ROBOTIC DISASSEMBLY AS A KEY ENABLER OF REMANUFACTURING

Today, even low volume manufacturing relies heavily on automation. The use of robotics in manufacturing assembly and testing environments to perform highly accurate, dangerous or rapid assembly functions is widespread. Robotics and operator controlled automation is utilised to different levels in the engine assembly process at both the low volume Perkins Engines Stafford facility that builds 4k generator engines per year, and the JLR Engine Manufacturing Centre Wolverhampton that will soon have capacity for 800k vehicle engines per year. A focus on disassembly for remanufacture is required in order to optimise the cradle-to-grave value stream as both industry and the consumer become more acute to the impacts of industry on sustainability, the environment and earth's finite resources. One piece flow mass manufacturing lines can be designed to best fit the product being assembled. In re-manufacturing the disassembly process must be flexible enough to process a range of products at different stages of life, in a way that is cost effective. Some products will require only minor servicing, whist others will require complete strip and rebuild. This flexibility drives the need for humans to co-exist in an environment with robotics and the existence of force feedback control, vision systems, zone monitoring, RFID and networked birth history makes this concept possible. As demonstrated by the CAT Reman facility Shrewsbury, remanufacturing in the UK is currently labour intensive with highly variable work content leading to variability in profit margins. In order for businesses to invest in robotics for remanufacturing, human safety with collaborative robots needs more exposure, and the concept of robotic disassembly for remanufacturing needs to be packaged in a way that provides a flexible solution, with stable, quantifiable benefits to both the business and the consumer.