. 32015 (2019).
[37] Xia, X. u. a.: 3D-Based Multi-Objective Cooperative Disassembly Sequence Planning Method for Remanufacturing. In: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 106 (4), S. 4611–4622 (2020).
[38] Li, L. u. a.: An Integrated Approach of Reverse Engineering Aided Remanufacturing Process for Worn Components. In: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 48, S. 39–50 (2017).
[39] Zheng, Y. u. a.: A Primitive-Based 3D Reconstruction Method for Remanufacturing. In: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 103 (4), S. 3667–3681 (2019).
[40] Khan, A. u. a.: Vision Guided Robotic Inspection for Parts in Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Industry. In: Journal of Remanufacturing 11 (6), S. 49-70 (2020).
[41] Schlüter, M. u. a.: Vision-Based Identification Service for Remanufacturing Sorting. In: Procedia Manufacturing 21, S. 384–391 (2018).
[42] Siddiqi, M. U. R. u. a.: Low Cost Three-Dimensional Virtual Model Construction for Remanufacturing Industry. In: Journal of Remanufacturing 9 (2), S. 129–139 (2019).
[43] Gibbons, Tom u. a.: A Gaussian Mixture Model for Automated Corrosion Detection in Remanufacturing. In: Advances in Transdisciplinary Engineering 8, S. 63–68 (2018).
[44] Nwankpa, C. u. a.: Achieving Remanufacturing Inspection Using Deep Learning. In: Journal of Remanufacturing 11 (2), S. 89-105 (2020).

Your downloads


You might also be interested in

Industry 4.0—Progress and Digitalization in Limbo

Industry 4.0—Progress and Digitalization in Limbo

Status of sustainable transformation and digitalization in production engineering
Christian Donhauser ORCID Icon, Daniel Riepl
Digitalization projects help users represent complex processes more simply and efficiently. However, there are many obstacles to implementation. Reluctance to implement these projects is palpable. This affects, among others, employers and employees, who may fall behind economically by waiting or avoiding change. These observations can be traced back to an overarching research question: What barriers and systemic challenges hinder sustainable transformation within the context of Industry 4.0, particularly when considering human labor in production engineering? What questions are the affected stakeholders asking? The primary goal of this long-term research project is to define these questions decisively and in detail in order to develop a conceptual foundation that integrates research, teaching, and technological development and thus combines the potential of digital technologies with the experiential and practical knowledge of production workers.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 3 | Pages 56-60
Optimized Manual Processes in Automotive Production

Optimized Manual Processes in Automotive Production

A module-based approach for the efficient creation of work system simulations
Barbara Brockmann, Tobias Jurk, Beate Stoffels, Jochen Deuse ORCID Icon
In the manufacturing industry, the integration of digital human models into the product development and manufacturing process is becoming increasingly important. Particularly in assembly, which is characterized by a high proportion of manual tasks, motion simulations enable a realistic representation of human work and thus make a significant contribution to the evaluation of motion economy, process validation, and efficiency improvement. However, widespread application in production planning faces various challenges, such as the high initial effort required to create human simulations as well as volatile planning conditions. This article presents a practice-oriented solution from the automotive assembly sector that enables the creation of simulations with reduced effort as well as their early and consistent use in the planning process.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 3 | Pages 48-55
Application Potentials of Chinese Knowledge Platforms

Application Potentials of Chinese Knowledge Platforms

Digital platforms for knowledge transfer in research and education
Yunhao Su, Martin Braun ORCID Icon
Knowledge drives innovation, which is why digital platforms are increasingly used for knowledge transfer. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a global leader in digitalization and digital platforms are central to Chinese knowledge transfer and innovation systems. This study supplements theoretical concepts of knowledge transfer with empirical findings on the (further) development of relevant knowledge platforms. It examines the influence of specific design features on the functionality and quality of digital knowledge platforms. A literature review identifies seven condensed success criteria. Nine leading Chinese knowledge platforms are categorized based on their transfer logic and functional scope. Online survey participants assess the platform-specific manifestations of the identified criteria and highlight potential and areas for improvement in platform-based knowledge transfer.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 3 | Pages 84-93
VR Training for Multimodal Cobot Interaction

VR Training for Multimodal Cobot Interaction

Virtual learning environments for collaborative robots
Christoph S. Zoller, Justus Langer, Kristoffer Waldow ORCID Icon, Merle Meyer, Arnulph Fuhrmann ORCID Icon
The VIRAMM research project is developing and prototyping a VR-based training concept for the integration of collaborative robots (cobots) in assembly-oriented U-cells. Since the benefits of cobots depend heavily on process, layout, and role integration, VIRAMM addresses the previously lacking consistent scenario design for variant comparisons with Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based evaluation.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 3 | Pages 106-112
Decentralized Coordination of AMRs

Decentralized Coordination of AMRs

Regulations for Autonomous Mobile Robots
Manuel Savadogo, Malte Stonis ORCID Icon, Peter Nyhuis ORCID Icon, Jürgen Hupp
The increasing automation of intralogistics requires flexible and resilient control concepts for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR). While centralized coordination approaches enable stringent control, they quickly reach their limits in terms of scalability and robustness. This paper therefore presents regulations for the decentralized coordination of AMR within the framework of the ORPHEUS project. The focus is on translating known decentralized decision-making principles into a rule framework tailored to industrial material flow scenarios, addressing both operational task assignment and safety-related conflict situations. ORPHEUS thus makes a significant contribution to the methodological structuring, parameterization, and practical transferability of decentralized coordination logics.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 3 | Pages 96-105
Immersive Human Digital Twins for Industry 4.0

Immersive Human Digital Twins for Industry 4.0

Supporting adaptive human-centric production by integrating cognitive and physical states
Tajbeed A. Chowdhury ORCID Icon, Eric Wagner ORCID Icon, Paul Motzki ORCID Icon, Martina Lehser ORCID Icon
The rapid advancement of immersive technologies has created new opportunities to transform human-machine collaboration in industry. This paper presents an immersive platform with a digital twin that combines both physical and cognitive characteristics of human dynamics. By integrating multimodal sensing, human biomechanics, and cognitive state into digital twin technology, the proposed system enhances operational safety and ensures better ergonomics. The main argument is that human digital twins are not only desirable but essential for next-generation industrial systems. We discuss the limitations of existing human modeling approaches, outline the conceptual foundations of human digital twins, and demonstrate their industrial relevance across safety, productivity, ergonomics and sustainability.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 3 | Pages 6-13 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.26.3.1