Modelling of Optimum Return From Disassembly of Products

To design products simultaneously for disassembly and commercial viability, a cost-benefit model need to be developed for assessing the design for ease of disassembly as well as materials recyclability. This paper presents a mathematical formulation to maximize the profits from disassembly of products. Disassembly process involves several activities each with its associated costs and benefits. The model in this paper looks at the balance between the costs of disassembly operations and the benefits it generates through reutilization of retrieved components, and reprocessing of retrieved materials. A cost-benefit analysis include factors such as: the disassembly cost, sorting and recovery cost, dumping cost for remaining fractions, and the revenues from retrieved parts, subassemblies, components, and materials as well as the environmental benefits such as benefits of emission reduction from energy savings by savings from extraction of raw materials and their processing.